Jeroboam Warned, Stricken

13 Now behold, (A)a man of God came from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, while Jeroboam was standing at the altar (B)to burn incense. And (C)he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “Altar, altar, this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, (D)Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall burn on you.’” Then he gave a [a]sign on the same day, saying, “(E)This is the [b]sign which the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn to pieces and the [c]ashes which are on it shall be poured out.’” Now when the king heard the statement of the man of God which he cried out against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” But his hand which he had stretched out toward him dried up, and he could not draw it back to himself. The altar also was torn to pieces and the [d]ashes were poured out from the altar, in accordance with the [e]sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the king responded and said to the man of God, “Please [f](F)appease the Lord your God and pray for me, so that my hand may be restored to me.” So (G)the man of God [g]appeased the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before. Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and (H)I will give you a gift.” But the man of God said to the king, “(I)If you were to give me half your house, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. For so [h]it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water, nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he had come to Bethel.

The Disobedient Prophet

11 Now (J)an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his [i]sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they reported to their father. 12 And their father said to them, “[j]Which way did he go?” Now his sons [k]had seen the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it. 14 So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under [l]an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 But he said, “(K)I cannot return with you, nor come with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a [m]command came to me (L)by the word of the Lord: ‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way that you came.’” 18 Then he said to him, “(M)I too am a prophet like you, and (N)an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But (O)he lied to him. 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.

20 Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21 and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you have [n]disobeyed the [o]command of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “You are not to eat bread nor drink water”; your dead body will not come to the grave of your fathers.’” 23 It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 Now when he had gone, (P)a lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body. 25 And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body; so they came and told about it in the city where (Q)the old prophet had lived.

26 Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard about it, he said, “It is the man of God, who [p]disobeyed the [q]command of the Lord; therefore the Lord has given him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.” 27 Then he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it. 28 Then he went and found his body thrown on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor [r]harmed the donkey. 29 So the prophet picked up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back; and he came to the city of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him. 30 He laid his body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “(R)Oh, my brother!” 31 And after he had buried him, he talked to his sons, saying, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; (S)lay my bones beside his bones. 32 (T)For the thing will certainly come to pass which he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar that is in Bethel, and (U)against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of (V)Samaria.”

33 After this event, Jeroboam did not [s]abandon his evil way, but he (W)again [t]appointed priests of the high places from [u]all the people; (X)anyone who wanted, he ordained, and he became [v]one of the priests of the high places. 34 [w](Y)This event also became a sin of the house of Jeroboam, (Z)even to wipe it out and eliminate it from the face of the earth.

Ahijah Prophesies against the King

14 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Now arise and (AA)disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to (AB)Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who (AC)said regarding me that I would be king over this people. (AD)Take ten loaves with you, some pastries, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”

And Jeroboam’s wife did so, and set out and went to (AE)Shiloh, and came to the house of (AF)Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see (AG)because his eyes were [x]glossy from his old age. Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to [y]inquire of you about her son, because he is sick. You shall say such and such to her, for it will be when she arrives, that (AH)she is going to make herself unrecognizable.”

So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam; why do you make yourself unrecognizable? Nevertheless, I am sent to you with a harsh message. Go, say to Jeroboam, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “(AI)Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel, and (AJ)tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—(AK)yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart, (AL)to do only that which was right in My sight; you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and (AM)you have gone and made for yourself other gods and (AN)cast metal images to provoke Me to anger, and have (AO)thrown Me behind your back— 10 therefore behold, I am bringing disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and (AP)I will eliminate from Jeroboam [z]every male person, (AQ)both [aa]bond and free in Israel, and I (AR)will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, just as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone. 11 (AS)Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city, the dogs will eat. And anyone who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat; for the Lord has spoken it.”’ 12 Now you, arise, go to your house. (AT)When your feet enter the city the child will die. 13 Then all Israel will mourn for him and bury him, for [ab]he alone of Jeroboam’s family will come to the grave, because in him (AU)something good was found toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. 14 Moreover, (AV)the Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will eliminate the house of Jeroboam this day [ac]and from now on.

15 “For the Lord will strike Israel, just as a reed sways in the water; and (AW)He will uproot Israel from (AX)this good land which He gave to their fathers, and (AY)will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, (AZ)because they have made their [ad]Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger. 16 He will give up Israel (BA)because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he [ae]committed and with which he misled Israel into sin.”

17 Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to (BB)Tirzah. (BC)As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died. 18 (BD)Then all Israel buried him and mourned for him, in accordance with the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servant Ahijah the prophet.

19 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, (BE)how he made war and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 20 And the time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years; and he [af]lay down with his fathers, and his son Nadab reigned in his place.

Rehoboam Misleads Judah

21 (BF)Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, (BG)the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 22 And the people of (BH)Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they (BI)provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they [ag]committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 For they, too, built for themselves (BJ)high places, (BK)memorial stones, and [ah](BL)Asherim on every high hill and (BM)under every luxuriant tree. 24 There were also (BN)male cult prostitutes in the land. They committed [ai]all the same abominations of the nations which the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel.

25 (BO)Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak the king of Egypt marched against Jerusalem. 26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house, and (BP)he took everything; (BQ)he even took all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 27 So King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place, and (BR)entrusted them to the [aj]care of the commanders of the [ak]guard who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. 28 And it happened as often as the king entered the house of the Lord, that the [al]guards would carry them and would bring them back into the [am]guards’ room.

29 (BS)Now as for 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 (BT)And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 31 And Rehoboam [an]lay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David; and (BU)his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. And his son Abijam became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 13:3 Or wonder
  2. 1 Kings 13:3 Or wonder
  3. 1 Kings 13:3 Lit ashes of fat
  4. 1 Kings 13:5 Lit ashes of fat
  5. 1 Kings 13:5 Or wonder
  6. 1 Kings 13:6 Lit soften the face of
  7. 1 Kings 13:6 Lit softened the face of
  8. 1 Kings 13:9 Lit He commanded me
  9. 1 Kings 13:11 Lit son
  10. 1 Kings 13:12 Lit Where is this, the way he went
  11. 1 Kings 13:12 Some ancient versions showed him
  12. 1 Kings 13:14 Or a terebinth
  13. 1 Kings 13:17 Lit word
  14. 1 Kings 13:21 Lit rebelled against
  15. 1 Kings 13:21 Lit mouth
  16. 1 Kings 13:26 Lit rebelled against
  17. 1 Kings 13:26 Lit mouth
  18. 1 Kings 13:28 Lit broken
  19. 1 Kings 13:33 Lit turn away from
  20. 1 Kings 13:33 Lit made
  21. 1 Kings 13:33 Lit the extremities of the
  22. 1 Kings 13:33 Ancient versions a priest of
  23. 1 Kings 13:34 As in LXX and Targum; MT By this event also it became
  24. 1 Kings 14:4 Lit set
  25. 1 Kings 14:5 Lit seek a word from
  26. 1 Kings 14:10 Lit him who urinates against the wall
  27. 1 Kings 14:10 Or children and adults in
  28. 1 Kings 14:13 Lit this one
  29. 1 Kings 14:14 Lit and what even now?
  30. 1 Kings 14:15 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
  31. 1 Kings 14:16 Lit sinned
  32. 1 Kings 14:20 I.e., died
  33. 1 Kings 14:22 Lit sinned
  34. 1 Kings 14:23 I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah)
  35. 1 Kings 14:24 Lit according to all
  36. 1 Kings 14:27 Lit hand
  37. 1 Kings 14:27 Lit runners
  38. 1 Kings 14:28 Lit runners
  39. 1 Kings 14:28 Lit runners
  40. 1 Kings 14:31 I.e., died

The Message of the Man of God

13 And behold, (A)a man of God went from Judah to Bethel [a]by the word of the Lord, (B)and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. Then he cried out against the altar [b]by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, (C)Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be (D)burned on you.’ ” And he gave (E)a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”

So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!” Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. The altar also was split apart, 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. Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please (F)entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.”

So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as before. Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and (G)I will give you a reward.”

But the man of God said to the king, (H)“If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, (I)‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’ ” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.

Death of the Man of God

11 Now an (J)old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his [c]sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. 12 And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons [d]had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, 14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”

And he said, “I am.

15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”

16 And he said, (K)“I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. 17 For [e]I have been told (L)by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’ ”

18 He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (He was lying to him.)

19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

20 Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; 21 and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the (M)place of which the Lord said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’ ”

23 So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 When he was gone, (N)a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. 25 And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

26 Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.” 27 And he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled it. 28 Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey. 29 And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him. 30 Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, (O)“Alas, my brother!” 31 So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; (P)lay my bones beside his bones. 32 (Q)For the [f]saying which he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the [g]shrines on the high places which are in the cities of (R)Samaria, will surely come to pass.”

33 (S)After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again he made priests from every class of people for the high places; whoever wished, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. 34 (T)And this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as (U)to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth.

Judgment on the House of Jeroboam

14 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that (V)I would be king over this people. (W)Also take [h]with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child.” And Jeroboam’s wife did so; she arose (X)and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were [i]glazed by reason of his age.

Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman.

And so it was, when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person? For I have been sent to you with bad news. Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: (Y)“Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel, and (Z)tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, (AA)who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes; but you have done more evil than all who were before you, (AB)for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and (AC)have cast Me behind your back— 10 therefore behold! (AD)I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and (AE)will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, (AF)bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone. 11 The dogs shall eat (AG)whoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the Lord has spoken!” ’ 12 Arise therefore, go to your own house. (AH)When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13 And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall [j]come to the grave, because in him (AI)there is found something good toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.

14 (AJ)“Moreover the Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam; [k]this is the day. What? Even now! 15 For the Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will (AK)uproot Israel from this (AL)good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them (AM)beyond [l]the River, (AN)because they have made their [m]wooden images, provoking the Lord to anger. 16 And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, (AO)who sinned and who made Israel sin.”

17 Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to (AP)Tirzah. (AQ)When she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. 18 And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, (AR)according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.

Death of Jeroboam

19 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he (AS)made war and how he reigned, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. 20 The period that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. So he rested with his fathers. Then (AT)Nadab his son reigned in his place.

Rehoboam Reigns in Judah(AU)

21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. (AV)Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city (AW)which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. (AX)His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. 22 (AY)Now Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they (AZ)provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built for themselves (BA)high[n] places, (BB)sacred pillars, and (BC)wooden images on every high hill and (BD)under every green tree. 24 (BE)And there were also [o]perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the (BF)abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of (BG)Israel.

25 (BH)It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26 (BI)And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything. He also took away all the gold shields (BJ)which Solomon had made. 27 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and [p]committed them to the hands of the captains of the [q]guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. 28 And whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guards carried them, then brought them back into the guardroom.

29 (BK)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 (BL)war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. 31 (BM)So Rehoboam [r]rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. (BN)His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. Then (BO)Abijam[s] his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 13:1 at the Lord’s command
  2. 1 Kings 13:2 at the Lord’s command
  3. 1 Kings 13:11 Lit. son
  4. 1 Kings 13:12 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. showed him
  5. 1 Kings 13:17 Lit. a command came to me by
  6. 1 Kings 13:32 Lit. word
  7. 1 Kings 13:32 Lit. houses
  8. 1 Kings 14:3 Lit. in your hand
  9. 1 Kings 14:4 Lit. set
  10. 1 Kings 14:13 Be buried
  11. 1 Kings 14:14 Or this day and from now on
  12. 1 Kings 14:15 The Euphrates
  13. 1 Kings 14:15 Heb. Asherim, Canaanite deities
  14. 1 Kings 14:23 Places for pagan worship
  15. 1 Kings 14:24 Heb. qadesh, one practicing sodomy and prostitution in religious rituals
  16. 1 Kings 14:27 entrusted
  17. 1 Kings 14:27 Lit. runners
  18. 1 Kings 14:31 Died and joined his ancestors
  19. 1 Kings 14:31 Abijah, 2 Chr. 12:16ff

Shishak of Egypt Invades Judah

12 (A)When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, (B)he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the Lord. (C)And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that (D)Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were innumerable: (E)the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. And he captured (F)the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. Then (G)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(H)You have abandoned Me, so I also have abandoned you [a]to Shishak.’” So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The (I)Lord is righteous.”

When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “(J)They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them; and I will grant them a little deliverance, and (K)My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. But they will become his slaves, so (L)that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Plunder Impoverishes Judah

(M)So Shishak king of Egypt went up against Jerusalem, and he took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; (N)he even took the gold shields which Solomon had made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the [b]care of the commanders of the [c]guards who guarded the entrance of the king’s house. 11 As often as the king entered the house of the Lord, the [d]guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the [e]guards’ room. 12 And (O)when he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and conditions (P)were also good in Judah.

13 (Q)So King Rehoboam became powerful in Jerusalem and reigned there. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 14 But he did evil (R)because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

15 (S)Now the acts of Rehoboam, from the first to the last, are they not written in the [f]records of (T)Shemaiah the prophet and of (U)Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 16 And Rehoboam [g]lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son (V)Abijah became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 12:5 Lit in the hand of
  2. 2 Chronicles 12:10 Lit hands
  3. 2 Chronicles 12:10 Lit runners
  4. 2 Chronicles 12:11 Lit runners
  5. 2 Chronicles 12:11 Lit runners
  6. 2 Chronicles 12:15 Lit words
  7. 2 Chronicles 12:16 I.e., died

Egypt Attacks Judah(A)

12 Now (B)it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that (C)he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him. (D)And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, and people without number who came with him out of Egypt—(E)the Lubim and the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came to Jerusalem.

Then (F)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord: ‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.’ ”

So the leaders of Israel and the king (G)humbled themselves; and they said, (H)“The Lord is righteous.”

Now when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, (I)the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless (J)they will be his servants, that they may distinguish (K)My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”

(L)So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house; he took everything. He also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had (M)made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them (N)to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. 11 And whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guard would go and bring them out; then they would take them back into the guardroom. 12 When he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and things also went well in Judah.

The End of Rehoboam’s Reign(O)

13 Thus King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now (P)Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, (Q)the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an (R)Ammonitess. 14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

15 The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, (S)and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? (T)And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. 16 So Rehoboam [a]rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. Then (U)Abijah[b] his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 12:16 Died and joined his ancestors
  2. 2 Chronicles 12:16 Abijam, 1 Kin. 14:31

Proclaim Sound Doctrine

But as for you, proclaim the things which are fitting for (A)sound doctrine. (B)Older men are to be [a](C)temperate, dignified, self-controlled, (D)sound (E)in faith, in love, in [b]perseverance.

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, (F)not malicious gossips nor (G)enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may [c]encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, (H)workers at home, kind, being (I)subject to their own husbands, (J)so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

Likewise urge (K)the young men to be [d]sensible; in all things show yourself to be (L)an example of good deeds, with [e]purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, (M)so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

Urge [f](N)slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing, not [g]argumentative, 10 not stealing, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of (O)God our Savior in every respect.

11 For the grace of God has (P)appeared, [h](Q)bringing salvation to all people, 12 [i]instructing us to deny ungodliness and (R)worldly desires and (S)to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner (T)in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the (U)appearing of the glory of [j](V)our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who (W)gave Himself for us (X)to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to (Y)purify for Himself a (Z)people for His own possession, (AA)eager for good deeds.

15 These things speak and (AB)[k]exhort, and (AC)rebuke with all authority. (AD)No one is to disregard you.

Footnotes

  1. Titus 2:2 Or level-headed
  2. Titus 2:2 Or steadfastness
  3. Titus 2:4 Or train
  4. Titus 2:6 Or sensible in all things; show
  5. Titus 2:7 Or soundness; lit uncorruptness
  6. Titus 2:9 I.e., slaves in first-century Roman culture
  7. Titus 2:9 Lit contradicting
  8. Titus 2:11 Or to all mankind, bringing
  9. Titus 2:12 Or disciplining
  10. Titus 2:13 Or the great God and our Savior
  11. Titus 2:15 Or encourage

Qualities of a Sound Church

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, (A)homemakers, good, (B)obedient to their own husbands, (C)that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be (D)a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, (E)incorruptibility,[a] sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of [b]you.

Exhort (F)bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not [c]pilfering, but showing all good [d]fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

Trained by Saving Grace

11 For (G)the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 (H)looking for the blessed (I)hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 (J)who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed (K)and purify for Himself (L)His own special people, zealous for good works.

15 Speak these things, (M)exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Footnotes

  1. Titus 2:7 NU omits incorruptibility
  2. Titus 2:8 NU, M us
  3. Titus 2:10 thieving
  4. Titus 2:10 honesty

God, the King of the Earth.

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

47 (A)Clap your hands, all you peoples;
(B)Shout to God with a voice of joy.
For the Lord Most High is to be (C)feared,
A (D)great King over all the earth.
He (E)subdues peoples under us
And nations under our feet.
He chooses our (F)inheritance for us,
The (G)pride of Jacob whom He loves. Selah

God has (H)ascended [a]with a shout,
The Lord, [b]with the (I)sound of a trumpet.
(J)Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to (K)our King, sing praises.
For God is the (L)King of all the earth;
Sing praises (M)with a psalm of wisdom.
God (N)reigns over the nations,
God [c]sits on (O)His holy throne.
The [d](P)princes of the people have assembled as the (Q)people of the God of Abraham,
For the (R)shields of the earth belong to God;
He is (S)highly exalted.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 47:5 Or amid
  2. Psalm 47:5 Or amid
  3. Psalm 47:8 Or has taken His seat
  4. Psalm 47:9 Or nobles

Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

47 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great (A)King over all the earth.
(B)He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.
He will choose our (C)inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah

(D)God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
(E)For God is the King of all the earth;
(F)Sing praises with understanding.

(G)God reigns over the nations;
God (H)sits on His (I)holy throne.
The princes of the people have gathered together,
(J)The people of the God of Abraham.
(K)For the shields of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted.