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1 Kings 14 (Melachim Alef) in Hebrew and English

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Tenakh Study · 1 Kings 14:1–31

1 Kings, Chapter 14

מלכים א יד

Yarov’am sends his wife in disguise to Achiyah the prophet at Shiloh, who foretells the death of their son and the end of Yarov’am’s house; Yarov’am dies and Nadav reigns; in Yehudah the people do evil under Rechav’am, Shishak king of Mitzrayim takes the treasures and the shields of gold, and Rechav’am dies and Aviyam reigns.

14:1At that time Aviyah (Abijah) the son of Yarov’am (Jeroboam) fell sick.

אבָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔יא חָלָ֖ה אֲבִיָּ֥ה בֶן־יָרָבְעָֽם׃

14:2And Yarov’am said to his wife, “Arise, I pray you, and disguise yourself, that you be not known to be the wife of Yarov’am; and get you to Shiloh: behold, there is Achiyah (Ahijah) the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.

בוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יָרָבְעָ֜ם לְאִשְׁתּ֗וֹ ק֤וּמִי נָא֙ וְהִשְׁתַּנִּ֔ית וְלֹ֣א יֵֽדְע֔וּ כִּי־אַ֖תְּ (כתיב אתי) אֵ֣שֶׁת יָרָבְעָ֑ם וְהָלַ֣כְתְּ שִׁלֹ֗ה הִנֵּה־שָׁם֙ אֲחִיָּ֣ה הַנָּבִ֔יא הֽוּא־דִבֶּ֥ר עָלַ֛י לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּֽה׃

14:3And take with you ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell you what shall become of the child.”

גוְלָקַ֣חַתְּ בְּ֠יָדֵךְ עֲשָׂרָ֨ה לֶ֧חֶם וְנִקֻּדִ֛ים וּבַקְבֻּ֥ק דְּבַ֖שׁ וּבָ֣את אֵלָ֑יו ה֚וּא יַגִּ֣יד לָ֔ךְ מַה־יִּֽהְיֶ֖ה לַנָּֽעַר׃

14:4And Yarov’am’s wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Achiyah. But Achiyahu could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.

דוַתַּ֤עַשׂ כֵּן֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת יָרָבְעָ֔ם וַתָּ֨קָם֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶךְ שִׁלֹ֔ה וַתָּבֹ֖א בֵּ֣ית אֲחִיָּ֑ה וַאֲחִיָּ֨הוּ֙ לֹֽא־יָכֹ֣ל לִרְא֔וֹת כִּ֛י קָ֥מוּ עֵינָ֖יו מִשֵּׂיבֽוֹ׃

The word against Yarov’am’s house

14:5And Hashem said unto Achiyahu, “Behold, the wife of Yarov’am comes to ask a thing of you for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shall you say unto her: for it shall be, when she comes in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman.”

הוַיהוָ֞ה אָמַ֣ר אֶל־אֲחִיָּ֗הוּ הִנֵּ֣ה אֵ֣שֶׁת יָרָבְעָ֡ם בָּאָ֣ה לִדְרֹשׁ֩ דָּבָ֨ר מֵעִמְּךָ֤ אֶל־בְּנָהּ֙ כִּֽי־חֹלֶ֣ה ה֔וּא כָּזֹ֥ה וְכָזֶ֖ה תְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלֶ֑יהָ וִיהִ֣י כְבֹאָ֔הּ וְהִ֖יא מִתְנַכֵּרָֽה׃

14:6And it was so, when Achiyahu heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, that he said, “Come in, you wife of Yarov’am; why feign you yourself to be another? for I am sent to you with heavy tidings.

ווַיְהִי֩ כִשְׁמֹ֨עַ אֲחִיָּ֜הוּ אֶת־ק֤וֹל רַגְלֶ֨יהָ֙ בָּאָ֣ה בַפֶּ֔תַח וַיֹּ֕אמֶר בֹּ֖אִי אֵ֣שֶׁת יָרָבְעָ֑ם לָ֣מָּה זֶּ֗ה אַ֚תְּ מִתְנַכֵּרָ֔ה וְאָ֣נֹכִ֔י שָׁל֥וּחַ אֵלַ֖יִךְ קָשָֽׁה׃

14:7Go, tell Yarov’am, ‘Thus says Hashem God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted you from among the people, and made you prince over My people Israel,

זלְכִ֞י אִמְרִ֣י לְיָרָבְעָ֗ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יַ֛עַן אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֲרִימֹתִ֖יךָ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָעָ֑ם וָאֶתֶּנְךָ֣ נָגִ֔יד עַ֖ל עַמִּ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

14:8And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it you: and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments, and who followed Me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in My eyes;

חוָאֶקְרַ֤ע אֶת־הַמַּמְלָכָה֙ מִבֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֔ד וָאֶתְּנֶ֖הָ לָ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־הָיִ֜יתָ כְּעַבְדִּ֣י דָוִ֗ד אֲשֶׁר֩ שָׁמַ֨ר מִצְוֺתַ֜י וַאֲשֶׁר־הָלַ֤ךְ אַחֲרַי֙ בְּכָל־לְבָב֔וֹ לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת רַ֖ק הַיָּשָׁ֥ר בְּעֵינָֽי׃

14:9But have done evil above all that were before you: for you have gone and made you other gods, and molten images, to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back:

טוַתָּ֣רַע לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת מִכֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וַתֵּ֡לֶךְ וַתַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים אֲחֵרִ֤ים וּמַסֵּכוֹת֙ לְהַכְעִיסֵ֔נִי וְאֹתִ֥י הִשְׁלַ֖כְתָּ אַחֲרֵ֥י גַוֶּֽךָ׃

14:10Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Yarov’am, and will cut off from Yarov’am him that pisses against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Yarov’am, as a man takes away dung, till it be all gone.

ילָכֵ֗ן הִנְנִ֨י מֵבִ֤יא רָעָה֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית יָרָבְעָ֔ם וְהִכְרַתִּ֤י לְיָֽרָבְעָם֙ מַשְׁתִּ֣ין בְּקִ֔יר עָצ֥וּר וְעָז֖וּב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבִֽעַרְתִּי֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י בֵית־יָרָבְעָ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יְבַעֵ֥ר הַגָּלָ֖ל עַד־תֻּמּֽוֹ׃

14:11Him that dies of Yarov’am in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dies in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for Hashem has spoken it.’

יאהַמֵּ֨ת לְיָֽרָבְעָ֤ם בָּעִיר֙ יֹאכְל֣וּ הַכְּלָבִ֔ים וְהַמֵּת֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה יֹאכְל֖וּ ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃

14:12Arise you therefore, get you to your own house: and when your feet enter into the city, the child shall die.

יבוְאַ֥תְּ ק֖וּמִי לְכִ֣י לְבֵיתֵ֑ךְ בְּבֹאָ֥ה רַגְלַ֛יִךְ הָעִ֖ירָה וּמֵ֥ת הַיָּֽלֶד׃

14:13And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Yarov’am shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward Hashem God of Israel in the house of Yarov’am.

יגוְסָֽפְדוּ־ל֤וֹ כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְקָבְר֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ כִּֽי־זֶ֣ה לְבַדּ֔וֹ יָבֹ֥א לְיָרָבְעָ֖ם אֶל־קָ֑בֶר יַ֣עַן נִמְצָא־ב֞וֹ דָּבָ֣ר ט֗וֹב אֶל־יְהוָ֛ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּבֵ֥ית יָרָבְעָֽם׃

14:14Moreover Hashem shall raise Him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Yarov’am that day: but what? even now.

ידוְהֵקִים֩ יְהוָ֨ה ל֥וֹ מֶ֨לֶךְ֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַכְרִ֛ית אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יָרָבְעָ֖ם זֶ֣ה הַיּ֑וֹם וּמֶ֖ה גַּם־עָֽתָּה׃

14:15For Hashem shall strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and He shall root up Israel out of this good land, which He gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking Hashem to anger.

טווְהִכָּ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יָנ֣וּד הַקָּנֶה֮ בַּמַּיִם֒ וְנָתַ֣שׁ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מֵ֠עַל הָאֲדָמָ֨ה הַטּוֹבָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָתַן֙ לַאֲב֣וֹתֵיהֶ֔ם וְזֵרָ֖ם מֵעֵ֣בֶר לַנָּהָ֑ר יַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשׂוּ֙ אֶת־אֲשֵׁ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם מַכְעִיסִ֖ים אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

14:16And He shall give Israel up because of the sins of Yarov’am, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.”

טזוְיִתֵּ֖ן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בִּגְלַ֞ל חַטֹּ֤אות יָֽרָבְעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֔א וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶחֱטִ֖יא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

The death of the child

14:17And Yarov’am’s wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirtzah (Tirzah): and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died;

יזוַתָּ֨קָם֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת יָרָבְעָ֔ם וַתֵּ֖לֶךְ וַתָּבֹ֣א תִרְצָ֑תָה הִ֛יא בָּאָ֥ה בְסַף־הַבַּ֖יִת וְהַנַּ֥עַר מֵֽת׃

14:18And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of Hashem, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Achiyahu the prophet.

יחוַיִּקְבְּר֥וּ אֹת֛וֹ וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־ל֖וֹ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּדְבַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֔ר בְּיַד־עַבְדּ֖וֹ אֲחִיָּ֥הוּ הַנָּבִֽיא׃

The death of Yarov’am

14:19And the rest of the acts of Yarov’am, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

יטוְיֶ֨תֶר֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י יָֽרָבְעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִלְחַ֖ם וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר מָלָ֑ךְ הִנָּ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

14:20And the days which Yarov’am reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadav (Nadab) his son reigned in his stead.

כוְהַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָלַ֣ךְ יָרָבְעָ֔ם עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁתַּ֖יִם שָׁנָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁכַּב֙ עִם־אֲבֹתָ֔יו וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ נָדָ֥ב בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃

Rechav’am reigns in Yehudah

14:21And Rechav’am (Rehoboam) the son of Shlomo (Solomon) reigned in Yehudah (Judah). Rechav’am was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), the city which Hashem did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Na’amah (Naamah) an Ammonit (Ammonitess).

כאוּרְחַבְעָם֙ בֶּן־שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּֽיהוּדָ֑ה בֶּן־אַרְבָּעִ֣ים וְאַחַ֣ת שָׁנָה֩ רְחַבְעָ֨ם בְּמָלְכ֜וֹ וּֽשֲׁבַ֨ע עֶשְׂרֵ֥ה שָׁנָ֣ה ׀ מָלַ֣ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֗ם הָ֠עִיר אֲשֶׁר־בָּחַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה לָשׂ֨וּם אֶת־שְׁמ֥וֹ שָׁם֙ מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ נַעֲמָ֖ה הָעַמֹּנִֽית׃

14:22And Yehudah did evil in the sight of Hashem, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.

כבוַיַּ֧עַשׂ יְהוּדָ֛ה הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיְקַנְא֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ מִכֹּל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשׂ֣וּ אֲבֹתָ֔ם בְּחַטֹּאתָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָֽאוּ׃

14:23For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.

כגוַיִּבְנ֨וּ גַם־הֵ֧מָּה לָהֶ֛ם בָּמ֥וֹת וּמַצֵּב֖וֹת וַאֲשֵׁרִ֑ים עַ֚ל כָּל־גִּבְעָ֣ה גְבֹהָ֔ה וְתַ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָֽן׃

14:24And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which Hashem cast out before the children of Israel.

כדוְגַם־קָדֵ֖שׁ הָיָ֣ה בָאָ֑רֶץ עָשׂ֗וּ כְּכֹל֙ הַתּוֹעֲבֹ֣ת הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ הוֹרִ֣ישׁ יְהוָ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Shishak takes the shields of gold

14:25And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rechav’am, that Shishak king of Mitzrayim (Egypt) came up against Yerushalayim:

כהוַיְהִ֛י בַּשָּׁנָ֥ה הַחֲמִישִׁ֖ית לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ רְחַבְעָ֑ם עָלָ֛ה שִׁישַׁ֥ק (כתיב שושק) מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

14:26And he took away the treasures of the house of Hashem, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Shlomo had made.

כווַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־אֹצְר֣וֹת בֵּית־יְהוָ֗ה וְאֶת־אֽוֹצְרוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְאֶת־הַכֹּ֖ל לָקָ֑ח וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־כָּל־מָגִנֵּ֣י הַזָּהָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃

14:27And king Rechav’am made in their stead bronze shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house.

כזוַיַּ֨עַשׂ הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ רְחַבְעָם֙ תַּחְתָּ֔ם מָגִנֵּ֖י נְחֹ֑שֶׁת וְהִפְקִ֗יד עַל־יַד֙ שָׂרֵ֣י הָרָצִ֔ים הַשֹּׁ֣מְרִ֔ים פֶּ֖תַח בֵּ֥ית הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

14:28And it was so, when the king went into the house of Hashem, that the guard bore them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.

כחוַיְהִ֛י מִדֵּי־בֹ֥א הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה יִשָּׂאוּם֙ הָֽרָצִ֔ים וֶהֱשִׁיב֖וּם אֶל־תָּ֥א הָרָצִֽים׃

14:29Now the rest of the acts of Rechav’am, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Yehudah?

כטוְיֶ֛תֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י רְחַבְעָ֖ם וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה הֲלֹא־הֵ֣מָּה כְתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֛פֶר דִּבְרֵ֥י הַיָּמִ֖ים לְמַלְכֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃

14:30And there was war between Rechav’am and Yarov’am all their days.

לוּמִלְחָמָ֨ה הָיְתָ֧ה בֵין־רְחַבְעָ֛ם וּבֵ֥ין יָרָבְעָ֖ם כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃

14:31And Rechav’am slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother’s name was Na’amah an Ammonit. And Aviyam (Abijam) his son reigned in his stead.

לאוַיִּשְׁכַּ֨ב רְחַבְעָ֜ם עִם־אֲבֹתָ֗יו וַיִּקָּבֵ֤ר עִם־אֲבֹתָיו֙ בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֔ד וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ נַעֲמָ֖ה הָעַמֹּנִ֑ית וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ אֲבִיָּ֥ם בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃

Sources & method

Hebrew text
The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. A paragraph mark (ס or פ) inside a verse is shown in small type.
English translation
The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the King James spelling in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Yehudah (Judah)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem”; “God” (Elohim) is unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
Verse numbers
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In 1 Kings they differ from most English Bibles in chapters 4–5 (4:21–34 there is 5:1–14 here), 18 and 20 (where a sentence is divided at a different place) and 22; a note under the summary on those pages explains how.
Hebrew font
SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.