The Divided Kingdom

And he said vnto him, I am a Prophet also as thou art, and an Angel spake vnto me by the worde of the Lord, saying, Bring him againe with thee into thine house, that hee may eate bread and drinke water: but he lyed vnto him.

So he went againe with him, and did eate bread in his house, and dranke water.

And as they sate at the table, the worde of the Lord came vnto the Prophet, that brought him againe.

And hee cried vnto the man of God that came from Iudah, saying, Thus sayeth the Lord, Because thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandement which the Lord thy God commanded thee,

But camest backe againe, and hast eaten bread and drunke water in the place (whereof he did say vnto thee, Thou shalt eate no bread nor drinke any water) thy carkeis shall not come vnto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

And when he had eaten bread and drunke, he sadled him the asse, to wit, to the Prophet whome he had brought againe.

And when hee was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slewe him, and his body was cast in the way, and the asse stoode thereby: the lion stood by the corps also.

And beholde, men that passed by, sawe the carkeis cast in the way, and the lion standing by the corps: and they came and tolde it in ye towne where the olde Prophet dwelt.

And when the Prophet that brought him backe againe from the waye, hearde thereof, hee sayde, It is the man of God, who hath bene disobedient vnto the commandement of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath deliuered him vnto the lion, which hath rent him and slayne him, according to the worde of the Lord, which hee spake vnto him.

And he spake to his sonnes, saying, Saddle me the asse. And they sadled him.

And he went and founde his body cast in the way, and the asse and the lion stoode by the corps: and the lion had not eaten the bodie, nor torne the asse.

And the Prophet tooke vp the body of the man of God, and layed it vpon the asse, and brought it againe, and the olde Prophet came to the citie, to lament and burie him.

And hee layed his bodie in his owne graue, and they lamented ouer him, saying, Alas, my brother.

And when he had buried him, hee spake to his sonnes, saying, When I am dead, burie ye mee also in the sepulchre, wherein the man of God is buried: lay my bones beside his bones.

For that thing which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar that is in Beth-el, and against all the houses of the hie places, which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to passe.

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 take with thee tenne loaues and craknels, and a bottell of honie, and go to him: hee shall tell thee what shall become of the yong man.

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,

And haue rent the kingdome away from the house of Dauid, and haue giuen it thee, and thou hast not bene as my seruant Dauid, which kept my commandements, and followed mee with all his heart, and did onely that which was right in mine eyes,