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 twelve pieces,(B) 31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten 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 ten tribes, 32 but one tribe will remain his for the sake of my servant David(C) and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel.(D) 33 For they have abandoned me; they have bowed down 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 sight 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 him but will let him be ruler all the days of his life for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose and who kept my commands and my statutes. 35 I will take ten tribes of the kingdom from his son 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[a] 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.’”[b](P)

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Footnotes

  1. 11:36 Or dominion
  2. 11:38–39 LXX omits and I will give... but not forever

29 About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah(A) the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, 30 and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore(B) it into twelve pieces. 31 Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I am going to tear(C) the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes. 32 But for the sake(D) of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. 33 I will do this because they have[a] forsaken me and worshiped(E) Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked(F) in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees(G) and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.

34 “‘But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees. 35 I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes. 36 I will give one tribe(H) to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp(I) before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. 37 However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule(J) over all that your heart desires;(K) you will be king over Israel. 38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right(L) in my eyes by obeying my decrees(M) and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty(N) as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. 39 I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 11:33 Hebrew; Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac because he has