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1 Kings

Jeroboam's Call and the Promise of Division

11
Chapter 11
26 Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephrathite from Zeredah—his mother's name was Zeruah, a widow who had served Solomon—raised his hand against the king. 27 This is the reason he raised his hand against King Solomon: he built the Millo and closed the breach of the city of David his father. 28 And the man Jeroboam, a mighty man of valor, Solomon saw because he had done work, and he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. 29 And it was at that time. Jeroboam went out from Jerusalem, and he found Ahiah the Shilonite the prophet on the way. He was covering himself with a new garment, and the two of them were by themselves in the field. 30 Ahiah seized the new garment that was on him and tore it into twelve tears. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Behold, I am tearing the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give to you ten of the tribes.'" 32 and the one tribe will be his for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen in it from all the tribes of Israel. 33 Because they have forsaken me and bowed down to Ashtoreth the God of the Sidonians, to Chemosh the God of Moab, and to Milcom the God of the sons of Ammon, and they have not walked in my ways to do the upright in my eyes and my statutes and my judgments as David his father. 34 But I will not take the entire kingdom from his hand, because I made him prince all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes. 35 I will take the kingdom from his son's hand and give it to you—the Ten Tribes. 36 And to his son I will give one tribe, so that there may be a lamp for David my servant all the days before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for me to put my name there. 37 And I will take you, and you will reign over all that your nephesh desires, and you will be king over Israel. 38 And it will be if you hear all that I have commanded you and you walk in my ways and you do what is upright in my eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments just as David my servant did, then I will be with you and I will build for you a faithful house just as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. 39 And I will humble the seed of David on account of this; only not all the days. 40 Solomon sought to put Jeroboam to death. Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.