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When Rehoboam sent one of his own to speak to them and calm them, they killed the man in their anger by stoning him. And Rehoboam, in fear, fled to Jerusalem, with the tribe of Judah remaining with him, and with it the tribe of Benjamin. But the 1.128 other tribes, after Jeroboam had already returned from Egypt after the death of Solomon, called him and chose him as king. And Rehoboam prepared to fight against the Israelites and Jeroboam for the kingdom, but he was prevented by God through the prophet Shemaiah. And Jeroboam, fearing that the multitude, going to Jerusalem and mixing with those there, might turn back to their former king and abandon him, made two golden calves, and he placed one in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And having gathered the multitude, he said, "God is everywhere, O men, but not only in Jerusalem. Behold, therefore, I have made two calves in the name of God, and it is no longer necessary for you to go to Jerusalem. Going to them, worship and sacrifice; for I will also appoint priests from among you yourselves." Deceived by these things, the people both transgressed the traditions of their fathers and angered God, so that Israel was even delivered into captivity to foreigners. And Jeroboam, having made priests and an altar, held a feast, and he himself went up to the altar and the priests around it. And as he was about to sacrifice, a prophet sent from God stood by and said, "Thus says the Lord. O altar, from David there will be one called Josiah, who will sacrifice your priests upon you and will burn their bones. And so that it may be clear that my words are true, behold, the altar will be broken, and the fat upon it will be poured out upon the ground." And immediately the altar was broken, and the fat of the victims was poured out. And Jeroboam stretched out his hand, ordering the prophet to be seized. But it withered and remained motionless. 1.129 Therefore, Jeroboam, having entreated the prophet, had his hand moving and active again. And he asked him to dine with him. But he did not consent, saying he was forbidden by God to eat bread in that city or to drink water or to return by the road by which he had come into the city; and he departed, turning to another way. But there was a certain false prophet in that city deceiving Jeroboam and speaking to please him. This man, having learned all that the prophet of God had both said and done and that he was departing, pursued after him, and having overtaken him, asked him to return and be his guest. But when he refused, as God had forbidden it, that wicked man said, "But I too am a prophet, and I have come by the command of God to bring you back to share my table." The prophet believed the words of the false prophet and returned. But while the prophet was being entertained there, the word of the Lord came, that because he did not keep what was commanded him, he would be killed on the road by a lion. And as he was returning, a lion killed him and, sitting beside, guarded the corpse and the beast of burden. And when the false prophet learned what had happened, he gathered the body of the dead man and buried it, and he commanded his own sons to bury his own body with the prophet when he died; why did he contrive this? So that when, according to that one's prophecy, the altar should be dug up, and the bones of the priests and false prophets given to the fire, he himself might escape the outrage, if he were laid with the man of God. These things, then, happened thus; but Jeroboam 1.130 clung to the same impiety, in which he also indulged daily, transgressing, and for money he offered the false priesthood of the high places to those willing to buy. And this practice was counted to him as a sin, and it became the ruin of his house and its destruction. But if selling that unholy priesthood for money was counted a sin, what might one say about those who sell and buy the truly divine priesthood, that which performs the awesome and unbloody sacrifice? Now Abijah, the son of Jeroboam, fell ill; and the king sent his wife to Ahijah the prophet, to ask if he would live. And she in private attire

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πέμψαντος δὲ ̔Ροβοὰμ τῶν οἰκείων ενα διαλεχθῆναι αὐτοῖς καὶ πραῧναι, εκτειναν ὑπ' ὀργῆς τὸν ανδρα λιθολευστήσαντες. ̔Ροβοὰμ δὲ δείσας εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα πέφευγε, παραμεινάσης αὐτῷ τῆς ̓Ιούδα φυλῆς καὶ σὺν αὐτῇ τῆς Βενιαμίτιδος. αἱ 1.128 δέ γε λοιπαί, ηδη τοῦ ̔Ιεροβοὰμ ἐπανελθόντος ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου μετὰ τελευτὴν Σολομῶντος, καλέσασαι αὐτὸν ειλοντο βασιλέα. ̔Ροβοὰμ δὲ ἡτοιμάζετο περὶ τῆς βασιλείας μαχέσασθαι τοῖς ̓Ισραηλίταις καὶ τῷ ̔Ιεροβοάμ, ἐκωλύθη δὲ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Σαμαία. Καὶ ̔Ιεροβοὰμ δείσας μὴ τὸ πλῆθος εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα ἀπιὸν καὶ τοῖς ἐκεῖ συναναμιγνύμενον ἐπιστραφῇ πρὸς τὸν πρότερον αὐτοῦ βασιλέα καὶ καταλείψει αὐτόν, δύο δαμάλεις εἰργάσατο ἐκ χρυσοῦ, καὶ εθετο τὴν μὲν ἐν Βαιθήλ, τὴν δ' ἑτέραν ἐν ∆άν. καὶ ἐκκλησιάσας τὸ πλῆθος "πανταχοῦ ὁ θεός ἐστιν" ειπεν, "ω ανδρες, ἀλλ' οὐ μόνον ἐν ̔Ιεροσολύμοις. ἰδοὺ ουν δύο δαμάλεις πεποίηκα εἰς ονομα τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ οὐκέτι ὑμῖν ἀνάγκη πορεύεσθαι εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα. ἀπερχόμενοι δ' εἰς αὐτὰς προσκυνεῖτε καὶ θύετε· καὶ ἱερεῖς γὰρ ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἀποδείξω." τούτοις ἐξαπατηθεὶς ὁ λαὸς τά τε πάτρια παραβέβηκε καὶ παρώργισε τὸν θεόν, ὡς καὶ εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν παραδοθῆναι τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις τὸν ̓Ισραήλ. ποιήσας δὲ ἱερεῖς ὁ ̔Ιεροβοὰμ καὶ θυσιαστήριον ἑώρτασε, καὶ ἀνέβη αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὸν βωμὸν καὶ περὶ αὐτὸν οἱ ἱερεῖς. καὶ ηδη μέλλοντι θύειν παρέστη προφήτης σταλεὶς ἐκ θεοῦ καὶ ειπε "τάδε λέγει κύριος. θυσιαστήριον, ἐκ ∆αβὶδ εσται τις ̓Ιωσίας καλούμενος, ος θύσει τοὺς ἱερεῖς σου ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ κατακαύσει τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν. ινα δὲ δῆλον ειη ὡς οἱ λόγοι μου ἀληθεύοιεν, ἰδοὺ ῥαγήσεται τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ ἡ ἐπ' αὐτὸ πιότης χεθήσεται κατὰ γῆς." καὶ αὐτίκα τό τε θυσιαστήριον διερράγη καὶ ἡ πιότης τῶν θυμάτων ἐκκέχυτο. ἐξέτεινε δὲ τὴν χεῖρα ̔Ιεροβοάμ, συσχεθῆναι τὸν προφήτην ἐγκελευόμενος. ἡ δὲ ξηρανθεῖσα ἀκίνητος εμεινε. 1.129 δεηθεὶς γοῦν ̔Ιεροβοὰμ τοῦ προφήτου εσχεν αυθις τὴν χεῖρα κινουμένην καὶ ἐνεργόν. καὶ ἠξίου αὐτὸν συνδειπνῆσαι αὐτῷ. ὁ δὲ οὐ κατένευσε, λέγων παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ κωλυθῆναι αρτον ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ φαγεῖν η υδωρ πιεῖν η ὑποστρέψαι δι' ης ὁδοῦ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐλήλυθε· καὶ ἀπῄει ἑτέραν τραπόμενος. ψευδοπροφήτης δέ τις ην ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ τὸν ̔Ιεροβοὰμ ἀπατῶν καὶ πρὸς χάριν αὐτῷ ὁμιλῶν. ουτος μαθὼν οσα ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ προφήτης καὶ ειρηκε καὶ πεποίηκε καὶ ὡς απεισι, κατεδίωξεν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταλαβὼν αὐτὸν ἠξίου ἀναστρέψαι καὶ παρ' αὐτῷ ξενισθῆναι. τοῦ δὲ ἀπαναινομένου, ὡς ἀπαγορεύσαντος τοῦ θεοῦ, "ἀλλὰ κἀγὼ προφήτης εἰμί" ὁ πονηρὸς ἐκεῖνος ειπεν ἀνήρ, "καὶ ηκω κατ' ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιστρέψων σε τραπέζης μοι κοινωνήσοντα." ἐπίστευσεν ὁ προφήτης τοῖς τοῦ ψευδοπροφήτου λόγοις καὶ ὑπενόστησε. ξενισθέντι δ' ἐκεῖ τῷ προφήτῃ λόγος ἐγένετο κυρίου, ἀνθ' ων οὐκ ἐτήρησε τὰ ἐνταλθέντα αὐτῷ ἀναιρεθήσεσθαι κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν παρὰ λέοντος. καὶ ὑποστρέφοντα λέων αὐτὸν εκτεινε καὶ παρακαθήμενος ἐφύλαττε τὸν νεκρὸν καὶ τὸ ὑποζύγιον. μαθὼν δὲ τὸ γεγονὸς ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης συνεκόμισε τὸ σῶμα τοῦ τεθνεῶτος καὶ εθαψε, καὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ παισὶν ἐνετείλατο τῷ προφήτῃ συγκηδεῦσαι καὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα θανόντος· τί τοῦτο μηχανησάμενος; ιν' οτε κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνου προφητείαν κατασκαφῇ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ τῶν ἱερέων καὶ ψευδοπροφητῶν πυρὶ παραδοθῇ τὰ ὀστᾶ, αὐτὸς διαφύγῃ τὴν υβριν, εἰ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ συγκατατεθῇ. Ταῦτα μὲν ουν ουτως ἐγένετο· ̔Ιεροβοὰμ δὲ τῆς 1.130 αὐτῆς ειχετο ἀσεβείας, ῃ καὶ ἐπεδίδου καθ' ἑκάστην παρανομῶν, καὶ χρημάτων τὴν ψευδῆ τῶν ὑψηλῶν ἱερωσύνην παρεῖχε τοῖς θέλουσιν ωνιον. καὶ εἰς ἁμαρτίαν ἡ πρᾶξις αυτη ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ, καὶ εἰς ἀφανισμὸν τοῦ οικου αὐτοῦ γέγονε καὶ εἰς ολεθρον. εἰ δὲ τὸ τὴν ἀνίερον ἐκείνην ἱερωσύνην ἀποδίδοσθαι χρημάτων ἁμαρτία λελόγιστο, τί αν τις ειποι περὶ τῶν πωλούντων καὶ ὠνουμένων τὴν θείαν οντως ἱερωσύνην, τὴν τῆς φρικτῆς καὶ ἀναιμάκτου θυσίας τελεστικήν; ̓Ενόσησε δὲ ̓Αβιὰ ὁ υἱὸς ̔Ιεροβοάμ· καὶ εστειλε τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ̓Αχιὰ τὸν προφήτην, εἰ ζήσεται ἐρωτήσουσαν. ἡ δὲ ἰδιωτικὴν