1At that time Abijah became ill. He was the son of Jeroboam.2Jeroboam said to his wife, ‘Go. Put on some different clothes. Then no one will recognise you as my wife. Go to Shiloh. That’s where Ahijah the prophet is. He told me I would be king over the Israelites.3Take ten loaves of bread with you. Take some cakes and a jar of honey. Go to him. He’ll tell you what will happen to our son.’4So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said. She went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh. Ahijah couldn’t see. He was blind because he was so old.5But the LORD had told Ahijah, ‘Jeroboam’s wife is coming. Her son is ill. She’ll ask you about him. Give her the answer I give you. When she arrives, she’ll pretend to be someone else.’6Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door. He said, ‘Come in. I know that you are Jeroboam’s wife. Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have some bad news for you.7Go. Tell Jeroboam that the LORD has a message for him. The LORD is the God of Israel. He says, “I chose you from among the people. I appointed you king over my people Israel.8I tore the kingdom away from the royal house of David. I gave it to you. But you have not been like my servant David. He obeyed my commands. He followed me with all his heart. He did only what was right in my eyes.9You have done more evil things than all those who lived before you. You have made other gods for yourself. You have made statues of gods out of metal. You have made me very angry. You have turned your back on me.10‘ “Because of that, I am going to bring horrible trouble on your royal house. I will cut off from you every male in Israel. It does not matter whether they are slaves or free. I will burn up your royal house, just as someone burns up rubbish. I will burn it until it is all gone.11Some of the people who belong to you will die in the city. Dogs will eat them up. Others will die in the country. The birds will eat them. The LORD has spoken!”12‘Now go back home. When you enter your city, your son will die.13All the Israelites will mourn for him. Then he will be buried. He is the only one who belongs to Jeroboam who will be buried. That is because he is the only one in Jeroboam’s royal house in whom I have found anything good. I am the LORD, the God of Israel.14‘I will choose for myself a king over Israel. He will destroy the family of Jeroboam. This day your son will die. Even now this is beginning to happen.15I, the LORD, will strike down Israel. Israel will be like tall grass swaying in the water. I will pull Israel up from this good land by the roots. I gave it to their people who lived long ago. I will scatter Israel to the east side of the River Euphrates. That is because they made the LORD very angry. They made poles used to worship the female god named Asherah.16I will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed. He has also caused Israel to commit those same sins.’17Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left. She went to the city of Tirzah. As soon as she stepped through the doorway of the house, her son died.18He was buried and all the Israelites mourned for him. That’s what the LORD had said would happen. He had said it through his servant, Ahijah the prophet.19The other events of Jeroboam’s rule are written down. His wars and how he ruled are written down. They are written in the official records of the kings of Israel.20Jeroboam ruled for 22 years. Then he joined the members of his family who had already died. Jeroboam’s son Nadab became the next king after him.
Rehoboam king of Judah
21Rehoboam was king in Judah. He was the son of Solomon. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. He ruled for 17 years in Jerusalem. It was the city the LORD had chosen out of all the cities in the tribes of Israel. He wanted to put his Name there. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah from Ammon.22The people of Judah did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. The sins they had committed made the LORD angry. The LORD was angry because they refused to worship only him. They did more to make him angry than their people who lived before them had done.23Judah also set up for themselves high places for worship. They set up sacred stones. They set up poles used to worship the female god named Asherah. They did it on every high hill and under every green tree.24There were even male prostitutes at the temples in the land. The people took part in all the practices of other nations. The LORD hated those practices. He had driven those nations out to make room for the Israelites.25Shishak attacked Jerusalem. It was in the fifth year that Rehoboam was king. Shishak was king of Egypt.26He carried away the treasures of the LORD’s temple. He also carried away the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything. That included all the gold shields Solomon had made.27So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to take their place. He gave them to the commanders of the guards on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.28Every time the king went to the LORD’s temple, the guards carried the shields. Later, they took them back to the room where they were kept.29The other events of Rehoboam’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written in the official records of the kings of Judah.30Rehoboam and Jeroboam were always at war with each other.31Rehoboam joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in his family tomb in the City of David. His mother was Naamah from Ammon. Rehoboam’s son Abijah became the next king after him.
1Vid den tiden blev Jerobeams son Abia mycket sjuk.2Då föreslog Jerobeam sin hustru att hon skulle maskera sig så att ingen skulle kunna känna igen henne som drottningen. "Sedan ska du gå till Silo och söka upp profeten Ahia, han som förutsa att jag skulle bli kung", sa Jerobeam.3"Ta med dig tio bröd, några kakor och en kruka honung. Ge honom det som gåva och fråga om pojken kommer att bli frisk igen."4Drottningen gav sig iväg till Ahias hem i Silo. Ahia var nu en gammal man och kunde inte se.5Men Herren talade om för honom att drottningen skulle komma förklädd till honom för att fråga om sin sjuke son. Herren talade också om för Ahia vad han skulle svara henne.6När därför Ahia hörde henne komma i dörren, ropade han: "Kom in, du Jerobeams hustru! Varför försöker du dölja vem du är? Jag har sorgliga nyheter åt dig.7Ge din man den här hälsningen från Herren, Israels Gud: 'Jag upphöjde dig, en vanlig medborgare i Israel, till att bli dess kung.8Jag tog kungariket från Davids familj och gav det till dig, men du har inte lytt mina befallningar, som min tjänare David gjorde. Hans hjärtas önskan var alltid att lyda mig och göra det jag ville att han skulle göra.9Men du har gjort mer ont än alla andra kungar före dig. Du har låtit göra andra gudar och gjort mig rasande med dina guldkalvar. Eftersom du har vägrat att kännas vid mig10ska jag låta olyckor komma över din familj. Alla dina söner kommer att dö, både den som nu är sjuk och alla de övriga. Jag ska förinta hela din familj, som man bränner gödsel tills det inte finns något kvar.11De i din familj som dör inne i staden ska ätas av hundar, och de som dör ute på landsbygden blir mat till fåglarna.' "12Sedan sa Ahia till drottningen: "Gå nu hem. När du går in i staden kommer pojken att dö!13Hela Israel ska sörja vid hans grav, och han är den ende i er familj som kommer att läggas i en grav, för det är bara i honom av hela Jerobeams familj som Herren har sett något gott.14Herren ska låta en kung uppstå i Israel, som ska utplåna Jerobeams hela släkt.15Herren ska skaka Israel som vass i strömmande vatten. Han ska rycka upp Israel från detta goda land, som gavs till deras förfäder, och sprida ut dess invånare långt bort till andra sidan av floden Eufrat. De har skymfat Herren genom sin tillbedjan av andra gudar.16Han ska överge Israel på grund av Jerobeams synd, som har fått hela Israel att synda med honom."17Jerobeams hustru återvände till Tirsa, och just som hon gick in genom dörren till sitt hem dog pojken.18Han begravdes, och man sörjde honom över hela landet, precis som Herren hade förutsagt genom Ahia.19Vad Jerobeam uträttade i övrigt, de krig han förde och annat som skedde under hans regeringstid, finns nedtecknat i Israels kungars krönika.20Jerobeam regerade i tjugotvå år och efterträddes vid sin död av sonen Nadab.
Rehabeam regerar i Juda
21Rehabeam, Salomos son, var samtida med honom som kung i Juda. Han var fyrtioett år gammal när han började regera och innehade tronen i Jerusalem i sjutton år, den stad som Herren hade utsett bland alla andra städer att själv bo i. Rehabeams mor var ammonitiska och hette Naama.22Under Rehabeams regering syndade folket i Juda, precis som förhållandet var i Israel. Herren blev därför mycket vred på grund av deras synd, som till och med var värre än deras föräldrars.23Man byggde offeraltaren, obelisker och avgudar på höjderna och under alla stora träd.24Det fanns till och med manliga tempelprostituerade i landet, och folket i Juda blev lika moraliskt förfallet som de hednafolk Herren hade drivit bort för att bereda dem plats.25Under Rehabeams femte regeringsår anföll den egyptiske kungen Sisak Jerusalem och intog staden.26Han plundrade templet och palatset och stal allt, även sköldarna av guld, som Salomo hade gjort.27Rehabeam gjorde då sköldar av koppar i stället och lät den kungliga livvakten använda dem i tjänsten.28Varje gång kungen gick upp till templet paraderade de för honom med sköldarna, som de sedan förvarade i sitt högkvarter.29Det som hände under Rehabeams regeringstid finns återgivet i Juda kungars krönika.30Det förekom ständiga krig mellan Rehabeam och Jerobeam.31När Rehabeam dog och begravdes bland sina fäder i Jerusalem ( hans mor var ammonitiskan Naama) efterträddes han av sonen Abiam.