11:29 And it came to pa.s.s 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: 11:30 And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: 11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the G.o.d of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: 11:32 (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:) 11:33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the G.o.ddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the G.o.d of the Moabites, and Milcom the G.o.d 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.
11:34 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: 11:35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son"s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.
11:36 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.
11:37 And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.
11:38 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.
11:39 And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.
11:40 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.
11:41 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? 11:42 And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
11:43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
12:1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.
12:2 And it came to pa.s.s, 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;) 12:3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 12:4 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.
12:5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
12:6 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? 12:7 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.
12:8 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: 12:9 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? 12:10 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.
12:11 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.
12:12 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.
12:13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men"s counsel that they gave him; 12:14 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.
12:15 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.
12:16 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.
12:17 But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
12:18 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.
12:19 So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.
12:20 And it came to pa.s.s, 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.
12:21 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he a.s.sembled 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.
12:22 But the word of G.o.d came unto Shemaiah the man of G.o.d, saying, 12:23 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, 12:24 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.
12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.
12:26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 12:27 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.
12:28 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 G.o.ds, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
12:29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.
12:30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
12:31 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.
12:32 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.
12:33 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.
13:1 And, behold, there came a man of G.o.d out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
13:2 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.
13:3 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.
13:4 And it came to pa.s.s, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of G.o.d, 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.
13:5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of G.o.d had given by the word of the LORD.
13:6 And the king answered and said unto the man of G.o.d, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy G.o.d, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of G.o.d besought the LORD, and the king"s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.
13:7 And the king said unto the man of G.o.d, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.
13:8 And the man of G.o.d 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: 13:9 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.
13:10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.
13:11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of G.o.d had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
13:12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of G.o.d went, which came from Judah.
13:13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the a.s.s. So they saddled him the a.s.s: and he rode thereon, 13:14 And went after the man of G.o.d, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of G.o.d that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.
13:15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.
13:16 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: 13:17 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.
13:18 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.
13:19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
13:20 And it came to pa.s.s, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: 13:21 And he cried unto the man of G.o.d 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 G.o.d commanded thee, 13:22 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.