Profectus est autem Roboam in Sichem: illuc enim cunctus Israël convenerat ut constituerent eum regem.

This Roboam betook himself to Sichem; at Sichem the whole of Israel had assembled to crown him king.

And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither all Israel were assembled, to make him king.

Quod cum audisset Jeroboam filius Nabat, qui erat in Ægypto (fugerat quippe illuc ante Salomonem), statim reversus est.

But meanwhile Jeroboam, son of Nabat, who had fled to Egypt to be out of king Solomon’s reach, had come back on hearing the news of his death;

And when Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (for he was fled thither from Solomon,) heard it, forthwith he returned.

Vocaveruntque eum, et venit cum universo Israël: et locuti sunt ad Roboam, dicentes:

and he, too, was summoned to meet them. He, and all Israel, came to make a request of Roboam;

And they sent for him, and he came with all Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:

Pater tuus durissimo jugo nos pressit: tu leviora impera patre tuo, qui nobis imposuit gravem servitutem, et paululum de onere subleva, ut serviamus tibi.

Thy father, they said, made us bear a bitter yoke. Less thou must ask of us than those cruel exactions, those stern commands, if we are ever to be servants of thine.

Thy father oppressed us with a most grievous yoke, do thou govern us with a lighter hand than thy father, who laid upon us a heavy servitude, and ease some thing of the burden, that we may serve thee.

Qui ait: Post tres dies revertimini ad me. Cumque abiisset populus,

Give me three days, he said, and then come back to hear my answer. So, when the people had left him,

And he said to them: Come to me again after three days. And when the people were gone,

iniit consilium cum senibus qui steterant coram patre ejus Salomone dum adhuc viveret, dicens: Quid datis consilii ut respondeam populo?

he asked advice first of the older men that had been courtiers in the life-time of his father; what answer should he make to the people?

He took counsel with the ancients, who had stood before his father Solomon, while he yet lived, saying: What counsel give you to me, that I may answer the people?

Qui dixerunt ei: Si placueris populo huic, et leniveris eos verbis clementibus, servient tibi omni tempore.

Why, they told him, if thou wilt but court their favour, and win them with gracious words, they will never cease giving thee loyal service.

And they said to him: If thou please this people, and soothe them with kind words, they will be thy servants for ever.

At ille reliquit consilium senum, et cum juvenibus tractare cœpit, qui cum eo nutriti fuerant, et erant in comitatu illius.

But he left their advice unheeded, and began to take counsel instead of the younger men who had grown up with him, and were of his following;

But he forsook the counsel of the ancients, and began to treat with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and were in his train.

Dixitque ad eos: Quid vobis videtur? vel respondere quid debeo populo huic, qui dixit mihi: Subleva jugum quod imposuit nobis pater tuus?

How think you? he asked. What answer shall I make to the people’s request that I would lighten the yoke my father laid on them?

And he said to them: What seemeth good to you? or what shall I answer this people, who have said to me: Ease the yoke which thy father laid upon us?

At illi responderunt ut juvenes, et nutriti cum eo in deliciis, atque dixerunt: Sic loqueris populo qui dixit tibi: Pater tuus aggravavit jugum nostrum, tu subleva: et sic respondebis ei: Minimus digitus meus grossior est lumbis patris mei.

And these, men that had been brought up with him in luxurious ways, gave him advice in their turn. Do they complain that thy father laid a heavy yoke on them, and ask for relief? Then tell them there is more strength in thy little finger than in all the breadth of thy father’s back;

But they answered as young men, and brought up with him in pleasures, and said: Thus shalt thou speak to the people, that said to thee: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease it: thus shalt thou answer them: My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father.

Pater meus imposuit vobis grave jugum, et ego majus pondus apponam; pater meus cecidit vos flagellis, ego vero cædam vos scorpionibus.

if his yoke fell heavy on them, thine shall be heavier still, if thy father’s weapon was the lash, thine shall be the scorpion.

My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, and I will add more weight to it: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions.

Venit ergo Jeroboam et universus populus ad Roboam die tertio, sicut præceperat eis.

So the third day came, and Jeroboam, with all the people at his back, kept their tryst with him.

So Jeroboam, and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as he commanded them.

Responditque rex dura, derelicto consilio seniorum:

And the king, instead of heeding the advice which the older men had given him, spoke to the people harshly,

And the king answered roughly, leaving the counsel of the ancients.

locutusque est juxta juvenum voluntatem: Pater meus grave vobis imposuit jugum, quod ego gravius faciam; pater meus cecidit vos flagellis, ego vero cædam vos scorpionibus.

with such words as the younger men would have him use, If my father’s yoke fell heavy on you, mine shall be heavier still, if his weapon was the lash, mine shall be the scorpion.

And he spoke according to the advice of the young men: My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, which I will make heavier: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions.

Et non acquievit populi precibus: erat enim voluntatis Dei ut compleretur sermo ejus quem locutus fuerat per manum Ahiæ Silonitis ad Jeroboam filium Nabat.

Thus the king refused to fall in with the people’s request; the Lord’s will was to give effect to the promise he had made, through Ahias the Silonite, to Jeroboam son of Nabat.

And he condescended not to the people’s requests: for it was the will of God, that his word might be fulfilled which he had spoken by the hand of Ahias the Silonite to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

Populus autem universus rege duriora dicente, sic locutus est ad eum: Non est nobis pars in David, neque hæreditas in filio Isai. Revertere in tabernacula tua, Israël; tu autem pasce domum tuam David. Et abiit Israël in tabernacula sua.

The people, thus churlishly answered, cried out, David is none of ours, not for us the son of Jesse; go back, men of Israel, to your homes! David’s rule for David’s tribe! And with that, Israel dispersed to their homes,

And all the people upon the king’s speaking roughly, said thus unto him: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai. Return to thy dwellings, O Israel, and do thou, O David, feed thy own house. And Israel went away to their dwellings.

Super filios autem Israël qui habitabant in civitatibus Juda, regnavit Roboam.

leaving Roboam to reign over such Israelites as lived in the cities of Juda.

But Roboam reigned over the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda.

Misitque rex Roboam Aduram, qui præerat tributis, et lapidaverunt eum filii Israël, et mortuus est: porro rex Roboam currum festinavit ascendere, et fugit in Jerusalem.

And now, when Aduram, who had charge of the levy, came to them in the king’s name, the Israelites stoned him to death; whereupon Roboam mounted his chariot and betook himself, with all speed, to Jerusalem.

And king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tributes, and the children of Israel stoned him, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to get up into his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem.

Recessitque Israël a domo David, usque ad diem hanc.

From that day to this, the men of Israel have refused allegiance to the dynasty of David.

And Israel revolted from the house of David unto this day.