saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I will pluck the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give thee ten tribes.

He shall have a tribe for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel,

Because they have forsaken me, and worshipped Ashtoreth the god of the Zidonians, and Kamos the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, my commandments and my statutes, as David his father did.

Neither will I take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him ruler all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I have chosen, who hath kept my commandments and my statutes.

Out of the hand of his son will I take the kingdom; and I will give thee ten tribes.

And give his son a tribe, that David my servant may have a lamp before me every way in the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen to put my name there.

Now therefore I will take thee, and thou shalt reign over all that thine heart desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.

If thou wilt therefore obey all that I command thee, and walk in my ways, and do that which is right in mine eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as my servant David did; then will I be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built David, and will give thee Israel.

And will humble the seed of David for this cause, but not for ever.

And Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt unto Sishak king of Egypt: and he tarried in Egypt until Solomon died.

And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of Chronicles by Solomon?

And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
(1 Kings)
Chapter 12
Partition of the kingdom of Solomon.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.

And Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it, while he was yet in Egypt, whither he fled from the presence of king Solomon; and he abode in Egypt.

And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came and spake unto Rehoboam, saying:

Thy Father hath made our yoke too hard: now therefore make thou the hard service and the heavy yoke lighter, which he hath put upon us, and we will be subject unto thee.

And he said unto them: Go ye till the third day, and come again unto me. And the people went.

And king Rehoboam took counsel with the elders that were before Solomon his father when he lived, saying, How counsel ye that we should answer this people?

And they said unto him, If thou wilt do service unto this people this day, and wilt do them will, and wilt hear them, and wilt speak good words unto them, they shall be servants unto thee all the days of thy life.

But he left the counsel of the elders, which they had given him, and held a council with the young men that were brought up with him, and sat before him.

And he said unto them: What counsel ye that we should answer this people, who have said unto me: Lighten the yoke which thy Father hath put upon us.

And the young men that were brought up with him said unto him, Thou shalt say unto the people that say unto thee, Thy father hath made our yoke too heavy; make thou it lighter for us; thus shalt thou say, My least finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.

Now my father hath put a heavy yoke upon you, but I will make it more heavy upon you: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had said, saying: Come again unto me the third day.

And the king gave a hard answer unto the people, and forsook the counsel which the elders had given him,

And he spake unto them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father hath made your yoke heavy, but I will make it more heavy upon you: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

So the king hearkened not unto the people: for it was so wrought of the LORD, that he might confirm his word, which he spake by Ahijah of Shiloh unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

And when all Israel saw that the king would not hear them, the people answered the king, and said, What have we part in David, or inheritance in the son of Jesse? Arise, O Israel, unto thy tents. Now therefore, David, behold thou unto thy house. So Israel went to his tents, 17. That Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel only, which dwelt in the cities of Judah.

And when king Rehoboam sent Adoram the chamberlain, all Israel cast him down with stones. And king Rehoboam mounted a chariot, and fled to Jerusalem.

So Israel fell away from the house of David unto this day.

And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, they sent and called him unto all the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. And none followed the house of David, save the tribe of Judah only.

And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered all the house of Judah, and the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand young men of valour, to fight against the house of Israel, and to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

And the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying: 23. Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah, and to Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying:

Thus saith the LORD; Ye shall not go up and fight against your brethren the children of Israel; every man return home: for this thing is done of me. And they hearkened unto the word of the LORD, and returned, and went, as the LORD had said.

And Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein, and went out thence, and built Pnuel.

And Jeroboam thought in his heart, The kingdom shall now fall again to the house of David, 27. And this people shall go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem: and the heart of this people shall turn unto their lord Rehoboam king of Judah, and shall slay me, and fall again unto Rehoboam king of Judah.

And the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them: It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold, there are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt!

And he set one at Bethel, and put the other at Dan.

And it became a sin: for the people went from before one even unto Dan.

He made also a house of high places; and made priests of the least of the people, which were not of the children of Levi.

And he made a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, as the plague in Judah, and offered upon the altar. So he did in Bethel, that they sacrificed unto the calves which he had made: and he ordained at Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.

And he offered upon the altar which he had made at Bethel, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, which he had devised out of his heart, and made feasts for the children of Israel, and offered upon the altar to burn incense.
(1 Kings)
Chapter 13
Jeroboam’s hand withers. A prophet is killed by the lion.

And, behold, a man of God came from Judah by the word of the LORD to Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar burning incense.

And he cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, saying, Altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, whose name shall be Josiah; and he shall offer upon thee the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and shall burn men’s bones upon thee.

And he wrought a miracle that day, saying, This is the miracle that the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be broken down, and the ashes that are upon it shall be spilt: 4. And when the king heard the word of the man of God that cried against the altar of Bethel, he put forth his hand by the altar, and said, Seize him. And his hand withered, which he had stretched out against him, and could not draw it again to himself.

And the altar rent, and the ashes were poured out from off the altar, according to the miracle which the man of God had wrought by the word of the LORD.

And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Ask the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored unto me. And the man of God besought the face of the LORD: and the king’s