26. And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda,
Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow
woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
27. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against
the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of
the city of David his father.
28. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon
seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him
ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
29. And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of
Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him
in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and
they two were alone in the field:
30. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent
it in twelve pieces:
31. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus
saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the
kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes
to thee:
32. (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake,
and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out
of all the tribes of Israel:)
33. Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped
Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of
the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon,
and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in
mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did
David his father.
34. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand:
but I will make him prince all the days of his life for
David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my
commandments and my statutes:
35. But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will
give it unto thee, even ten tribes.
36. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my
servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the
city which I have chosen me to put my name there.
37. And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all
that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.
38. And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I
command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right
in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as
David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build
thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give
Israel unto thee.
39. And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for
ever.
40. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam
arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and
was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41. And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did,
and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts
of Solomon?
42. And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all
Israel was forty years.
43. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the
city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in
his stead.
Chapter 12
1. And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to
Shechem to make him king.
2. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was
yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the
presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)
3. That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the
congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam,
saying,
4. Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou
the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which
he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.
5. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come
again to me. And the people departed.
6. And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood
before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How
do ye advise that I may answer this people?
7. And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant
unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer
them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy
servants for ever.
8. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had
given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown
up with him, and which stood before him:
9. And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may
answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the
yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
10. And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto
him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that
spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but
make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them,
My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
11. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I
will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with
whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third
day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the
third day.
13. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the
old men's counsel that they gave him;
14. And spake to them after the counsel of the young men,
saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to
your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I
will chastise you with scorpions.
15. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the
cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying,
which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam
the son of Nebat.
16. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto
them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion
have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of
Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house,
David. So Israel departed unto their tents.
17. But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities
of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18. Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute;
and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died.
Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his
chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.
19. So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
20. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was
come again, that they sent and called him unto the
congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was
none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of
Judah only.
21. And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all
the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred
and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to
fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom
again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
22. But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God,
saying,
23. Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and
unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant
of the people, saying,
24. Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against
your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to
his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened
therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart,
according to the word of the LORD.
25. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt
therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
26. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return
to the house of David:
27. If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the
LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn
again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and
they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
28. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of
gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to
Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up
out of the land of Egypt.
29. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
30. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship
before the one, even unto Dan.
31. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the
lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
32. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the
fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in
Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel,
sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed
in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
33. So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the
fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which
he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto
the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and
burnt incense.
Chapter 13
1. And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the
word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the
altar to burn incense.
2. And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and
said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child
shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and
upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that
burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon
thee.
3. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign
which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent,
and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
4. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of
the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel,
that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold
on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried
up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.
5. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the
altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given
by the word of the LORD.
6. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat
now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my
hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought
the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and
became as it was before.
7. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me,
and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
8. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me
half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I
eat bread nor drink water in this place:
9. For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying,
Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same
way that thou camest.
10. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he
came to Bethel.
11. Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came
and told him all the works that the man of God had done that
day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king,
them they told also to their father.
12. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his
sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from
Judah.
13. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they
saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,
14. And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under
an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that
camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
15. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
16. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with
thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in
this place:
17. For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt
eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by
the way that thou camest.
18. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an
angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring
him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread
and drink water. But he lied unto him.
19. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house,
and drank water.
20. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word
of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
21. And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah,
saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast
disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the
commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,
22. But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the
place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread,
and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the
sepulchre of thy fathers.
23. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he
had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the
prophet whom he had brought back.
24. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew
him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood
by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.
25. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the
way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and
told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
26. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way
heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was
disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD
hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and
slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake
unto him.
27. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And
they saddled him.
28. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the
ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not
eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.
29. And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and
laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old
prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.
30. And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned
over him, saying, Alas, my brother!
31. And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake
to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the
sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones
beside his bones:
32. For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD
against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of
the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall
surely come to pass.
33. After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way,
but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the
high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he
became one of the priests of the high places.
34. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even
to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the
earth.
Chapter 14
1. At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.
2. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and
disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of
Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah
the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this
people.
3. And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of
honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become
of the child.
4. And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh,
and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see;
for his eyes were set by reason of his age.
5. And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam
cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick:
thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when
she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another
woman.
6. And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as
she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of
Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am
sent to thee with heavy tidings.
7. Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel,
Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made
thee prince over my people Israel,
8. And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave
it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who
kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his
heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes;
9. But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou
hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to
provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
10. Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of
Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth
against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in
Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of
Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
11. Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat;
and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air
eat: for the LORD hath spoken it.
12. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when
thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.
13. And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he
only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him
there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel
in the house of Jeroboam.
14. Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who
shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even
now.
15. For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the
water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land,
which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them
beyond the river, because they have made their groves,
provoking the LORD to anger.
16. And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam,
who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
17. And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah:
and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child
died;
18. And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him,
according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by the
hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.
19. And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how
he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel.
20. And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty
years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son
reigned in his stead.
21. And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam
was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he
reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the
LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his
name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
22. And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they
provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had
committed, above all that their fathers had done.
23. For they also built them high places, and images, and
groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.
24. And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did
according to all the abominations of the nations which the
LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
25. And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that
Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:
26. And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and
the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all:
and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had
made.
27. And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and
committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard,
which kept the door of the king's house.
28. And it was so, when the king went into the house of the
LORD, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into
the guard chamber.
29. Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did,
are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the
kings of Judah?
30. And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their
days.
31. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his
fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name was
Naamah an Ammonitess. And Abijam his son reigned in his
stead.
