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Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from me; and they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord. So king Solomon sleeps with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} his son reigned in his stead in Jerusalem, being sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twelve years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name [was] Naanan, daughter of Anah{gr.Ana} son of Nahash{gr.Naas} king of the children of Ammon. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked not in the way of David his father. And there was a man of mount Ephraim, a servant to Solomon, and his name [was] Jeroboam; and the name of his mother [was] Sarira, a harlot; and Solomon made him head of the levies of the house of Joseph: and he built for Solomon Sarira in mount Ephraim; and he had three hundred chariots of horses: he built the citadel with the levies of the house of Ephraim; he fortified the city of David, and aspired to the kingdom. And Solomon sought to kill him; and he was afraid, and escaped to Shishak{gr.Susakim} king of Mizraim{gr.Egypt}, and was with him until Solomon died. And Jeroboam heard in Mizraim{gr.Egypt} that Solomon was dead; and he spoke in the ears of Shishak{gr.Susakim} king of Mizraim{gr.Egypt}, saying, Let me go, and I will depart into my land; and Shishak{gr.Susakim} said to him, Ask any request, and I will grant it thee. And Shishak{gr.Susakim} gave to Jeroboam Ano the eldest sister of Thekemina his wife, to be his wife: she was great among the daughters of the king, and she bore to Jeroboam Abia his son: and Jeroboam said to Shishak{gr.Susakim}, Let me indeed go, and I will depart. And Jeroboam departed out of Mizraim{gr.Egypt}, and came into the land of Sarira that was in mount Ephraim, and thither the whole tribe of Ephraim assembles, and Jeroboam built a fortress there. And his young child was sick with a very severe sickness; and Jeroboam went to enquire concerning the child: and he said to Ano his wife, Arise, go, enquire of God concerning the child, whether he shall recover from his sickness. Now there was a man in Shelah{gr.Selom}, and his name [was] Ahijah{gr.Achia}: and he was sixty years old, and the word of the Lord [was] with him. And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, and take in thine hand loaves for the man of God, and cakes for his children, and grapes and a pot of honey. And the woman arose, and took in her hand bread, and two cakes, and grapes, and a pot of honey, for Ahijah{gr.Achia}: and the man [was] old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see. And she arose up from Sarira and went; and it came to pass when she had come into the city of Ahijah{gr.Achia} the Shilonite{gr.Selonite}, that Ahijah{gr.Achia} said to his servant, Go out now to meet Ano the wife of Jeroboam, and thou shalt say to her, Come in, and stand not [still]: for thus saith the Lord, I send grievous tidings to thee. And Ano went in to the man of God; and Ahijah{gr.Achia} said to her, Why hast thou brought me bread and grapes, and cakes, and a pot of honey? Thus saith the Lord, Behold, thou shalt depart from me, and it shall come to pass when thou hast entered into the city, [even] into Sarira, that thy maidens shall come out to meet thee, and shall say to thee, The child is dead: for thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will destroy every male of Jeroboam, and there shall be the dead of Jeroboam in the city, [them] the dogs shall eat, and him that has died in the field shall the birds of the air eat, and he shall lament for the child, [saying], Woe is [me], Lord! for there has been found in him some good thing touching the Lord. And the woman departed, when she heard this: and it came to pass as she entered into Sarira, that the child died; and there came forth a wailing to meet [her]. And Jeroboam went to Sikima in mount Ephraim, and assembled there the tribes of Israel; and Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} the son of Solomon went up thither. And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah{gr.Samaias} son of Enlami, saying, Take to thyself a new garment which has not gone into the water, and rend it [into] twelve pieces; and thou shalt give [some] to Jeroboam, and shalt say to him, Thus saith the Lord, Take to thyself ten pieces to cover thee: and Jeroboam took [them]: and Shemaiah{gr.Samaias} said, Thus saith the Lord concerning the ten tribes of Israel. And the people said to Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} the son of Solomon, Thy father made his yoke heavy upon us, and made the meat of his table heavy; and now thou shalt lighten them upon us, and we will serve thee. And Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} said to the people, Wait three days, and I will return an answer: and Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} said, Bring in to me the elders, and I will take counsel with them what I shall answer to the people on the third day. So Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} spoke in their ears, as the people sent to him to [say]: and the elders of the people said, Thus the people have spoken to thee. And Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} rejected their counsel, and it pleased him not: and he sent and brought in those who had been brought up with him; and he said to them, Thus and thus has the people sent to me to say: and they that had been brought up with him said, Thus shalt thou speak to the people, saying, My little [finger] shall be thicker than my father's loins; my father scourged you with whips, but I will rule you with scorpions. And the saying pleased Rehoboam{gr.Roboam}, and he answered the people as the young men, they that were brought up with him, counselled him: and all the people spoke as one man, every one to his neighbor, and they cried out all together, saying, We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jesse{gr.Jessae}: to thy tents, O Israel, every one; for this man [is] not for a prince or a ruler over us. And all the people was dispersed from Sikima, and they departed every one to his tent: and Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} strengthened himself and departed, and mounted his chariot, and entered into Jerusalem: and there follow him the whole tribe of Judah{gr.Juda}, and the whole tribe of Benjamin. And it came to pass at the beginning of the year, that Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} gathered all the men of Judah{gr.Juda} and Benjamin, and went up to fight with Jeroboam at Sikima. And the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah{gr.Samaeas} the man of God, saying, Speak to Rehoboam{gr.Roboam} king of Judah{gr.Juda}, and to all the house of Judah{gr.Juda} and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return every man to his house, for this thing is from me. And they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and forbore to go up, according to the word of the Lord. |
{1 Kings 12:24} 
American Standard Version (ASV 1901)