1 Kings 14
14
1#tc Some mss of the Old Greek lack vv. 1-20. At that time Jeroboam’s son Abijah became sick. 2 Jeroboam told his wife, “Disguise#tn Heb “Get up, change yourself.” yourself so that people cannot recognize you are Jeroboam’s wife. Then go to Shiloh; Ahijah the prophet, who told me I would rule over this nation, lives there.#tn Heb “look, Ahijah the prophet is there, he told me [I would be] king over this nation.” 3 Take#tn Heb “take in your hand.” ten loaves of bread, some small cakes, and a container of honey and visit him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.”
4 Jeroboam’s wife did as she was told. She went to Shiloh and visited Ahijah.#tn Heb “and the wife of Jeroboam did so; she arose and went to Shiloh and entered the house of Ahijah.” Now Ahijah could not see; he had lost his eyesight in his old age.#tn Heb “his eyes were set because of his old age.” 5 But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Look, Jeroboam’s wife is coming to find out from you what will happen to her son, for he is sick. Tell her so-and-so.#sn Tell her so-and-so. Certainly the Lord gave Ahijah a specific message to give to Jeroboam’s wife (see vv. 6-16), but the author of Kings here condenses the Lord’s message with the words “so-and-so.” For dramatic effect he prefers to have us hear the message from Ahijah’s lips as he speaks to the king’s wife. When she comes, she will be in a disguise.” 6 When Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come on in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have been commissioned to give you bad news.#tn Heb “I am sent to you [with] a hard [message].” 7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: “I raised you up#tn The Hebrew text has “because” at the beginning of the sentence. In the Hebrew text vv. 7-11 are one long sentence comprised of a causal clause giving the reason for divine punishment (vv. 7-9) and the main clause announcing the punishment (vv. 10-11). The translation divides this lengthy sentence for stylistic reasons. from among the people and made you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the Davidic dynasty and gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me wholeheartedly by doing only what I approve.#tn Heb “what was right in my eyes.” 9 You have sinned more than all who came before you. You went and angered me by making other gods, formed out of metal; you have completely disregarded me.#tn Heb “you went and you made for yourself other gods, metal [ones], angering me, and you threw me behind your back.” 10 So I am ready to bring disaster#sn Disaster. There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text. The word translated “disaster” (רָעָה, ra’ah) is from the same root as the expression “you have sinned” in v. 9 (וַתָּרַע [vattara’], from רָעַע, [ra’a’]). Jeroboam’s sins would receive an appropriate punishment. on the dynasty#tn Heb “house.” of Jeroboam. I will cut off every last male belonging to Jeroboam in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated.#tn Heb “and I will cut off from Jeroboam those who urinate against a wall (including both those who are) restrained and let free (or “abandoned”) in Israel.” The precise meaning of the idiomatic phrase עָצוּר וְעָזוּב (’atsur vÿ’azuv) is uncertain. For various options see HALOT 871 s.v. עצר 6 and M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 107. The two terms are usually taken as polar opposites (“slaves and freemen” or “minors and adults”), but Cogan and Tadmor, on the basis of contextual considerations (note the usage with אֶפֶס [’efes], “nothing but”) in Deut 32:36 and 2 Kgs 14:26, argue convincingly that the terms are synonyms, meaning “restrained and abandoned,” and refer to incapable or incapacitated individuals. I will burn up the dynasty of Jeroboam, just as one burns manure until it is completely consumed.#tn The traditional view understands the verb בָּעַר (ba’ar) to mean “burn.” Manure was sometimes used as fuel (see Ezek 4:12, 15). However, an alternate view takes בָּעַר as a homonym meaning “sweep away” (HALOT 146 s.v. II בער). In this case one might translate, “I will sweep away the dynasty of Jeroboam, just as one sweeps away manure it is gone” (cf. ASV, NASB, TEV). Either metaphor emphasizes the thorough and destructive nature of the coming judgment. 11 Dogs will eat the members of your family#tn The Hebrew text has “belonging to Jeroboam” here. who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”’ Indeed, the Lord has announced it!
12 “As for you, get up and go home. When you set foot in the city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn him and bury him. He is the only one in Jeroboam’s family#tn Heb “house.” who will receive a decent burial, for he is the only one in whom the Lord God of Israel found anything good. 14 The Lord will raise up a king over Israel who will cut off Jeroboam’s dynasty.#tn Heb “house.” It is ready to happen!#tn Heb “This is the day. What also now?” The precise meaning of the second half of the statement is uncertain. 15 The Lord will attack Israel, making it like a reed that sways in the water.#tn The elliptical Hebrew text reads literally “and the Lord will strike Israel as a reed sways in the water.” He will remove Israel from this good land he gave to their ancestors#tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 22, 31). and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River,#tn Heb “the River.” In biblical Hebrew this is a typical reference to the Euphrates River. The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity. because they angered the Lord by making Asherah poles.#tn Heb “because they made their Asherah poles that anger the Lord”; or “their images of Asherah”; ASV, NASB “their Asherim”; NCV “they set up idols to worship Asherah.”sn Asherah was a leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles. These were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4). 16 He will hand Israel over to their enemies#tn Heb “and he will give [up] Israel.” because of the sins which Jeroboam committed and which he made Israel commit.”
17 So Jeroboam’s wife got up and went back to#tn Heb “went and entered.” Tirzah. As she crossed the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 All Israel buried him and mourned for him, just as the Lord had predicted#tn Heb “according to the word of the Lord which he spoke.” through his servant the prophet Ahijah.
Jeroboam’s Reign Ends
19 The rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign, including the details of his battles and rule, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.#tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jeroboam, how he fought and how he ruled, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?” 20 Jeroboam ruled for twenty-two years; then he passed away.#tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.” His son Nadab replaced him as king.
Rehoboam’s Reign over Judah
21 Now Rehoboam son of Solomon ruled in Judah. He#tn Heb “Rehoboam.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons. was forty-one years old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem,#map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home.#tn Heb “the city where the Lord chose to place his name from all the tribes of Israel.” His mother was an Ammonite woman#tn Heb “an Ammonite”; the word “woman” is implied. named Naamah.
22 Judah did evil in the sight of#tn Heb “in the eyes of.” the Lord. They made him more jealous by their sins than their ancestors had done.#tn Heb “and they made him jealous more than all which their fathers had done by their sins which they sinned.” 23 They even built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 There were also male cultic prostitutes#tc The Old Greek translation has “a conspiracy” rather than “male cultic prostitutes.” in the land. They committed the same horrible sins as the nations#tn Heb “they did according to all the abominable acts of the nations.” that the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.
25 In King Rehoboam’s fifth year, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 26 He took away the treasures of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace; he took everything, including all the golden shields that Solomon had made. 27 King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned them to the officers of the royal guard#tn Heb “runners.” who protected the entrance to the royal palace. 28 Whenever the king visited the Lord’s temple, the royal guard carried them and then brought them back to the guardroom.
29 The rest of the events of Rehoboam’s reign, including his accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the
Kings of Judah.#tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Rehoboam, and all which he did, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Judah?” 30 Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other. 31 Rehoboam passed away#tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.” and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His mother was an Ammonite named Naamah. His son Abijah#tn In the Hebrew text the name is spelled “Abijam” here and in 1 Kgs 15:1-8. replaced him as king.
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3 Kings 14
14
1At that time Abia the son of Jeroboam fell sick.
2And Jeroboam said to his wife: Arise, and change thy dress, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam. And go to Silo, where Ahias the prophet is, who told me, that I should reign over this people.
3Take also with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a pot of honey; and go to him: for he will tell thee what shall become of this child.
4Jeroboam's wife did as he told her: and rising up went to Silo, and came to the house of Ahias: but he could not see, for his eyes were dim by reason of his age.
5And the Lord said to Ahias: Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh in, to consult thee concerning her son that is sick. Thus and thus shalt thou speak to her. So when she was coming in, and made as if she were another woman,
6Ahias heard the sound of her feet coming in at the door, and said: Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam. Why dost thou feign thyself to be another? But I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.
7Go, and tell Jeroboam: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel:
8And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to thee: and thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and followed me with all his heart, doing that which was well pleasing in my sight:
9But hast done evil above all that were before thee, and hast made thee strange gods and molten gods, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
10Therefore, behold, I will bring evils upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up, and the last in Israel. And I will sweep away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as dung is swept away till all be clean.
11Them that shall die of Jeroboam in the city the dogs shall eat: and them that shall die in the field the birds of the air shall devour: for the Lord hath spoken it.
12Arise thou therefore, and go to thy house. And when thy feet shall be entering into the city, the child shall die.
13And all Israel shall mourn for him, and shall bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall be laid in a sepulchre, because in his regard there is found a good word from the Lord the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.
14And the Lord hath appointed himself a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam in this day, and in this time.
15And the Lord God shall strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. And he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river: because they have made to themselves groves, to provoke the Lord.
16And the Lord shall give up Israel for the sins of Jeroboam, who hath sinned, and made Israel to sin.
17And the wife of Jeroboam arose, and departed, and came to Thersa. And when she was coming in to the threshold of the house, the child died.
18And they buried him. And all Israel mourned for him according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by the hand of his servant Ahias the prophet.
19And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he fought, and how he reigned, behold they are written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel.
20And the days that Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years. And he slept with his fathers: and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.
21And Roboam the son of Solomon reigned in Juda. Roboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign: and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem the city, which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naama an Ammonitess.
22And Juda did evil in the sight of the Lord, and provoked him above all that their fathers had done, in their sins which they committed.
23For they also built them altars, and statues, and groves upon every high hill and under every green tree.
24There were also the effeminate in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the people whom the Lord had destroyed before the face of the children of Israel.
25And in the fifth year of the reign of Roboam, Sesac king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
26And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the king's treasures, and carried all off: as also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.
27And Roboam made shields of brass instead of them, and delivered them into the hand of the captains of the shieldbearers, and of them that kept watch before the gate of the king's house.
28And when the king went into the house of the Lord, they whose office it was to go before him carried them: and afterwards they brought them back to the armoury of the shieldbearers.
29Now the rest of the acts of Roboam, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Juda.
30And there was war between Roboam and Jeroboam always.
31And Roboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David: and his mother's name was Naama an Ammonitess. And Abiam his son reigned in his stead.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.