Study Desk

He had commanded him about this, so that he would not follow other gods, but Solomon did not do what the Lord had commanded.

But Pharaoh asked him, "What do you lack here with me for you to want to go back to your own country?" "Nothing," he replied, "but please let me leave."

Rezon was Israel's enemy throughout Solomon's reign, adding to the trouble Hadad had caused. He ruled over Aram, but he loathed Israel.

but one tribe will remain his because of my servant David and because of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel.

"‘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.

I will humble David's descendants, because of their unfaithfulness, but not forever.'"

Therefore, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he remained until Solomon's death.

But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and served him.

Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, "This is what you should say to these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!' This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's loins!

Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.'"

and spoke to them according to the young men's advice: "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips."

but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.

Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem.

But a revelation from God came to Shemaiah, the man of God:

When the king heard the word that the man of God had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar and said, "Arrest him!" But the hand he stretched out against him withered, and he could not pull it back to himself.

But the man of God replied, "If you were to give me half your house, I still wouldn't go with you, and I wouldn't eat bread or drink water in this place,

But he answered, "I cannot go back with you, eat bread, or drink water with you in this place,

but you went back and ate bread and drank water in the place that He said to you, "Do not eat bread and do not drink water"— your corpse will never reach the grave of your fathers.'"

After all this Jeroboam did not repent of his evil way but again set up priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained whoever so desired it, and they became priests of the high places.

But the Lord had said to Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is coming soon to ask you about her son, for he is sick. You are to say such and such to her. When she arrives, she will be disguised."