26 Now Solomon’s servant,m Jeroboam son of Nebat, was an Ephraimite from Zeredah. His widowed mother’s name was Zeruah. Jeroboam rebelledn against Solomon, 27 and this is the reason he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the supporting terraceso and repaired the opening in the wall of the city of his father David. 28 Now the man Jeroboam was capable, and Solomon noticed the young man because he was getting things done. So he appointed him over the entire labor force of the house of Joseph.p

29 During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shiloniteq 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,r 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 Davids and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel.t 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.u 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.v

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 tribew to his son,x so that my servant David will always have a lamp* before mey in Jerusalem, the city I chose for myself to put my name there.z 37 I will appoint you,aa and you will reign as kingab over all you want,ac 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.a I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David,b and I will give you Israel. 39 I will humble David’s descendants, because of their unfaithfulness, but not forever.’ ”A,c