10 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. (And when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, for he had fled there from Solomon, had heard this, he returned at once.)

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. (Thy father oppressed us with a very hard yoke; command thou lighter things upon us than thy father, who set upon us a grievous slavery; and if thou release a little of our burden, then we shall gladly serve thee.)

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

⁶ he took counsel with [the] eld men, that stood before his father Solomon, while he lived yet (he took counsel with the old men, or the elders, who stood before his father Solomon, while yet he lived), 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. (And they said to him, If thou pleasest this people, and quietest them, with humble words, they shall loyally serve thee always.)

⁸ And he forsook the counsel of the eld men, and began to treat (this in thought) with (the) young men, that were nourished with him, and were in his company. (But he forsook the counsel of the old men, that is, the elders, and began to discuss this with the young men, who grew up with him, and were his friends.)

⁹ And he said to them, What seemeth to you? either what thing ought I (to) 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; (And these young men, who had grown up with him in ease, said, Thus shalt thou say to the people who said to thee, Thy father made our yoke grievous, release thou it; thou shalt answer this to them, My least finger is greater than my father’s loins;)

¹¹ my father put upon you a grievous yoke, and I shall lay to (you) a greater burden (but I shall put upon you a far 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 (to them) hard things, after that he had forsaken the counsel of the elder men,

¹⁴ and he spake by the will of the young men, (and said,) My father putted 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 Jeroboam, 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. (And when the king had said these hard things, all the people spoke thus to him, We shall have no part with David, nor inheritance with the son of Jesse; Israel, return thou to thy tents, or to thy homes; and thou, David, feed thy own house. And the people of Israel went back to their tents/went back home.)

¹⁷ And Rehoboam reigned upon the sons of Israel, that dwelled in the cities of Judah. (And so Rehoboam reigned only upon the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.)

¹⁸ And king Rehoboam sent Hadoram, that was sovereign over the tributes; and the sons of Israel stoned him, and he was dead (And King Rehoboam sent out Hadoram, who was the ruler over the tributes, or the taxes; and the Israelites stoned him, and he died). And king Rehoboam hasted him(self) to go up into his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem.

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