The Kingdom Divided

Wycliffe's Bible (Modern Spelling)

1Ki 12:1–19

1 Forsooth Rehoboam came into Shechem; for all Israel was gathered thither to make him king.
2 And soothly Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, when he was yet in Egypt, and fled from the face of king Solomon, turned again from Egypt, for the death of Solomon was heard;
3 and they sent, and called him. Therefore Jeroboam came, and all the multitude of Israel, and they spake to Rehoboam, and said,
4 Thy father putted the most hard yoke upon us, therefore abate thou a little now of the hardest commandment of thy father, and of the full grievous yoke that he hath put upon us, and we shall serve to thee.
5 And Rehoboam said to them, Go ye till to the third day, and turn ye again to me. And when the people had gone,
6 king Rehoboam took counsel with the elder men, that stood before Solomon, his father, while he lived yet; and Rehoboam said, What counsel give ye to me, that I answer to the people?
7 Which said to him, If thou obeyest today to this people, and servest this people, and givest stead to their asking, and speakest to them light, or easy, words, they shall be servants to thee in all days.
8 And Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the eld or old men, which they gave to him, and took young men, that were nourished with him, and stood nigh to him;
9 and he said to them, What counsel give ye to me, that I answer to this people, that said to me, Make thou easier the yoke that thy father hath put upon us?
10 And the young men, that were nourished with him, said to him, Thus speak thou to this people, that spake to thee, and said, Thy father made grievous our yoke, relieve thou us; thus thou shalt speak to them, My least finger is greater than the back of my father;
11 and now though my father putted or put on you a grievous yoke, forsooth I shall add on your yoke; my father beat you with scourges, but I shall beat you with scorpions.
12 Therefore Jeroboam, and all the people, came to Rehoboam, in the third day, as the king spake, saying, Turn ye again to me in the third day.
13 And the king answered hard things to the people, while the counsel of the elder men was forsaken, that they had given to him;
14 and he spake to them by the counsel of the young men, and said, My father made grievous your yoke, forsooth I shall add to your yoke; my father beat you with scourges, but I shall beat you with scorpions.
15 And the king assented not to the people, for the Lord had turned him away, that the Lord should raise up his word, that he had spoken in the hand of the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.
16 Then the people saw, that the king would not hear them, and the people answered to the king, and said, What part is to us in David, either what heritage in the son of Jesse? Israel, turn thou again into thy tabernacles; now, David, see thou to thine house. And Israel went into his tabernacles.
17 Forsooth Rehoboam reigned on the sons of Israel, which dwelled in the cities of Judah.
18 Therefore king Rehoboam sent Adoram, that was on the tributes; and all the people of Israel stoned him, and he was dead. Forsooth king Rehoboam went up hastily upon his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem;
19 and Israel departed from the house of David, till into this present day.

2Ch 10:1–19

1 Forsooth Rehoboam went forth into Shechem; for all Israel came together thither to make him king.
2 And when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that was in Egypt, for he fled thither from before Solomon, had heard this, he turned again anon.
3 And they called him, and he came with all Israel, and they spake to Rehoboam, and said,
4 Thy 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.
5 And he said, After three days turn ye again to me. And when the people was gone away,
6 he 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?
7 And 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.
8 And 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.
9 And 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?
10 And 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;
11 my 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.
12 And Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam in the third day, as he had commanded to them.
13 And the king answered hard things, after that he had forsaken the counsel of the elder men,
14 and 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.
15 And 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.
16 And 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.
17 And Rehoboam reigned upon the sons of Israel, that dwelled in the cities of Judah.
18 And 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.
19 And Israel went away from the house of David unto this day.