1 Kings 11:26-43

Common English Bible

Solomon and Jeroboam

²⁶ Now Nebat’s son Jeroboam was an Ephraimite from Zeredah. His mother’s name was Zeruah; she was a widow. Although he was one of Solomon’s own officials, Jeroboam fought against the king. ²⁷ This is the story of why Jeroboam fought against the king:

Solomon had built the stepped structure and repaired the broken wall in his father David’s City. ²⁸ Now Jeroboam was a strong and honorable man. Solomon saw how well this youth did his work. So he appointed him over all the work gang of Joseph’s house.

²⁹ At that time, when Jeroboam left Jerusalem, Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him along the way. Ahijah was wearing a new garment. The two of them were alone in the country. ³⁰ Ahijah tore his new garment into twelve pieces. ³¹ He said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces, because Israel’s God, the Lord, has said, ‘Look, I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand. I will give you ten tribes. ³² But I will leave him one tribe on account of my servant David and on account of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel. ³³ I am doing this because they have abandoned me^[a] and worshipped the Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They haven’t walked in my ways by doing what is right in my eyes—keeping my laws and judgments—as Solomon’s father David did. ³⁴ But I won’t take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will keep him as ruler throughout his lifetime on account of my servant David, who did keep my commands and my laws. ³⁵ I will take the kingdom from the hand of Solomon’s son, and I will give you ten tribes. ³⁶ I will give his son a single tribe so that my servant David will always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city that I chose for myself to place my name. ³⁷ But I will accept you, and you will rule over all that you could desire. You will be king of Israel. ³⁸ If you listen to all that I command and walk in my ways, if you do what is right in my eyes, keeping my laws and my commands just as my servant David did, then I will be with you and I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I did for David. I will give you Israel. ³⁹ I will humble David’s descendants by means of all this, though not forever.’”

⁴⁰ Then Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam fled to Egypt and its king Shishak. Jeroboam remained in Egypt until Solomon died.

Solomon’s remaining days

⁴¹ The rest of Solomon’s deeds, including all that he did and all his wisdom, aren’t they written in the official records of Solomon? ⁴² The amount of time Solomon ruled over all Israel in Jerusalem was forty years. ⁴³ Then Solomon lay down with his ancestors. He was buried in his father David’s City, and Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.