¹ Forsothe Roboam yede forth in to Sichem; for al Israel came togidere thidur to make hym kyng.

² And whanne Jeroboam, the sone of Nabath, that was in Egipt, `for he fledde thidur bifor Salomon, hadde herd this, he turnyde ayen anoon.

³ And thei clepiden hym, and he cam with al Israel, and thei spaken to Roboam, and seiden,

⁴ Thi fadir oppresside vs with ful hard yok; comaunde thou liytere thingis than thi fader, that settide on vs a greuouse seruage; and releese thou a litil of `the birthun, that we serue thee. And he seide,

⁵ After thre daies turne ye ayen to me. And whanne the puple was goon, he took counsel with elde men,

⁶ that stoden bifor his fadir Salomon, while he lyuyde yit, and seide, What counsel yyuen ye, that Y answere to the puple?

⁷ And thei seiden to hym, If thou plesist this puple, and makist hem softe bi meke wordis, thei schulen serue thee in al tyme.

⁸ And he forsook the counsel of elde men, and bigan to trete with yonge men, that weren nurischid with hym, and weren in his cumpenye.

⁹ And he seide to hem, What semeth to you? ether what owe Y answere to this puple, that seide to me, Releese thou the yok, which thi fadir puttide on vs?

¹⁰ And thei answeriden, as yonge men and nurschyd with hym in delicis, and seiden, Thus thou schalt speke to the puple that seide to thee, Thi fadir made greuouse oure yok, releese thou; and thus thou schalt answere to hem, My leeste fyngur is gretter than the leendis of my fader;

¹¹ my fadir puttide on you a greuouse yok, and Y schal leie to a gretter birthun; my fadir beet you with scourgis, forsothe Y schal bete you with `scorpiouns, that is, hard knottid roopis.

¹² Therfor Jeroboam and al the puple cam to Roboam in the thridde dai, as he hadde comaundid to hem.

¹³ And `the kyng answeride harde thingis, after that he hadde forsake the counsel of the eldere men,

¹⁴ and he spak bi the wille of the yonge men, My fadir puttide on you a greuouse yok, which Y schal make greuousere; my fadir beet you with scourgis, sotheli Y schal bete you with scorpiouns.

¹⁵ And he assentide not to the preieris of the puple; for it was the wille of God, that his word schulde be fillid, which he hadde spoke bi the hond of Ahie of Silo to Jeroboam, sone of Nabath.

¹⁶ Sotheli whanne the kyng seide hardere thingis, al the puple spak thus to hym, No part is to vs in Dauid, nether eritage in the sone of Isai; Israel, turne thou ayen in to thi tabernaclis, sotheli thou, Dauid, feede thin hows. And Israel yede in to hise tabernaclis.

¹⁷ Forsothe Roboam regnede on the sones of Israel, that dwelliden in the citees of Juda.

¹⁸ And kyng Roboam sente Adhuram, that was souereyn ouer the tributis; and the sones of Israel stonyden hym, and he was deed. Certis kyng Roboam hastide to stie in to the chare, and fledde in to Jerusalem.

¹⁹ And Israel yede awei fro the hows of Dauid `til to this dai. Forsothe it was doon, whanne al Israel hadde herd, that Jeroboam turnede ayen, thei senten, and clepiden hym, whanne the cumpeny was gaderid, and thei ordeyneden him king on al Israel; and no man, outakun the lynage of Juda aloone, suede `the hows of Dauid.