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14
1 It was at that time that Abijah, Jeroboam's son, fell ill. 2 So Jeroboam told his wife, “Please go and disguise yourself so nobody will know you're Jeroboam's wife. Then go to Shiloh and look for Ahijah the prophet. He was the one who told me I would become king over this people. 3 Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey for him.* “For him”: implied. He will explain to you what will happen to the boy.”
4 Jeroboam's wife did as she was told. She got up and went to Ahijah's house in Shiloh. Ahijah could not see—he had become blind because of his age. 5 But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Look, Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, because he's ill. This is what you are to tell her, because she'll come in disguise.”
6 So as soon as Ahijah heard her footsteps at the door, he called out, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why do you bother coming in disguise? I have been given some bad news for you. 7 Go and tell Jeroboam this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I picked you from the masses and I made you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I took the kingdom from the house of David and gave it to you. But you were not like my servant David, who kept my commandments and was totally committed to following me, only doing what was right in my sight. 9 You have done more evil than all those† Probably referring to previous kings. who lived before you. You have gone and made other gods for yourself, idols made of molten metal that made me angry. You have tossed me aside. 10 Now pay attention, because as a result of this I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will totally exterminate every one of your descendants in Israel, whether slave or free. I will burn the house of Jeroboam like a man burning refuse until it's all gone. 11 Those of Jeroboam's family who die in the town will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the countryside will be eaten by birds. For the Lord has spoken.
12 As for you, get up and go home. As soon as you arrive in the city, the child will die. 13 All of Israel will mourn for him, and they will bury him. He alone of Jeroboam's family will be buried in a tomb‡ Receiving a proper burial was considered very important in Israelite society. because only in him has the Lord, the God of Israel found anything good—of the whole family of Jeroboam. 14 The Lord will choose for himself a king to rule over Israel who will destroy the house of Jeroboam. This is starting to happen even now! 15 The Lord will strike Israel like a reed jerked to and fro by the water. He will pull up Israel by the roots from this good land that he gave their forefathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their pagan Asherah poles, making the Lord angry. 16 He will abandon Israel because of the sins of Jeroboam, those that he committed himself, and those he made Israel commit.”
17 Jeroboam's wife got up and left for Tirzah. As soon as she stepped through the doorway of her home, the boy died. 18 All of Israel buried him and mourned for him, just as the Lord had said through his servant Ahijah the prophet. 19 The rest of what Jeroboam did, how he engaged in warfare and how he reigned, they are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
20 Jeroboam reigned for twenty-two years, and then he died. His son Nadab succeeded him as king.
21 Rehoboam, son of Solomon, reigned in Judah. He was forty-one when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel where he would be honored. The name of his mother was Naamah the Ammonite.
22 Judah did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and because of the sins they committed they made his jealous anger even greater than all their fathers had done. 23 They also set up for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree. 24 There were even cult prostitutes§ Referring to both males and females. in the land. They followed all the disgusting practices of the nations that the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam's reign, Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem. 26 He took the treasures of the Lord's Temple and the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. 27 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and handed them over to the captains of the guard to look after. They stood on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. 28 Whenever the king went to the Lord's Temple, the guards would carry the shields. Afterwards they returned them to the guardroom.
29 The rest of what happened in Rehoboam's reign and everything that he did are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. 30 Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always at war with each other. 31 Rehoboam died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. The name of his mother was Naamah the Ammonite. His son Abijam succeeded him as king.

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*14:3 “For him”: implied.

†14:9 Probably referring to previous kings.

‡14:13 Receiving a proper burial was considered very important in Israelite society.

§14:24 Referring to both males and females.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher