Jeroboam

And Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat an Ephrathite of Zereda Salomons seruant (whose mother was called Zeruah a widowe) lift vp his hand against the King.

And this man Ieroboam was a man of strength and courage, and Salomon seeing that the yong man was meete for the worke, he made him ouerseer of all the labour of the house of Ioseph.

And at that time, when Ieroboam went out of Ierusalem, the Prophet Ahiiah the Shilonite founde him in the way, hauing a newe garment on him, and they two were alone in ye field.

And said to Ieroboam, Take vnto thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Beholde, I wil rent the kingdome out of ye hands of Salomon, and will giue ten tribes to thee.

Salomon sought therefore to kill Ieroboam, and Ieroboam arose, and fled into Egypt vnto Shishak King of Egypt, and was in Egypt vntil the death of Salomon.

And whe Ieroboam ye sonne of Nebat heard of it (who was yet in Egypt, whither Ieroboam had fled from king Salomon, and dwelt in Egypt)

Then they sent and called him: and Ieroboam and all the Congregation of Israel came, and spake vnto Rehoboam, saying,

Then Ieroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me againe ye thirde day.

And the King hearkened not vnto the people: for it was the ordinance of the Lord, that he might perfourme his saying, which the Lord had spoken by Ahiiah the Shilonite vnto Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.

And when all Israel had heard that Ieroboam was come againe, they sent and called him vnto the assemblie, and made him King ouer all Israel: none followed the house of Dauid, but the tribe of Iudah onely.

Then Ieroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and went from thence, and built Penuel.

And Ieroboam thought in his heart, Nowe shall the kingdome returne to the house of Dauid.

And Ieroboam made a feast the fifteenth day of the eight moneth, like vnto the feast that is in Iudah, and offred on the altar. So did he in Beth-el and offered vnto the calues that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the Priestes of the hie places, which he had made.

And beholde, there came a man of God out of Iudah (by the commandement of the Lord) vnto Beth-el, and Ieroboam stoode by the altar to offer incense.

And when the King had heard the saying of the man of God, which he had cryed against the altar in Beth-el, Ieroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, Lay holde on him: but his hande which he put foorth against him, dryed vp, and he could not pull it in againe to him.

Howbeit after this, Ieroboam conuerted not from his wicked way, but turned againe, and made of the lowest of the people Priests of the hie places. Who would, might consecrate him selfe, and be of the Priestes of the hie places.

And this thing turned to sinne vnto the house of Ieroboam, euen to roote it out, and destroy it from the face of the earth.

At that time Abiiah the sonne of Ieroboam fell sicke.

And Ieroboam saide vnto his wife, Vp, I pray thee, and disguise thy selfe, that they know not that thou art the wife of Ieroboam, and goe to Shiloh: for there is Ahiiah the Prophet, which tolde mee that I shoulde bee King ouer this people,

And Ieroboams wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahiiah: but Ahiiah could not see, for his sight was decayed for his age.

Then the Lord saide vnto Ahiiah, Beholde, the wife of Ieroboam commeth to aske a thing of thee for her sonne, for he is sicke: thus and thus shalt thou say vnto her: for when shee commeth in, shee shall feine her selfe to be another.

Therefore when Ahiiah heard the sounde of her feete as shee came in at the doore, hee saide, Come in, thou wife of Ieroboam: why feinest thou thus thy selfe to bee an other? I am sent to thee with heauie tidings.

Goe, tel Ieroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Forasmuch as I haue exalted thee from among the people, and haue made thee prince ouer my people Israel,

Therefore beholde, I will bring euill vpon the house of Ieroboam, and will cut off from Ieroboam him that pisseth against the wall, aswell him that is shut vp, as him that is left in Israel, and will sweepe away the remnant of the house of Ieroboam, as a man sweepeth away doung, till it be all gone.

The dogges shall eate him of Ieroboams stocke that dyeth in the citie, and the foules of the aire shall eate him that dyeth in the fielde: for the Lord hath said it.