1 Kings 14
Living Bible
14 Jeroboam’s son Abijah now became very sick. 2 Jeroboam told his wife, “Disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as the queen, and go to Ahijah the prophet at Shiloh—the man who told me that I would become king. 3 Take him a gift of ten loaves of bread, some fig bars, and a jar of honey, and ask him whether the boy will recover.”
4 So his wife went to Ahijah’s home at Shiloh. He was an old man now and could no longer see. 5 But the Lord told him that the queen, pretending to be someone else, would come to ask about her son, for he was very sick. And the Lord told him what to tell her.
6 So when Ahijah heard her 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 sad news for you. 7 Give your husband this message from the Lord God of Israel: ‘I promoted you from the ranks of the common people and made you king of Israel. 8 I ripped the kingdom away from the family of David and gave it to you, but you have not obeyed my commandments as my servant David did. His heart’s desire was always to obey me and to do whatever I wanted him to. 9 But you have done more evil than all the other kings before you; you have made other gods and have made me furious with your gold calves. And since you have refused to acknowledge me, 10 I will bring disaster upon your home and will destroy all of your sons—this boy who is sick and all those who are well.[a] I will sweep away your family as a stable hand shovels out manure. 11 I vow that those of your family who die in the city shall be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field shall be eaten by birds.’”
12 Then Ahijah said to Jeroboam’s wife, “Go on home, and when you step into the city, the child will die. 13 All of Israel will mourn for him and bury him, but he is the only member of your family who will come to a quiet end. For this child is the only good thing that the Lord God of Israel sees in the entire family of Jeroboam. 14 And the Lord will raise up a king over Israel who will destroy the family of Jeroboam. 15 Then the Lord will shake Israel like a reed whipped about in a stream; he will uproot the people of Israel from this good land of their fathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, for they have angered the Lord by worshiping idol-gods. 16 He will abandon Israel because Jeroboam sinned and made all of Israel sin along with him.”
17 So Jeroboam’s wife returned to Tirzah; and the child died just as she walked through the door of her home. 18 And there was mourning for him throughout the land, just as the Lord had predicted through Ahijah.
19 The rest of Jeroboam’s activities—his wars and the other events of his reign—are recorded in The Annals of the Kings of Israel. 20 Jeroboam reigned twenty-two years, and when he died, his son Nadab took the throne.
21 Meanwhile, Rehoboam the son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he was on the throne seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which, among all the cities of Israel, the Lord had chosen to live in. (Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, an Ammonite woman.) 22 During his reign the people of Judah, like those in Israel, did wrong and angered the Lord with their sin, for it was even worse than that of their ancestors. 23 They built shrines and obelisks and idols on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 There was homosexuality throughout the land, and the people of Judah became as depraved as the heathen nations which the Lord drove out to make room for his people.
25 In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, King Shishak of Egypt attacked and conquered Jerusalem. 26 He ransacked the Temple and the palace and stole everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. 27 Afterwards Rehoboam made bronze shields as substitutes, and the palace guards used these instead. 28 Whenever the king went to the Temple, the guards paraded before him and then took the shields back to the guard chamber.
29 The other events in Rehoboam’s reign are written in The Annals of the Kings of Judah. 30 There was constant war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 31 When Rehoboam died—his mother was Naamah the Ammonitess—he was buried among his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Abijam took the throne.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 14:10 this boy who is sick and all those who are well, literally, “every male, both bond and free.”
1 Kings 14
English Standard Version
Prophecy Against Jeroboam
14 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to (A)Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, (B)who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3 (C)Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child.”
4 Jeroboam's wife did so. She arose and went to (D)Shiloh and came to the house of (E)Ahijah. Now (F)Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. 5 And the Lord said to (G)Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her.”
When she came, she pretended to be another woman. 6 But when (H)Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: (I)“Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel 8 and (J)tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been (K)like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9 but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and (L)made for yourself other gods and (M)metal images, provoking me to anger, and (N)have cast me behind your back, 10 therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and (O)will cut off from Jeroboam every male, (P)both bond and free in Israel, and (Q)will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11 (R)Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it.”’ 12 Arise therefore, go to your house. (S)When your feet enter 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 (T)there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. 14 (U)Moreover, the Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam today. And henceforth, 15 the Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water, and (V)root up Israel out of (W)this good land that he gave to their fathers and scatter them (X)beyond the Euphrates,[a] because they have made their (Y)Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger. 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and made Israel to sin.”
17 Then Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came to (Z)Tirzah. And (AA)as she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. 18 And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, (AB)according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Ahijah the prophet.
The Death of Jeroboam
19 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, (AC)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 time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. And he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his place.
Rehoboam Reigns in Judah
21 (AD)Now Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, (AE)the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. (AF)His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. 22 (AG)And Judah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and they (AH)provoked him to jealousy with their sins that they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built for themselves (AI)high places (AJ)and pillars and (AK)Asherim on every high hill and (AL)under every green tree, 24 and there were also (AM)male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
25 (AN)In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. 26 He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house. (AO)He took away everything. He also took away all the shields of gold (AP)that Solomon had made, 27 and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. 28 And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard carried them and brought them back to the guardroom.
29 (AQ)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 (AR)And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 31 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. (AS)His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. And (AT)Abijam his son reigned in his place.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 14:15 Hebrew the River
1 Kings 14
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
14 At that time Abia the son of Jeroboam fell sick.
2 And Jeroboam said to his wife: Arise, and change thy dress, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Silo, where Ahias the prophet is, who told me, that I should reign over this people.
3 Take also with thee ten leaves, and cracknels, and a pot of honey, and go to him: for he will tell thee what shall become of this child.
4 Jeroboam's wife did as he told her: and rising up went to Silo, and came to the house of Ahias: but he could not see, for his eyes were dim by reason of his age.
5 And the Lord said to Ahias: Behold the wife of Jeroboam cometh in, to consult thee concerning her son that is sick: thus and thus shalt thou speak to her. So when she was coming in, and made as if she were another woman,
6 Ahias heard the sound of her feet coming in at the door, and said: Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam: why dost thou feign thyself to be another? But I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.
7 Go, and tell Jeroboam: Thus saith the Lord the 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 to thee, and thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and followed me with all his heart, doing that which was well pleasing in my sight:
9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee, and hast made thee strange gods and molten gods, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
10 Therefore behold I will bring evils upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut of from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up, and the last in Israel: and I will sweep away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as dung is swept away till all be clean.
11 Them that shall die of Jeroboam in the city, the dogs shall eat: and them that shall die in the field, the birds of the air shall devour: for the Lord hath spoken it.
12 Arise thou therefore, and go to thy house: and when thy feet shall be entering into the city, the child shall die,
13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and shall bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall be laid in a sepulchre, because in his regard there is found a good word from the Lord the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.
14 And the Lord hath appointed himself a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam in this day, and in this time:
15 And the Lord God shall strike 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 to themselves groves, to provoke the Lord.
16 And the Lord shall give up Israel for the sins of Jeroboam, who hath sinned, and made Israel to sin.
17 And the wife of Jeroboam arose, and departed, and came to Thersa: and when she was coming in to the threshold of the house, the child died;
18 And they buried him. And all Israel mourned for him according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by the hand of his servant Ahias the prophet.
19 And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he fought, and how he reigned, behold they are written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel.
20 And the days that Jeroboam reigned, were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers: and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.
21 And Roboam the son of Solomon reigned in Juda: Roboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem the city, which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. And his mother's name wee Naama an Ammonitess.
22 And Juda did evil in the sight of the Lord, and provoked him above all that their fathers had done, in their sins which they committed.
23 For they also built them altars, and statues, and groves upon every high hill and under every green tree:
24 There were also the effeminate in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the people whom the Lord had destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.
25 And in the fifth year of the reign of Roboam, Sesac king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the king's treasures, and carried all off: as also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
27 And Roboam made shields of brass instead of them, and delivered them into the. hand of the captains of the shieldbearers, and of them that kept watch before the gate of the king's house.
28 And when the king went into the house of the Lord, they whose office it was to go before him, carried them: and afterwards they brought them back to the armoury of the shieldbearers.
29 Now the rest of the sets of Roboam, and all that he did, behold they are written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda.
30 And there was war between Roboam and Jeroboam always.
31 And Roboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David: and his mother's name was Naama an Ammonitess: and Abiam his son reigned in his stead.
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