Israel's first king after the division of the kingdom
Das geteilte KönigreichKingLeaderc. 931–910 BC
Jeroboam I was the first king over the northern kingdom of Israel after the united monarchy split following Solomon's death. He was originally a capable official under Solomon, but later became known for leading Israel away from the Lord by setting up golden calves in Bethel and Dan.
The prophet Ahijah from Shiloh tore his new cloak into twelve pieces and gave ten of them to Jeroboam as a sign that he would become king over ten tribes in Israel.
29About that time, when Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh met him on the road. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak, and the two of them were alone out in the open country.
31Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'See, I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand, and I will give you ten tribes.
32But one tribe will remain his, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.
33For they have forsaken me and bowed down to Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, to Chemosh the god of Moab, and to Milcom the god of the Ammonites. They have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my eyes and keeping my statutes and my judgments, as David his father did.
34Yet I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hand; I will let him rule as prince all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who kept my commandments and my statutes.
36To his son I will give one tribe, so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen for myself, to put my name there.
38And if you listen to all I command you, and walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.
14and spoke to them according to the advice of the young men: "My father made your yoke heavy; I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips; I will discipline you with scorpions."
15So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events came from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16When all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king: "What share do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Look to your own house now, David!" So Israel went off to their tents.
18Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.
20When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent for him and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. No one followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.
Jeroboam set up two golden calves in Bethel and Dan to prevent the people from traveling to Jerusalem to worship, saying: 'Behold, your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'
27If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, their hearts will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."
28So the king took counsel and made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt."
32Jeroboam instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and he went up to the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made, and in Bethel he installed the priests of the high places he had made.
33On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month he had devised in his own heart, he went up to the altar he had built in Bethel. So he instituted a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.
A man of God from Judah came and prophesied against the altar at Bethel while Jeroboam was standing there. When the king reached out his hand to seize him, his hand withered.
2He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD: "Altar, altar, this is what the LORD says: A son will be born to the house of David; Josiah will be his name. He will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones will be burned on you."
4When the king heard the word that the man of God had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar and said, "Seize him!" But the hand he had stretched out against him withered, and he could not draw it back.
6Then the king said to the man of God, "Please plead with the LORD your God and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God pleaded with the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before.
2Jeroboam said to his wife, "Get up, disguise yourself so no one will recognize you as Jeroboam's wife, and go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people.
4So Jeroboam's wife did as he said. She went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see; his eyes had failed because of his age.
5But the LORD had said to Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill. Say such and such to her. When she arrives, she will be pretending to be someone else."
6So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why pretend to be someone else? I have been sent to you with heavy news.
8I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes.
9You have done more evil than all who came before you. You went and made yourself other gods and cast images, provoking me to anger, and you have thrust me behind your back.
10Therefore I am bringing disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel, slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as a man burns dung, until it is gone.
11Those of Jeroboam's house who die in the city the dogs will eat, and those who die in the open country the birds of the sky will eat—for the LORD has spoken.
13All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He alone of Jeroboam's house will be laid in a grave, because in him, of all the house of Jeroboam, something good toward the LORD, the God of Israel, was found.
15And the LORD will strike Israel so that it sways like a reed in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land he gave to their fathers and scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they made their Asherah poles and provoked the LORD to anger.