Ahijah’s Prophecy Against Jeroboam
1At that time Abijah became sick. He was the son of Jeroboam. 2Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go. Put on some different clothes. Then no one will recognize 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 sick. 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 trash. 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 Euphrates River. 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.
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ヤロブアムの息子の死
1ヤロブアム王は息子アビヤが重病になったため、 2妻に言いました。「王妃だと気づかれないように変装して、シロの預言者アヒヤのところへ行ってくれ。私が王になると言ってくれた人だ。 3みやげに、パン十個といちじく菓子、それにはちみつを持って行き、あの子が治るかどうか、聞いてもらいたいのだ。」
4王妃は、シロにあるアヒヤの家へ出かけました。アヒヤはもうかなりの年で、目が見えません。 5しかし主は彼に、「変装した王妃が子どものことで聞きに来る。子どもが重態だからだ」と伝えて、どう返事すべきかを教えました。
6そこでアヒヤは、戸口に彼女の足音を聞くと、「王妃、お入りください。なぜ、ほかの人のようなふりをしておいでなのか」と声をかけ、次のように言いました。「実は、悲しいお知らせがあります。 7これはイスラエルの神、主から、王様へのお告げです。『わたしは身分の卑しいあなたを抜擢し、イスラエルの王とした。 8ダビデの家から王国を引き裂き、あなたのものとした。ところがあなたは、ダビデのようには、わたしの命令を聞かなかった。ダビデはいつも心の底からわたしに従い、わたしの意にかなうことをした。 9しかしあなたはこれまでのどの王よりも悪く、わたし以外の神々を造り、金の子牛を造って、わたしをひどく怒らせた。このように、わたしの恵みを無視したので、 10あなたの家に災いを下し、病気の子どもだけでなく、ほかの元気な子どもも全部絶ち滅ぼす。あなたの家族を肥やしのようにすべて葬り去る。 11町の中で死ぬ者はみな犬に食われ、野で死ぬ者はみな鳥に食われる。』
12さあ、家へお帰りなさい。あなたが町に足を一歩踏み入れる時、病気のお子は死にます。 13イスラエル中の人がその死を悲しみ、手厚く葬ってくれます。けれどもその子は、ご一族で平穏な最期を迎える、ただ一人の者となるでしょう。ヤロブアム家で、その子だけがイスラエルの神、主のお気に召したからです。 14主は、イスラエルに一人の王をお立てになります。その王がヤロブアム家を滅ぼします。 15主はイスラエルを川面に揺らぐ葦のようにふるい、先祖にお与えになったこの良い地から根こそぎにして、ユーフラテス川の向こうに散らします。偶像の神々を造って、主を怒らせたからです。 16ヤロブアム王は罪を犯し、しかもイスラエルのすべての民をも巻き添えにしたので、主はイスラエルを捨てられるのです。」
17王妃がティルツァに帰り、家の敷居をまたいだとたん、その子どもは死にました。 18イスラエルのすべての民は、その死を悲しみました。主が預言者アヒヤによって語ったとおりになりました。
19ヤロブアム王のその他の業績、彼がどう戦い、どう治めたかなどは、『イスラエル諸王の年代記』に記録されています。 20ヤロブアムは二十二年の間王位にあったのち死に、その子ナダブが跡を継ぎました。
ユダの王レハブアム
21その間、ユダでは、ソロモンの子レハブアムが王となって治めていました。彼は四十一歳で王位につき、主がイスラエルのすべての町々の中から、ご自分の住まいとして選んだエルサレムで、十七年間、治めました。レハブアムの母はアモン人で、ナアマといいました。 22レハブアムが王位にある時、ユダの国民は、イスラエルの民と同じように罪を犯し、主を怒らせました。その罪は、先祖より悪質なものでした。 23あらゆる高い丘の上や茂った木の下に礼拝所や石柱、偶像を立てたのです。 24またその地には、同性愛が蔓延していました。ユダの民は、主がイスラエルから追い払われた異教徒のように堕落してしまったのです。
25レハブアム王の五年目、エジプトの王シシャクがエルサレムに攻め上って来て、 26神殿と宮殿を物色して回り、ソロモンの作った金の盾など、めぼしい財宝をみな奪い取りました。 27そのため、レハブアム王は青銅で代わりの盾を作り、それを宮殿の護衛兵にあてがいました。 28王が神殿に行くたびに、護衛兵はこの盾を持って王の前を進み、また控え室に戻すのです。
29レハブアム王のその他の業績は、『ユダ諸王の年代記』に記録されています。 30レハブアム王とヤロブアム王との間には、戦争が絶えませんでした。 31レハブアム王は死んで、先祖たちと同じようにエルサレムに葬られました。彼の母ナアマはアモン人でした。そのあと、息子アビヤムが王となりました。
