Israel's Revolt

121 And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for to Shechem hath all Israel come to make him king. 2 And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's hearing (and he 'is' yet in Egypt where he hath fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelleth in Egypt), 3 that they send and call for him; and they come—Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel—and speak unto Rehoboam, saying, 4 'Thy father made hard our yoke, and thou, now, make light 'some' of the hard service of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we serve thee.' 5 And he saith unto them, 'Go—yet three days, and come back unto me;' and the people go. 6 And king Rehoboam consulteth with the elders who have been standing in the presence of Solomon his father, in his being alive, saying, 'How are ye counselling to answer this people?' 7 And they speak unto him, saying, 'If, to-day, thou art servant to this people, and hast served them, and answered them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.' 8 And he forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him, and consulteth with the lads who have grown up with him, who are standing before him; 9 and he saith unto them, 'What are ye counselling, and we answer this people, who have spoken unto me, saying, Lighten 'somewhat' of the yoke that thy father put upon us?' 10 And they speak unto him—the lads who had grown up with him—saying, 'Thus dost thou say to this people who have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and thou, make 'it' light upon us; thus dost thou speak unto them, My little 'finger' is thicker than the loins of my father; 11 and now, my father laid on you a heavy yoke, and I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I—I chastise you with scorpions.' 12 And they come—Jeroboam and all the people—unto Rehoboam, on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, 'Come back unto me on the third day.' 13 And the king answereth the people sharply, and forsaketh the counsel of the elders which they counselled him, 14 and speaketh unto them, according to the counsel of the lads, saying, 'My father made your yoke heavy, and I add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I—I chastise you with scorpions;' 15 and the king hearkened not unto the people, for the revolution was from Jehovah, in order to establish His word that Jehovah spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat.

16 And all Israel see that the king hath not hearkened unto them, and the people send the king back word, saying, 'What portion have we in David? yea, there is no inheritance in the son of Jesse; to thy tents, O Israel; now see thy house, O David!' and Israel goeth to its tents. 17 As to the sons of Israel, those dwelling in the cities of Judah—over them reign doth Rehoboam. 18 And king Rehoboam sendeth Adoram who 'is' over the tribute, and all Israel cast at him stones, and he dieth; and king Rehoboam hath strengthened himself to go up into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem; 19 and Israel transgresseth against the house of David unto this day. 20 And it cometh to pass, at all Israel's hearing that Jeroboam hath returned, that they send and call him unto the company, and cause him to reign over all Israel; none hath been after the house of David save the tribe of Judah alone. 21 And Rehoboam cometh to Jerusalem, and assembleth all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors, to fight with the house of Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 And the word of God is unto Shemaiah a man of God, saying, 23 'Speak unto Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and the rest of the people, saying, 24 Thus said Jehovah, Ye do not go up nor fight with your brethren the sons of Israel; turn back each to his house, for from Me hath this thing been;' and they hear the word of Jehovah, and turn back to go according to the word of Jehovah.

Jeroboam Leads Israel into Sin

25 And Jeroboam buildeth Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwelleth in it, and goeth out thence, and buildeth Penuel; 26 and Jeroboam saith in his heart, 'Now doth the kingdom turn back to the house of David— 27 if this people go up to make sacrifices in the house of Jehovah in Jerusalem, then hath the heart of this people turned back unto their lord, unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they have slain me, and turned back unto Rehoboam king of Judah.' 28 And the king taketh counsel, and maketh two calves of gold, and saith unto them, 'Enough to you of going up to Jerusalem; lo, thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.' 29 And he setteth the one in Beth-El, and the other he hath put in Dan, 30 and this thing becometh a sin, and the people go before the one—unto Dan. 31 And he maketh the house of high places, and maketh priests of the extremities of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi; 32 and Jeroboam maketh a festival in the eighth month, in the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival that 'is' in Judah, and he offereth on the altar—so did he in Beth-El—to sacrifice to the calves which he made, and he hath appointed in Beth-El the priests of the high places that he made. 33 And he offereth up on the altar that he made in Beth-El, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month that he devised of his own heart, and he maketh a festival to the sons of Israel, and offereth on the altar—to make perfume.

The Prophet of Judah Warns Jeroboam

131 And lo, a man of God hath come from Judah, by the word of Jehovah, unto Beth-El, and Jeroboam is standing by the altar—to make perfume; 2 and he calleth against the altar, by the word of Jehovah, and saith, 'Altar! altar! thus said Jehovah, Lo, a son is born to the house of David—Josiah his name—and he hath sacrificed on thee the priests of the high places who are making perfume on thee, and bones of man are burnt on thee.' 3 And he hath given on that day a sign, saying, 'This 'is' the sign that Jehovah hath spoken, Lo, the altar is rent, and the ashes poured forth that 'are' on it.' 4 And it cometh to pass, at the king's hearing the word of the man of God that he calleth against the altar in Beth-El, that Jeroboam putteth forth his hand from off the altar, saying, 'Catch him;' and his hand is dried up that he hath put forth against him, and he is not able to bring it back unto him, 5 and the altar is rent, and the ashes poured forth from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of Jehovah. 6 And the king answereth and saith unto the man of God, 'Appease, I pray thee, the face of Jehovah thy God, and pray for me, and my hand doth come back unto me;' and the man of God appeaseth the face of Jehovah, and the hand of the king cometh back unto him, and it is as at the beginning. 7 And the king speaketh unto the man of God, 'Come in with me to the house, and refresh thyself, and I give to thee a gift.' 8 And the man of God saith unto the king, 'If thou dost give to me the half of thine house, I do not go in with thee, nor do I eat bread, nor do I drink water, in this place; 9 for so He commanded me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou dost not eat bread nor drink water, nor turn back in the way that thou hast come.' 10 And he goeth on in another way, and hath not turned back in the way in which he came in unto Beth-El.

11 And a certain aged prophet is dwelling in Beth-El, and his son cometh and recounteth to him all the deed that the man of God hath done to-day in Beth-El, the words that he hath spoken unto the king,—yea, they recount them to their father. 12 And their father saith unto them, 'Where 'is' this—the way he hath gone?' and his sons see the way that the man of God hath gone who came from Judah. 13 And he saith unto his sons, 'Saddle for me the ass,' and they saddle for him the ass, and he rideth on it, 14 and goeth after the man of God, and findeth him sitting under the oak, and saith unto him, 'Art thou the man of God who hast come from Judah?' and he saith, 'I 'am'.' 15 And he saith unto him, 'Come with me to the house, and eat bread.' 16 And he saith, 'I am not able to turn back with thee, and to go in with thee, nor do I eat bread or drink with thee water in this place, 17 for a word 'is' unto me by the word of Jehovah, Thou dost not eat bread nor drink there water, thou dost not turn back to go in the way in which thou camest.' 18 And he saith to him, 'I also 'am' a prophet like thee, and a messenger spake unto me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Bring him back with thee unto thy house, and he doth eat bread and drink water;'—he hath lied to him. 19 And he turneth back with him, and eateth bread in his house, and drinketh water. 20 And it cometh to pass—they are sitting at the table—and a word of Jehovah is unto the prophet who brought him back, 21 and he calleth unto the man of God who came from Judah, saying, 'Thus said Jehovah, Because that thou hast provoked the mouth of Jehovah, and hast not kept the command that Jehovah thy God charged thee, 22 and turnest back and dost eat bread and drink water in the place of which He said unto thee, Thou dost not eat bread nor drink water—thy carcase cometh not in unto the burying-place of thy fathers.'

23 And it cometh to pass, after his eating bread, and after his drinking, that he saddleth for him the ass, for the prophet whom he had brought back, 24 and he goeth, and a lion findeth him in the way, and putteth him to death, and his carcase is cast in the way, and the ass is standing near it, and the lion is standing near the carcase. 25 And lo, men are passing by, and see the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing near the carcase, and they come and speak 'of it' in the city in which the old prophet is dwelling. 26 And the prophet who brought him back out of the way heareth and saith, 'It 'is' the man of God who provoked the mouth of Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth him to the lion, and it destroyeth him, and putteth him to death, according to the word of Jehovah that he spake to him.' 27 And he speaketh unto his sons saying, 'Saddle for me the ass,' and they saddle 'it'. 28 And he goeth and findeth his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion are standing near the carcase—the lion hath not eaten the carcase nor destroyed the ass. 29 And the prophet taketh up the carcase of the man of God, and placeth it on the ass, and bringeth it back, and the old prophet cometh in unto the city to mourn and to bury him, 30 and he placeth his carcase in his own grave, and they mourn for him, 'Oh, my brother!' 31 And it cometh to pass, after his burying him, that he speaketh unto his sons, saying, 'At my death—ye have buried me in the burying-place in which the man of God is buried; near his bones place my bones; 32 for the word certainly cometh to pass that he called by the word of Jehovah concerning the altar which 'is' Beth-El, and concerning all the houses of the high places that 'are' in cities of Samaria.' 33 After this thing Jeroboam hath not turned from his evil way, and turneth back, and maketh of the extremities of the people priests of high places; he who is desirous he consecrateth his hand, and he is of the priests of the high places. 34 And in this thing is the sin of the house of Jeroboam, even to cut 'it' off, and to destroy 'it' from off the face of the ground.

Ahijah's Prophecy against Jeroboam

141 At that time was Abijah son of Jeroboam sick, 2 and Jeroboam saith to his wife, 'Rise, I pray thee, and change thyself, and they know not that thou 'art' wife of Jeroboam, and thou hast gone to Shiloh; lo, there 'is' Ahijah the prophet; he spake unto me of 'being' king over this people; 3 and thou hast taken in thy hand ten loaves, and crumbs, and a bottle of honey, and hast gone in unto him; he doth declare to thee what becometh of the youth.' 4 And the wife of Jeroboam doth so, and riseth, and goeth to Shiloh, and entereth the house of Ahijah, and Ahijah is not able to see, for his eyes have stood because of his age. 5 And Jehovah said unto Ahijah, 'Lo, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to seek a word from thee concerning her son, for he is sick; thus and thus thou dost speak unto her, and it cometh to pass at her coming in, that she is making herself strange.' 6 And it cometh to pass, at Ahijah's hearing the sound of her feet 'as' she came in to the opening, that he saith, 'Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why is this—thou art making thyself strange? and I am sent unto thee 'with' a sharp thing:

7 Go, say to Jeroboam, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Because that I have made thee high out of the midst of the people, and appoint thee leader over my people Israel, 8 and rend the kingdom from the house of David, and give it to thee,—and thou hast not been as My servant David who kept My commands, and who walked after Me with all his heart, to do only that which 'is' right in Mine eyes, 9 and thou dost evil above all who have been before thee, and goest, and makest to thee other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and Me thou hast cast behind thy back: 10 'Therefore, lo, I am bringing in evil unto the house of Jeroboam, and have cut off to Jeroboam those sitting on the wall—shut up and left—in Israel, and have put away the posterity of the house of Jeroboam, as one putteth away the dung till its consumption; 11 him who dieth of Jeroboam in a city do the dogs eat, and him who dieth in a field do fowl of the heavens eat, for Jehovah hath spoken. 12 'And thou, rise, go to thy house; in the going in of thy feet to the city—hath the lad died; 13 and all Israel have mourned for him, and buried him, for this one—by himself—cometh of Jeroboam unto a grave, because there hath been found in him a good thing towards Jehovah, God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. 14 'And Jehovah hath raised up for Him a king over Israel who cutteth off the house of Jeroboam this day—and what?—even now! 15 And Jehovah hath smitten Israel as the reed is moved by the waters, and hath plucked Israel from off this good ground that He gave to their fathers, and scattered them beyond the River, because that they made their shrines, provoking Jehovah to anger; 16 and He giveth up Israel because of the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned, and that he caused Israel to sin.' 17 And the wife of Jeroboam riseth, and goeth, and cometh to Tirzah; she hath come in to the threshold of the house, and the youth dieth; 18 and they bury him, and mourn for him do all Israel, according to the word of Jehovah, that he spake by the hand of His servant Ahijah the prophet. 19 And the rest of the matters of Jeroboam, how he fought, and how he reigned, lo, they are written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel. 20 And the days that Jeroboam reigned 'are' twenty and two years, and he lieth with his fathers, and reign doth Nadab his son in his stead.

The Reign of Rehoboam

21 And Rehoboam son of Solomon hath reigned in Judah; a son of forty and one years 'is' Rehoboam in his reigning, and seventeen years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, the city that Jehovah chose to set His name there, out of all the tribes of Israel, and the name of his mother 'is' Naamah the Ammonitess. 22 And Judah doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and they make Him zealous above all that their fathers did by their sins that they have sinned. 23 And they build—also they—for themselves high places, and standing-pillars, and shrines, on every high height, and under every green tree; 24 and also a whoremonger hath been in the land; they have done according to all the abominations of the nations that Jehovah dispossessed from the presence of the sons of Israel. 25 And it cometh to pass, in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, gone up hath Shishak king of Egypt against Jerusalem, 26 and he taketh the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and the treasures of the house of the king, yea, the whole he hath taken; and he taketh all the shields of gold that Solomon made. 27 And king Rehoboam maketh in their stead shields of brass, and hath made 'them' a charge on the hand of the heads of the runners, those keeping the opening of the house of the king, 28 and it cometh to pass, from the going in of the king to the house of Jehovah, the runners bear them, and have brought them back unto the chamber of the runners. 29 And the rest of the matters of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah? 30 And war hath been between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days; 31 and Rehoboam lieth with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers, in the city of David, and the name of his mother 'is' Naamah the Ammonitess, and reign doth Abijam his son in his stead.