Jeroboam

And Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda--the name of whose mother is Zeruah, a widow woman--servant to Solomon, he also lifteth up a hand against the king;

and the man Jeroboam is mighty in valour, and Solomon seeth the young man that he is doing business, and appointeth him over all the burden of the house of Joseph.

And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Jeroboam hath gone out from Jerusalem, and Ahijah the Shilonite, the prophet, findeth him in the way, and he is covering himself with a new garment; and both of them are by themselves in a field,

and saith to Jeroboam, `Take to thee ten pieces, for thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, lo, I am rending the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and have given to thee the ten tribes,

And Solomon seeketh to put Jeroboam to death, and Jeroboam riseth and fleeth to Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and he is in Egypt till the death of Solomon.

And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's hearing (and he is yet in Egypt where he hath fled from the presence of Solomon the king, and Jeroboam dwelleth in Egypt),

that they send and call for him; and they come--Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel--and speak unto Rehoboam, saying,

And they come--Jeroboam and all the people--unto Rehoboam, on the third day, as the king had spoken, saying, `Come back unto me on the third day.'

and the king hearkened not unto the people, for the revolution was from Jehovah, in order to establish His word that Jehovah spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat.

And it cometh to pass, at all Israel's hearing that Jeroboam hath returned, that they send and call him unto the company, and cause him to reign over all Israel; none hath been after the house of David save the tribe of Judah alone.

And Jeroboam buildeth Shechem in the hill-country of Ephraim, and dwelleth in it, and goeth out thence, and buildeth Penuel;

and Jeroboam saith in his heart, `Now doth the kingdom turn back to the house of David--

and Jeroboam maketh a festival in the eighth month, in the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival that is in Judah, and he offereth on the altar--so did he in Beth-El--to sacrifice to the calves which he made, and he hath appointed in Beth-El the priests of the high places that he made.

And lo, a man of God hath come from Judah, by the word of Jehovah, unto Beth-El, and Jeroboam is standing by the altar--to make perfume;

And it cometh to pass, at the king's hearing the word of the man of God that he calleth against the altar in Beth-El, that Jeroboam putteth forth his hand from off the altar, saying, `Catch him;' and his hand is dried up that he hath put forth against him, and he is not able to bring it back unto him,

After this thing Jeroboam hath not turned from his evil way, and turneth back, and maketh of the extremities of the people priests of high places; he who is desirous he consecrateth his hand, and he is of the priests of the high places.

And in this thing is the sin of the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the ground.

At that time was Abijah son of Jeroboam sick,

and Jeroboam saith to his wife, `Rise, I pray thee, and change thyself, and they know not that thou art wife of Jeroboam, and thou hast gone to Shiloh; lo, there is Ahijah the prophet; he spake unto me of being king over this people;

And the wife of Jeroboam doth so, and riseth, and goeth to Shiloh, and entereth the house of Ahijah, and Ahijah is not able to see, for his eyes have stood because of his age.

And Jehovah said unto Ahijah, `Lo, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to seek a word from thee concerning her son, for he is sick; thus and thus thou dost speak unto her, and it cometh to pass at her coming in, that she is making herself strange.'

And it cometh to pass, at Ahijah's hearing the sound of her feet as she came in to the opening, that he saith, `Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why is this--thou art making thyself strange? and I am sent unto thee with a sharp thing:

Go, say to Jeroboam, Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Because that I have made thee high out of the midst of the people, and appoint thee leader over my people Israel,

`Therefore, lo, I am bringing in evil unto the house of Jeroboam, and have cut off to Jeroboam those sitting on the wall--shut up and left--in Israel, and have put away the posterity of the house of Jeroboam, as one putteth away the dung till its consumption;

him who dieth of Jeroboam in a city do the dogs eat, and him who dieth in a field do fowl of the heavens eat, for Jehovah hath spoken.