12Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king.H7346H3212H7927H3478H935H7927H4427 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon.H3379H1121H5028H4714H8085H1272H6440H4428H8010H3379H3427H4714 3The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam.H7971H7121H3379H6951H3478H935H1696H7346H559 4"Your father was a hard master," they said. "Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects."H1H7185H5923H7185H7186H5656H1H3515H5923H5414H7043H5647 5Rehoboam replied, "Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer." So the people went away.H559H3212H7969H3117H7725H5971H3212 6Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. "What is your advice?" he asked. "How should I answer these people?"H4428H7346H3289H2205H5975H6440H8010H1H2416H559H3289H7725H1697H5971 7The older counselors replied, "If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects."H1696H559H5650H5971H3117H5647H6030H1696H2896H1697H5650H3117 8But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.H5800H6098H2205H3289H3289H3206H1431H5975H6440 9"What is your advice?" he asked them. "How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?"H559H3289H7725H1697H5971H1696H559H7043H5923H1H5414H7043 10The young men replied, "This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!H3206H1431H1696H559H559H5971H1696H559H1H3513H5923H3513H7043H1696H6995H5666H1H4975 11Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!'"H1H6006H3515H5923H3254H5923H1H3256H7752H3256H6137 12Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam's decision, just as the king had ordered.H3379H5971H935H7346H7992H3117H4428H1696H559H7725H7992H3117 13But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselorsH4428H6030H5971H7186H5800H2205H6098H3289 14and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, "My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!"H1696H6098H3206H559H1H3513H5923H3513H3254H5923H1H3256H7752H3256H6137 15So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the LORD, for it fulfilled the LORD's message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.H4428H8085H5971H5438H3068H6965H1697H3068H1696H3027H281H7888H3379H1121H5028 16When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, "Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out for your own house, O David!" So the people of Israel returned home.H7725H3478H7200H4428H8085H5971H1697H4428H559H2506H1732H5159H1121H3448H168H3478H7200H1004H1732H3478H3212H168 17But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.H1121H3478H3427H5892H3063H7346H4427 18King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the labor force, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.H4428H7346H7971H151H4522H3478H7275H68H4191H4428H7346H553H5927H4818H5127H3389 19And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.H3478H6586H1004H1732H3117 20When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam's return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family of David.H3478H8085H3379H7725H7971H7121H5712H4427H3478H310H1004H1732H2108H7626H3063 21When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against the men of Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.H7346H935H3389H6950H1004H3063H7626H1144H3967H8084H505H977H6213H4421H3898H1004H3478H7725H4410H7725H7346H1121H8010 22But God said to Shemaiah, the man of God,H1697H430H8098H376H430H559 23"Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,H559H7346H1121H8010H4428H3063H1004H3063H1144H3499H5971H559 24'This is what the LORD says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!'" So they obeyed the message of the LORD and went home, as the LORD had commanded.H559H3068H5927H3898H251H1121H3478H7725H376H1004H1697H1961H8085H1697H3068H7725H3212H1697H3068 25Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel.H3379H1129H7927H2022H669H3427H3318H1129H6439 26Jeroboam thought to himself, "Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David.H3379H559H3820H4467H7725H1004H1732 27When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the LORD, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead."H5971H5927H6213H2077H1004H3068H3389H3820H5971H7725H113H7346H4428H3063H2026H7725H7346H4428H3063 28So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, "It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!"H4428H3289H6213H8147H5695H2091H559H7227H5927H3389H430H3478H5927H776H4714 29He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom.H7760H259H1008H259H5414H1835 30But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.H1697H2403H5971H3212H6440H259H1835 31Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people—those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi.H6213H1004H1116H6213H3548H7098H5971H1121H3878 32And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah. There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices to the calves he had made, and he appointed priests for the pagan shrines he had made.H3379H6213H2282H8066H2320H2568H6240H3117H2320H2282H3063H5927H4196H6213H1008H2076H5695H6213H5975H1008H3548H1116H6213 33So on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day that he himself had designated, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel. He instituted a religious festival for Israel, and he went up to the altar to burn incense.H5927H4196H6213H1008H2568H6240H3117H8066H2320H2320H908H3820H6213H2282H1121H3478H5927H4196H6999
13At the LORD's command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to burn incense.H935H376H430H3063H1697H3068H1008H3379H5975H4196H6999 2Then at the LORD's command, he shouted, "O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you."H7121H4196H1697H3068H559H4196H4196H559H3068H1121H3205H1004H1732H2977H8034H2076H3548H1116H6999H120H6106H8313 3That same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message. He said, "The LORD has promised to give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground."H5414H4159H3117H559H4159H3068H1696H4196H7167H1880H8210 4When King Jeroboam heard the man of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and shouted, "Seize that man!" But instantly the king's hand became paralyzed in that position, and he couldn't pull it back.H4428H3379H8085H1697H376H430H7121H4196H1008H7971H3027H4196H559H8610H3027H7971H3001H3201H7725 5At the same time a wide crack appeared in the altar, and the ashes poured out, just as the man of God had predicted in his message from the LORD.H4196H7167H1880H8210H4196H4159H376H430H5414H1697H3068 6The king cried out to the man of God, "Please ask the LORD your God to restore my hand again!" So the man of God prayed to the LORD, and the king's hand was restored and he could move it again.H4428H6030H559H376H430H2470H6440H3068H430H6419H3027H7725H376H430H2470H6440H3068H4428H3027H7725H7223 7Then the king said to the man of God, "Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift."H4428H1696H376H430H935H1004H5582H5414H4991 8But the man of God said to the king, "Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place.H376H430H559H4428H5414H2677H1004H935H398H3899H8354H4325H4725 9For the LORD gave me this command: 'You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.'"H6680H1697H3068H559H398H3899H8354H4325H7725H1870H1980 10So he left Bethel and went home another way.H3212H312H1870H7725H1870H935H1008 11As it happened, there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and his sons came home and told him what the man of God had done in Bethel that day. They also told their father what the man had said to the king.H3427H259H2205H5030H1008H1121H935H5608H4639H376H430H6213H3117H1008H1697H1696H4428H5608H1 12The old prophet asked them, "Which way did he go?" So they showed their father which road the man of God had taken.H1H1696H1870H1980H1121H7200H335H1870H376H430H1980H935H3063 13"Quick, saddle the donkey," the old man said. So they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it.H559H1121H2280H2543H2280H2543H7392 14Then he rode after the man of God and found him sitting under a great tree. The old prophet asked him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" "Yes, I am," he replied.H3212H310H376H430H4672H3427H424H559H376H430H935H3063H559 15Then he said to the man of God, "Come home with me and eat some food."H559H3212H1004H398H3899 16"No, I cannot," he replied. "I am not allowed to eat or drink anything here in this place.H559H3201H7725H935H398H3899H8354H4325H4725 17For the LORD gave me this command: 'You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.'"H1697H1697H3068H398H3899H8354H4325H7725H3212H1870H1980 18But the old prophet answered, "I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the LORD: 'Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.'" But the old man was lying to him.H559H5030H4397H1696H1697H3068H559H7725H1004H398H3899H8354H4325H3584 19So they went back together, and the man of God ate and drank at the prophet's home.H7725H398H3899H1004H8354H4325 20Then while they were sitting at the table, a command from the LORD came to the old prophet.H3427H7979H1697H3068H5030H7725 21He cried out to the man of God from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: You have defied the word of the LORD and have disobeyed the command the LORD your God gave you.H7121H376H430H935H3063H559H559H3068H3282H4784H6310H3068H8104H4687H3068H430H6680 22You came back to this place and ate and drank where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this, your body will not be buried in the grave of your ancestors."H7725H398H3899H8354H4325H4725H1696H398H3899H8354H4325H5038H935H6913H1 23After the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the old prophet saddled his own donkey for him,H310H398H3899H310H8354H2280H2543H5030H7725 24and the man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him. His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.H3212H738H4672H1870H4191H5038H7993H1870H2543H5975H681H738H5975H5038 25People who passed by saw the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the old prophet lived.H582H5674H7200H5038H7993H1870H738H5975H681H5038H935H1696H5892H2205H5030H3427 26When the prophet heard the report, he said, "It is the man of God who disobeyed the LORD's command. The LORD has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him."H5030H7725H1870H8085H559H376H430H4784H6310H3068H3068H5414H738H7665H4191H1697H3068H1696 27Then the prophet said to his sons, "Saddle a donkey for me." So they saddled a donkey,H1696H1121H559H2280H2543H2280 28and he went out and found the body lying in the road. The donkey and lion were still standing there beside it, for the lion had not eaten the body nor attacked the donkey.H3212H4672H5038H7993H1870H2543H738H5975H681H5038H738H398H5038H7665H2543 29So the prophet laid the body of the man of God on the donkey and took it back to the town to mourn over him and bury him.H5030H5375H5038H376H430H3240H2543H7725H2205H5030H935H5892H5594H6912 30He laid the body in his own grave, crying out in grief, "Oh, my brother!"H3240H5038H6913H5594H1945H251 31Afterward the prophet said to his sons, "When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones.H310H6912H559H1121H559H4191H6912H6913H376H430H6912H3240H6106H681H6106 32For the message the LORD told him to proclaim against the altar in Bethel and against the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true."H1697H7121H1697H3068H4196H1008H1004H1116H5892H8111 33But even after this, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil ways. He continued to choose priests from the common people. He appointed anyone who wanted to become a priest for the pagan shrines.H310H1697H3379H7725H7451H1870H6213H7725H7098H5971H3548H1116H2655H4390H3027H3548H1116 34This became a great sin and resulted in the utter destruction of Jeroboam's dynasty from the face of the earth.H1697H2403H1004H3379H3582H8045H6440H127
14At that time Jeroboam's son Abijah became very sick.H6256H29H1121H3379H2470 2So Jeroboam told his wife, "Disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as my wife. Then go to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh—the man who told me I would become king.H3379H559H802H6965H8138H3045H802H3379H1980H7887H281H5030H1696H4428H5971 3Take him a gift of ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and ask him what will happen to the boy."H3947H3027H6235H3899H5350H1228H1706H935H5046H5288 4So Jeroboam's wife went to Ahijah's home at Shiloh. He was an old man now and could no longer see.H3379H802H6213H6965H3212H7887H935H1004H281H281H3201H7200H5869H6965H7869 5But the LORD had told Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife will come here, pretending to be someone else. She will ask you about her son, for he is very sick. Give her the answer I give you."H3068H559H281H802H3379H935H1875H1697H1121H2470H2090H1696H935H5234 6So when Ahijah heard her footsteps at the door, he called out, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you pretending to be someone else?" Then he told her, "I have bad news for you.H281H8085H6963H7272H935H6607H559H935H802H3379H5234H7971H7186 7Give your husband, Jeroboam, this message from the LORD, the God of Israel: 'I promoted you from the ranks of the common people and made you ruler over my people Israel.H3212H559H3379H559H3068H430H3478H3282H7311H8432H5971H5414H5057H5971H3478 8I ripped the kingdom away from the family of David and gave it to you. But you have not been like my servant David, who obeyed my commands and followed me with all his heart and always did whatever I wanted.H7167H4467H7167H1004H1732H5414H5650H1732H8104H4687H1980H310H3824H6213H3477H5869 9You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made other gods for yourself and have made me furious with your gold calves. And since you have turned your back on me,H6213H7489H6440H3212H6213H312H430H4541H3707H7993H310H1458 10I will bring disaster on your dynasty and will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel. I will burn up your royal dynasty as one burns up trash until it is all gone.H935H7451H1004H3379H3772H3379H8366H7023H6113H5800H3478H1197H310H1004H3379H1197H1557H8552 11The members of Jeroboam's family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures. I, the LORD, have spoken.'"H4191H3379H5892H3611H398H4191H7704H5775H8064H398H3068H1696 12Then Ahijah said to Jeroboam's wife, "Go on home, and when you enter the city, the child will die.H6965H3212H1004H7272H935H5892H3206H4191 13All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only member of your family who will have a proper burial, for this child is the only good thing that the LORD, the God of Israel, sees in the entire family of Jeroboam.H3478H5594H6912H3379H935H6913H4672H2896H1697H3068H430H3478H1004H3379 14"In addition, the LORD will raise up a king over Israel who will destroy the family of Jeroboam. This will happen today, even now!H3068H6965H4428H3478H3772H1004H3379H3117 15Then the LORD will shake Israel like a reed whipped about in a stream. He will uproot the people of Israel from this good land that he gave their ancestors and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, for they have angered the LORD with the Asherah poles they have set up for worship.H3068H5221H3478H7070H5110H4325H5428H3478H2896H127H5414H1H2219H5676H5104H6213H842H3068H3707 16He will abandon Israel because Jeroboam sinned and made Israel sin along with him."H5414H3478H5414H1558H2403H3379H2398H3478H2398 17So Jeroboam's wife returned to Tirzah, and the child died just as she walked through the door of her home.H3379H802H6965H3212H935H8656H935H5592H1004H5288H4191 18And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, as the LORD had promised through the prophet Ahijah.H6912H3478H5594H1697H3068H1696H3027H5650H281H5030 19The rest of the events in Jeroboam's reign, including all his wars and how he ruled, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel.H3499H1697H3379H3898H4427H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3478 20Jeroboam reigned in Israel twenty-two years. When Jeroboam died, his son Nadab became the next king.H3117H3379H4427H8147H6242H8141H7901H1H5070H1121H4427 21Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam's mother was Naamah, an Ammonite woman.H7346H1121H8010H4427H3063H7346H705H259H8141H1121H4427H4427H7651H6240H8141H3389H5892H3068H977H7626H3478H7760H8034H517H8034H5279H5985 22During Rehoboam's reign, the people of Judah did what was evil in the LORD's sight, provoking his anger with their sin, for it was even worse than that of their ancestors.H3063H6213H7451H5869H3068H7065H2403H2398H1H6213 23For they also built for themselves pagan shrines and set up sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.H1129H1116H4676H842H1364H1389H7488H6086 24There were even male and female shrine prostitutes throughout the land. The people imitated the detestable practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites.H6945H776H6213H8441H1471H3068H3423H6440H1121H3478 25In the fifth year of King Rehoboam's reign, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem.H2549H8141H4428H7346H7895H4428H4714H5927H3389 26He ransacked the treasuries of the LORD's Temple and the royal palace; he stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.H3947H214H1004H3068H214H4428H1004H3947H3947H4043H2091H8010H6213 27King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace.H4428H7346H6213H5178H4043H6485H3027H8269H7323H8104H6607H4428H1004 28Whenever the king went to the Temple of the LORD, the guards would also take the shields and then return them to the guardroom.H1767H4428H935H1004H3068H7323H5375H7725H7323H8372 29The rest of the events in Rehoboam's reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.H3499H1697H7346H6213H3789H5612H1697H3117H4428H3063 30There was constant war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.H4421H7346H3379H3117 31When Rehoboam died, he was buried among his ancestors in the City of David. His mother was Naamah, an Ammonite woman. Then his son Abijam became the next king.H7346H7901H1H6912H1H5892H1732H517H8034H5279H5985H38H1121H4427
Dublin, OH
, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon.H3379
