Study Desk

"And they will say, 'Because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.'"

But Solomon did not make slaves from the sons of Israel for his work; for they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen.

And they did not deviate from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any matter or regarding the storehouses.

And by his servants Huram sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon's servants to Ophir and took from there 450 talents of gold, and brought it to King Solomon.

They were bringing, each of them his gift: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, balsam oil, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from the first to the last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

So they sent word and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

They spoke to him, saying, "If you are kind to this people and please them and speak pleasant words to them, then they will be your servants always."

But he ignored the advice of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and served him.

'This is what the LORD says: "You shall not go up nor fight against your relatives; return, every man, to his house, for this event is from Me."'" So they listened to the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam.

They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

And it came about in King Rehoboam's fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem

When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them; and I will grant them a little deliverance, and My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.

"But they will become his slaves, so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."

Now the acts of Rehoboam, from the first to the last, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

"Every morning and evening they burn to the LORD burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we perform our duty to the LORD our God, but you have abandoned Him.

When Judah turned around, behold, they were attacked both from front and rear; so they cried out to the LORD, and the priests blew the trumpets.

The sons of Israel were subdued at that time, and the sons of Judah conquered because they trusted in the LORD, the God of their fathers.

So Abijah lay down with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and his son Asa became king in his place. The land was undisturbed for ten years during his days.