Disaster on the House of Jeroboam

14 At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became sick.(A) Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go disguise yourself,(B) so they won’t know that you’re Jeroboam’s wife, and go to Shiloh.(C) Ahijah the prophet is there; it was he who told about me becoming king over this people.(D) Take with you 10 loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey,(E) and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”

Jeroboam’s wife did that: she went to Shiloh and arrived at Ahijah’s house. Ahijah could not see; his gaze was fixed[a] due to his age.(F) But the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming soon to ask you about her son, for he is sick. You are to say such and such to her. When she arrives, she will be disguised.”(G)

When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet entering the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you disguised?(H) I have bad news for you. Go tell Jeroboam, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I raised you up from among the people, appointed you ruler over My people Israel, tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you.(I) But you were not like My servant David, who kept My commands and followed Me with all of his heart, doing only what is right in My eyes. You behaved more wickedly than all who were before you.(J) In order to provoke Me, you have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and cast images,(K) but you have flung Me behind your back.(L) 10 Because of all this, I am about to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam:

I will eliminate all of Jeroboam’s males,[b]
both slave and free,[c] in Israel;
I will sweep away the house of Jeroboam
as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone!(M)
11 Anyone who belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city,
the dogs will eat,
and anyone who dies in the field,
the birds of the sky will eat,(N)
for the Lord has said it!’

12 “As for you, get up and go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the boy will die.(O) 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He alone out of Jeroboam’s house will be put in the family tomb, because out of the house of Jeroboam the Lord God of Israel found something good only in him.(P) 14 The Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel, who will eliminate the house of Jeroboam.(Q) This is the day, yes,[d] even today! 15 For the Lord will strike Israel and the people will shake as a reed shakes in water. He will uproot Israel from this good soil that He gave to their ancestors.(R) He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates(S) because they made their Asherah poles, provoking the Lord.(T) 16 He will give up Israel because of Jeroboam’s sins that he committed and caused Israel to commit.”(U)

17 Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah.(V) As she was crossing the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 He was buried, and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through His servant Ahijah the prophet.(W)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 14:4 Lit see, for his eyes stood; 1Sm 4:15
  2. 1 Kings 14:10 Lit eliminate Jeroboam’s one who urinates against the wall
  3. 1 Kings 14:10 Hb obscure
  4. 1 Kings 14:14 Hb obscure

God Disciplines Jeroboam’s Family

14 Right at that time, Jeroboam’s son Abijah became ill, so Jeroboam suggested to his wife, “Get up, disguise yourself so that no one will know that you’re Jeroboam’s wife, and go to Shiloh where the prophet Ahijah lives. He’s the one who told me that I would be king over this people. Take ten loaves with you, some[a] cakes, and a jar of honey and go visit him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”

So that’s what Jeroboam’s wife did. She got up, went to Shiloh, and found Ahijah’s home. Ahijah was blind, because his eyes could not focus[b] due to his age. Meanwhile, the Lord had spoken to Ahijah, “Be on your guard! Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, because he is ill. You’re to say such and such to her. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else!”

When she arrived, Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came through the doorway. He said this to her:

“Come in, wife of Jeroboam. What is this pretension at being someone else? I have some harsh news.[c] Go tell Jeroboam:

‘I raised you up from among the people.

‘I made you Commander-in-Chief[d] over my people Israel.

‘I tore the kingdom away from David’s dynasty.

‘Then I gave it to you.

But you have not lived like my servant David, who kept my commands with all his heart, and did only what I considered to be right.

‘Instead, you have done more evil than everyone who lived before you.

‘You have gone out and crafted other gods for yourself.

‘You made cast images.

‘You have provoked me to anger.

‘You have thrown me behind your back.

10 ‘Therefore, watch while I bring calamity on Jeroboam’s dynasty!

‘I will eliminate every male,[e] both slave and free in Israel, from Jeroboam.

‘I will burn up Jeroboam’s dynasty, as a man burns up manure until it is gone. 11 Dogs will eat anyone who dies in the city that belongs to Jeroboam’s household. The birds of the sky will eat anyone who dies in the open field, because the Lord has determined it.’

12 “Now get up and go home. When your feet cross the city line, your child will die. 13 Everyone in Israel will mourn for him and will bury him, because he alone from Jeroboam’s family will receive a decent burial, because something good was observed in him with respect to the Lord God of Israel out of all the household of Jeroboam!

14 “In addition to this, the Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will eliminate Jeroboam’s dynasty, starting today and from now on. 15 The Lord will attack Israel, and Israel will shake like a reed shakes in a river current! He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and he will scatter them beyond the Euphrates[f] River, because they erected their Asherim[g] and provoked the Lord to become angry! 16 He will give up Israel because of Jeroboam’s sins that he committed and by which Jeroboam[h] caused Israel to sin.”

17 Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left for Tirzah. As soon as she set foot over the threshold of the house, the child died. 18 All of Israel mourned him at his burial, just as the Lord had said when he spoke through Ahijah the prophet.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 14:3 Lit. loaves in your hand
  2. 1 Kings 14:4 Lit. eyes were set
  3. 1 Kings 14:6 The Heb. lacks news
  4. 1 Kings 14:7 Lit. Nagid; i.e. a senior officer entrusted with dual roles of operational oversight and administrative authority
  5. 1 Kings 14:10 Lit. everyone who urinates against a wall
  6. 1 Kings 14:15 The Heb. lacks Euphrates
  7. 1 Kings 14:15 I.e. cultic pillars erected in worship to Canaanite deities
  8. 1 Kings 14:16 Lit. he