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The House of Jeroboam Is Cut Off

14 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Arise now, and (A)disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to (B)Shiloh; behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who (C)spoke concerning me that I would be king over this people. (D)And take ten loaves with you, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”

Then Jeroboam’s wife did so, and arose and went to (E)Shiloh, and came to the house of (F)Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, (G)for his eyes had [a]set because of his old age. Now Yahweh had said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to [b]inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. You shall say thus and thus to her, for it will be when she arrives that (H)she will pretend to be another woman.”

Now it happened as Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway, that he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why do you pretend to be another woman? For I am sent to you with a harsh message. Go, say to Jeroboam, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “(I)Because I exalted you from among the people and made you ruler over My people Israel, and (J)tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—(K)yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and who walked after Me with all his heart, (L)to do only that which was right in My sight; you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and (M)have gone and made for yourself other gods and (N)molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have (O)cast Me behind your back— 10 therefore behold, I am bringing evil on the house of Jeroboam: I (P)will cut off from Jeroboam [c]every male person, (Q)both bond and free in Israel, and I (R)will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone. 11 (S)Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat. And he who dies in the field the birds of the sky will eat; for Yahweh has spoken it.”’ 12 But you, arise, go to your house. (T)When your feet enter the city the child will die. 13 And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for [d]he alone of Jeroboam’s family will come to the grave, because in him (U)something good was found toward Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. 14 Moreover, (V)Yahweh will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam this day [e]and from now on.

15 “So Yahweh will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and (W)He will uproot Israel from (X)this good land which He gave to their fathers, and (Y)will scatter them beyond the [f]River, (Z)because they have made their [g]Asherim, provoking Yahweh to anger. 16 And He will give Israel over (AA)on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and with which he made Israel to sin.”

17 Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and went away and came to (AB)Tirzah. (AC)As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died. 18 (AD)And all Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of Yahweh which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 14:4 Became dim
  2. 1 Kings 14:5 Lit seek a word from
  3. 1 Kings 14:10 Lit him who urinates against the wall, cf. 1 Sam 25:22, 34; 1 Kin 16:11; 21:21; 2 Kin 9:8
  4. 1 Kings 14:13 Lit the one
  5. 1 Kings 14:14 Lit and what even now?
  6. 1 Kings 14:15 The Euphrates River
  7. 1 Kings 14:15 Wooden symbols of a female deity

Ahijah’s Prophecy Against Jeroboam

14 At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah(A) the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. Take ten loaves of bread(B) with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.” So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said and went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh.

Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”

So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense?(C) I have been sent to you with bad news. Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:(D) ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler(E) over my people Israel. I tore(F) the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right(G) in my eyes. You have done more evil(H) than all who lived before you.(I) You have made for yourself other gods, idols(J) made of metal; you have aroused(K) my anger and turned your back on me.(L)

10 “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster(M) on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free.[a](N) I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone.(O) 11 Dogs(P) will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds(Q) will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’

12 “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.(R)

14 “The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen.[b] 15 And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot(S) Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused(T) the Lord’s anger by making Asherah(U) poles.[c] 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins(V) Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

17 Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah.(W) As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 14:10 Or Israel—every ruler or leader
  2. 1 Kings 14:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  3. 1 Kings 14:15 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 1 Kings