23 June - 1 Kings 12-14

Jude Sat Dec 29, 2018 12:59 am

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

1 KINGS 12

1And Reḥaḇ‛am went to Sheḵem, for all Yisra’ĕl had gone to Sheḵem to set him up to reign.

2And it came to be, when Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat heard this – he was still in Mitsrayim, for he had fled from the presence of Sovereign Shelomoh and had been dwelling in Mitsrayim –

3that they sent and called him. And Yaroḇ‛am and all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl came and spoke to Reḥaḇ‛am, saying,

4“Your father made our yoke hard, and now, lighten the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, then we serve you.”

5And he said to them, “Go away for three days, then come back to me.” And the people went.

6Then Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am consulted the elders who stood before his father Shelomoh while he still lived, and he said, “What do you advise me to answer these people?”

7And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are a servant to these people today, and shall serve them, and shall answer them and speak good words to them, then they shall be your servants all the days.”

8But he ignored the advice the elders gave him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

9And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

10And the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Say this to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us.’ Say this to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

11‘And now, my father laid a heavy yoke on you, but I add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I, I flog you with scourges!’ ”

12So Yaroḇ‛am and all the people came to Reḥaḇ‛am the third day, as the sovereign had spoken, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”

13But the sovereign answered the people harshly, and ignored the advice which the elders had given him,

14and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, but I, I flog you with scourges!”

15So the sovereign did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from יהוה, in order to establish His word, which יהוה had spoken by Aḥiyah the Shilonite to Yaroḇ‛am son of Neḇat.

16And all Yisra’ĕl saw that the sovereign did not listen to them. Then the people answered the sovereign, saying, “What portion do we have in Dawiḏ? And there is no inheritance in the son of Yishai. To your mighty ones, O Yisra’ĕl! Now, see to your own house, O Dawiḏ!” So Yisra’ĕl went to their tents.

17But as for the children of Yisra’ĕl who dwelt in the cities of Yehuḏah, Reḥaḇ‛am reigned over them.

18And when Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am sent Aḏoram, who was over the compulsory labour, all Yisra’ĕl stoned him with stones, and he died. And Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am hastily mounted his chariot to flee to Yerushalayim.

19Thus Yisra’ĕl revolted against the house of Dawiḏ to this day.

20And it came to be when all Yisra’ĕl heard that Yaroḇ‛am had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and set him up to reign over all Yisra’ĕl. There was none who followed the house of Dawiḏ, except the tribe of Yehuḏah only.

21And Reḥaḇ‛am came to Yerushalayim, and he assembled all the house of Yehuḏah with the tribe of Binyamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen brave men, to fight against the house of Yisra’ĕl, to bring back the reign to Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh.

22But the word of Elohim came to Shemayah the man of Elohim, saying,

23“Speak to Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh, sovereign of Yehuḏah, and to all the house of Yehuḏah and Binyamin, and to the rest of the people, saying,

24‘Thus said יהוה, “Do not go up or fight against your brothers the children of Yisra’ĕl. Let every man return to his house, for this matter is from Me.” ’ ” So they obeyed the word of יהוה, and turned back, according to the word of יהוה.

25And Yaroḇ‛am built Sheḵem in the mountains of Ephrayim, and dwelt there. And he went out from there and built Penu’ĕl.

26And Yaroḇ‛am said in his heart, “Now the reign shall return to the house of Dawiḏ.

27“If these people go up to do slaughterings in the House of יהוה at Yerushalayim, then the heart of this people shall turn back to their master, Reḥaḇ‛am sovereign of Yehuḏah, and they shall slay me and go back to Reḥaḇ‛am sovereign of Yehuḏah.”

28So the sovereign took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Yerushalayim. See, your mighty ones, O Yisra’ĕl, which brought you up from the land of Mitsrayim!”

29And he set up one in Bĕyth Ěl, and the other he put in Dan.

30And this matter became a sin, for the people went before the one as far as Dan.

31And he made the house of high places, and made priests from all sorts of people, who were not of the sons of Lĕwi.

32And Yaroḇ‛am performed a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival that was in Yehuḏah, and he offered on the altar. So he did at Bĕyth Ěl, slaughtering to the calves that he had made. And at Bĕyth Ěl he appointed the priests of the high places which he had made.

33And he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bĕyth Ěl on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he performed a festival for the children of Yisra’ĕl, and offered on the altar and burned incense.

1 KINGS 13

1And see, a man of Elohim went from Yehuḏah to Bĕyth Ěl by the word of יהוה, while Yaroḇ‛am was standing by the altar to burn incense.

2And he cried out against the altar by the word of יהוה, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus said יהוה, ‘See, a son is to be born to the house of Dawiḏ, Yoshiyahu is his name. And on you he shall offer the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones be burned on you.’ ”

3And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which יהוה has spoken: See, the altar is split apart, and the ashes on it is poured out.”

4And it came to be when Sovereign Yaroḇ‛am heard the saying of the man of Elohim, who cried out against the altar in Bĕyth Ěl, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him!” Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, dried up, so that he was unable to bring it back to him.

5And the altar was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of Elohim had given by the word of יהוה.

6And the sovereign answered and said to the man of Elohim, “Please appease the face of יהוה your Elohim, and pray for me, that my hand might be restored to me.” And the man of Elohim appeased the face of יהוה, and the sovereign’s hand was restored to him, and became as it was before.

7The sovereign then said to the man of Elohim, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I give you a gift.”

8But the man of Elohim said to the sovereign, “If you were to give me half your house, I do not go in with you, nor do I eat bread nor drink water in this place.

9“For so He commanded me by the word of יהוה, saying, ‘Do not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’ ”

10So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bĕyth Ěl.

11And a certain old prophet was dwelling in Bĕyth Ěl, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of Elohim had done that day in Bĕyth Ěl, the words which he had spoken to the sovereign.

12And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons had seen which way the man of Elohim went who came from Yehuḏah.

13And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled the donkey for him, and he rode on it,

14and went after the man of Elohim, and found him sitting under a terebinth. And he said to him, “Are you the man of Elohim who came from Yehuḏah?” And he said, “I am.”

15And he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”

16And he said, “I am not able to return with you or to go in with you, nor am I to eat bread or drink water with you in this place.

17“For word came to me by the word of יהוה, ‘Do not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’ ”

18And he said to him, “I too am a prophet like you, and a messenger spoke to me by the word of יהוה, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, and let him eat bread and drink water.’ ” But he lied to him.

19So he turned back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

20And it came to be, as they sat at the table, that the word of יהוה came to the prophet who had brought him back,

21and he cried out to the man of Elohim who came from Yehuḏah, saying, “Thus said יהוה, ‘Because you have rebelled against the mouth of יהוה, and have not guarded the command which יהוה your Elohim commanded you,

22and turned back, and ate bread, and drank water in the place of which He said to you, “Do not eat bread nor drink water,” your body shall not enter the burying-place of your fathers.’ ”

23And it came to be, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

24And he went, and a lion met him on the way and killed him. And his body was thrown on the way. And the donkey was standing by it, and the lion was standing by the body.

25And see, men were passing by and saw the body thrown on the way, while the lion was standing by the body. And they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

26And the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, and said, “It is the man of Elohim who rebelled against the mouth of יהוה, and יהוה gave him to the lion, and it tore him apart and killed him, according to the word of יהוה which He spoke to him.”

27And he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it.

28So he went and found his body thrown on the way, and the donkey and the lion standing by the body. The lion had not eaten the body nor mauled the donkey.

29And the prophet lifted up the body of the man of Elohim, and placed it on the donkey, and brought it back. And the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him,

30and he placed his body in his own tomb. And they lamented over him, saying, “Oh, my brother!”

31And it came to be, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, then you shall bury me in the tomb where the man of Elohim is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones.

32“For the word which he cried out, by the word of יהוה, against the altar in Bĕyth Ěl, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Shomeron, shall certainly come to be.”

33After this event Yaroḇ‛am did not turn from his evil way, but again he made priests from all sorts of people for the high places. Whoever wished, he ordained, to become one of the priests of the high places.

34And this matter was the sin of the house of Yaroḇ‛am, even to cut it off and destroy it from the face of the earth.

1 KINGS 14

1At that time Aḇiyah the son of Yaroḇ‛am became sick.

2And Yaroḇ‛am said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, so they do not know that you are the wife of Yaroḇ‛am, and go to Shiloh. See, Aḥiyah the prophet is there, who spoke to me of becoming sovereign over this people.

3“And you shall take with you ten loaves, and cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. Let him declare to you what becomes of the child.”

4And Yaroḇ‛am’s wife did so, and rose up and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Aḥiyah. But Aḥiyahu was unable to see, for his eyes had set because of his age.

5And יהוה had said to Aḥiyahu, “See, the wife of Yaroḇ‛am is coming to ask you a word about her son, for he is sick. Speak to her thus and thus. For it shall be, when she comes in, that she makes herself strange.”

6And it came to be, when Aḥiyahu heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Yaroḇ‛am. Why are you making yourself strange? And I have been sent to you with a hard word.

7Go, say to Yaroḇ‛am, ‘Thus said יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Yisra’ĕl,

8and tore the reign away from the house of Dawiḏ, and gave it to you – and you have not been as My servant Dawiḏ, who guarded My commands and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes,

9but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other mighty ones and moulded images to provoke Me, and have cast Me behind your back –

10therefore, see, I am bringing evil to the house of Yaroḇ‛am, and shall cut off from Yaroḇ‛am every male in Yisra’ĕl, whether shut up or left at large, and sweep away the remnant of the house of Yaroḇ‛am, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone.

11Those of Yaroḇ‛am who die in the city the dogs do eat, and those who die in the field the birds of the heavens do eat, for יהוה has spoken it!” ’

12“And you, arise, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die.

13“And all Yisra’ĕl shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Yaroḇ‛am who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found a good report toward יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, in the house of Yaroḇ‛am.

14“And יהוה shall raise up for Himself a sovereign over Yisra’ĕl who cuts off the house of Yaroḇ‛am, this day, and even now!

15“And יהוה shall smite Yisra’ĕl, as a reed is shaken in the water, and shall pluck Yisra’ĕl from this good soil which He gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the River, because they made their Ashĕrim, provoking יהוה,

16and He shall give Yisra’ĕl up, because of the sins of Yaroḇ‛am, who sinned and who made Yisra’ĕl sin.”

17And the wife of Yaroḇ‛am rose up and went, and came to Tirtsah. When she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.

18And they buried him, and all Yisra’ĕl lamented for him, according to the word of יהוה which He spoke through His servant Aḥiyahu the prophet.

19And the rest of the acts of Yaroḇ‛am, how he fought and how he reigned, see, they are written in the book of the annals of the sovereigns of Yisra’ĕl.

20And the days that Yaroḇ‛am reigned was twenty-two years. So he slept with his fathers, and Naḏaḇ his son reigned in his place.

21Meanwhile Reḥaḇ‛am son of Shelomoh reigned in Yehuḏah. Reḥaḇ‛am was forty-one years old when he became sovereign, and he reigned seventeen years in Yerushalayim, the city which יהוה had chosen out of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, to put His Name there. And his mother’s name was Na‛amah the Ammonitess.

22And Yehuḏah did evil in the eyes of יהוה, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.

23For they also built for themselves high places, and pillars, and Ashĕrim on every high hill and under every green tree.

24And there were also cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the gentiles which יהוה dispossessed before the children of Yisra’ĕl.

25And it came to be, in the fifth year of Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am, that Shishaq sovereign of Mitsrayim came up against Yerushalayim.

26And he took away the treasures of the House of יהוה and the treasures of the sovereign’s house, he even took away all. And he took away all the shields of gold which Shelomoh had made.

27And Sovereign Reḥaḇ‛am made shields of bronze to replace them, and entrusted them into the hands of the chiefs of the guard, who guarded the entrance of the sovereign’s house.

28And it came to be, whenever the sovereign went into the House of יהוה, the guards would bring them, then take them back into the guardroom.

29And the rest of the acts of Reḥaḇ‛am, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the sovereigns of Yehuḏah?

30And there was fighting between Reḥaḇ‛am and Yaroḇ‛am all the days.

31So Reḥaḇ‛am slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of Dawiḏ. And the name of his mother was Na‛amah the Ammonitess. And Aḇiyam his son reigned in his place.