1Forsooth Rehoboam went forth into Shechem; for all Israel came together thither to make him king.

2And when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that was in Egypt, for he fled thither from before Solomon, had heard this, he turned again anon.

3And they called him, and he came with all Israel, and they spake to Rehoboam, and said,

4Thy father oppressed us with a full hard yoke; command thou lighter things on us than thy father, the which set upon us a grievous servage; and release thou a little of our burden, that we serve thee.

5And he said, After three days turn ye again to me. And when the people was gone [away],

6he took counsel with [the] eld [or old] men, that stood before his father Solomon, while he lived yet, and said, What counsel give ye, that I answer to the people?

7And they said to him, If thou pleasest this people, and makest them soft, or quietest them, by meek words, they shall serve thee in all time.

8And he forsook the counsel of the eld [or old] men, and began to treat this in thought with young men, that were nourished with him, and were in his company.

9And he said to them, What seemeth to you? either what thing owe I answer to this people, that said to me, Release thou the yoke, that thy father hath put upon us?

10And they answered, as young men, and nourished with him in delights, and said, Thus thou shalt speak to the people that said to thee, Thy father made grievous our yoke, release thou it; and thus thou shalt answer to them, My least finger is greater than the loins of my father;

11my father put upon you a grievous yoke, and I shall lay to you a greater burden; my father beat you with scourges, but I shall beat you with scorpions, that is, hard-knotted ropes.

12And Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam in the third day, as he had commanded to them.

13And the king answered hard things, after that he had forsaken the counsel of the elder men,

14and he spake by the will of the young men, My father putted [or put] on you a grievous yoke, which I shall make grievouser; my father beat you with scourges, soothly I shall beat you with scorpions.

15And Rehoboam assented not to the prayers of the people; for it was the will of God, that his word should be [ful] filled, which he had spoken by the hand of Ahijah of Shiloh to Jero-boam, the son of Nebat.

16And when the king had said these harder things, all the people spake thus to him, No part be to us in David, neither heritage in the son of Jesse; Israel, turn thou again into thy tabernacles; and thou, David, feed thine own house. And Israel went into his tabernacles.

17And Rehoboam reigned upon the sons of Israel, that dwelled in the cities of Judah.

18And king Rehoboam sent Hador-am, that was sovereign over the tributes; and the sons of Israel stoned him, and he was dead. And king Rehoboam hasted him to go up into his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem.

19And Israel went away from the house of David unto this day.