29 During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite(A) met Jeroboam on the road as Jeroboam came out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself with a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he had on, tore it into 12 pieces,(B) 31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take 10 pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I will give you 10 tribes, 32 but one tribe will remain his because of my servant David(C) and because of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel.(D) 33 For they have abandoned Me; they have bowed the knee to Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, to Chemosh, the god of Moab, and to Milcom, the god of the Ammonites.(E) They have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and to carry out My statutes and My judgments as his father David did.(F)

34 “‘However, I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand but will let him be ruler all the days of his life because of My servant David, whom I chose and who kept My commands and My statutes. 35 I will take 10 tribes of the kingdom from his son’s hand and give them to you. 36 I will give one tribe(G) to his son,(H) so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me(I) in Jerusalem, the city I chose for Myself to put My name there.(J) 37 I will appoint you,(K) and you will reign as king(L) over all you want,(M) and you will be king over Israel.

38 “‘After that, if you obey all I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and My commands as My servant David did, I will be with you.(N) I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David,(O) and I will give you Israel. 39 I will humble David’s descendants, because of their unfaithfulness, but not forever.’”[a](P)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 11:39 LXX omits and I will give . . . but not forever

Bible Gateway Recommends