Ahijah’s Prophecy against Jeroboam
Abijah falls ill, and Jeroboam sends his wife in disguise to Ahijah at Shiloh to learn the boy’s fate. Before she arrives, the LORD tells the aged prophet who is coming, and Ahijah greets her by name with bad news.
A1t that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, 2and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Now get up, disguise yourself so they will not recognize you as my wife, and go to Shiloh. For Ahijah the prophet is there; it was he who spoke about my kingship over this people. 3Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will become of the boy.” 4Jeroboam’s wife did as instructed; she arose and went to Shiloh and arrived at Ahijah’s house. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. 5But the LORD had said to Ahijah, “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill. You are to say such and such to her, because when she arrives, she will be disguised.” 6So when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet entering the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you disguised? For I have been sent to you with bad news.
Ahijah recounts how the LORD raised Jeroboam up and then condemns him for surpassing earlier kings in evil and turning Israel into sin. He announces the death of the child, the destruction of Jeroboam’s house, and a future uprooting of Israel from the land.
7Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over My people Israel. 8I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you. But you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart, doing only what was right in My eyes. 9You have done more evil than all who came before you. You have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me, and you have flung Me behind your back. 10Because of all this, behold, I am bringing disaster on the house of Jeroboam: 11Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city 12As for you, get up and go home. When your feet enter the city, the child will die. 13All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. For this is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will receive a proper burial, because only in him has the LORD, the God of Israel, found any good in the house of Jeroboam. 14Moreover, the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam. This is the day — yes, even today! 15For the LORD will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that He gave their fathers, and He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking the LORD to anger. 16So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
Jeroboam’s wife returns home, and the child dies as soon as she enters the city. Israel mourns and buries him just as Ahijah had said.
17Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and departed for Tirzah, and as soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18And they buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servant Ahijah the prophet.