Shoftim and Jewish Kingship (Printable Version)

(14) If, after you have entered the land that your God יי has assigned to you, and taken possession of it and settled in it, you decide, “I will set a king over me, as do all the nations about me,”

(4) All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah,

(5) and they said to him, “You have grown old, and your sons have not followed your ways. Therefore appoint a king for us, to govern us like all other nations.”

(3) But his [Sh'muel's] sons did not follow in his ways; they were bent on gain, they accepted bribes, and they subverted justice.

(4) All the elders of Israel assembled and came to Samuel at Ramah.

(12) Now Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they paid no heed to the LORD.

(15) [But now] even before the suet was turned into smoke, the priest’s boy would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Hand over some meat to roast for the priest; for he won’t accept boiled meat from you, only raw.”

(16) And if the man said to him, “Let them first turn the suet into smoke, and then take as much as you want,” he would reply, “No, hand it over at once or I’ll take it by force.”

(17) The sin of the young men against the LORD was very great, for the men treated the LORD’s offerings impiously.

(16) The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battlefield; I have just fled from the battlefield.” [Eli] asked, “What happened, my son?”

(17) The bearer of the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines and the troops also suffered a great slaughter. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the Ark of God has been captured.”

(18) When he mentioned the Ark of God, [Eli] fell backward off the seat beside^b. the gate, broke his neck and died; for he was an old man and heavy. He had been a chieftain of Israel for forty years.

(19) His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with child, about to give birth. When she heard the report that the Ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she was seized with labor pains, and she crouched down and gave birth.

(20) As she lay dying, the women attending her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not respond or pay heed.

(21) She named the boy Ichabod, meaning, “The glory has departed from Israel”—referring to the capture of the Ark of God and to [the death of] her father-in-law and her husband.

(22) “The glory is gone from Israel,” she said, “for the Ark of God has been captured.”

(15) you shall be free to set a king over yourself, one chosen by your God יי. Be sure to set as king over yourself one of your own people; you must not set a foreigner over you, one who is not your kin.

(19) But today you have rejected your God who delivered you from all your troubles and calamities. For you said, ‘No,^h set up a king over us!’ Now station yourselves before the LORD, by your tribes and clans.”

(20) Samuel brought forward each of the tribes of Israel, and the lot indicated the tribe of Benjamin.

(21) Then Samuel brought forward the tribe of Benjamin by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was indicated; and thenⁱ Saul son of Kish was indicated. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found.

(22) They inquired of the LORD again,^j “Has anyone else come here?” And the LORD replied, “Yes; he is hiding among the baggage.”

(11) And GOD said to Solomon, “Because you are guilty of this^c—you have not kept My covenant and the laws that I enjoined upon you—I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.

(12) But, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it in your lifetime; I will tear it away from your son.

(13) However, I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give your son one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.”

(11) But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “I saw the people leaving me and scattering; you had not come at the appointed time, and the Philistines had gathered at Michmas.

(12) I thought the Philistines would march down against me at Gilgal before I had entreated the LORD, so I^d forced myself to present the burnt offering.”

(13) Samuel answered Saul, ^h “You acted foolishly in not keeping the commandments that the LORD your God laid upon you! Otherwise the LORD would have established your dynasty over Israel forever.

(14) But now your dynasty will not endure. The LORD will seek out a man after His own heart, and the LORD will appoint him ruler over His people, because you did not abide by what the LORD had commanded you.”

(24) Saul said to Samuel, “I did wrong to transgress the LORD’s command and your instructions; but I was afraid of the troops and I yielded to them.

(25) Please, forgive my offense and come back with me, and I will bow low to the LORD.”

(26) But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go back with you; for you have rejected the LORD’s command, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel.”

(15) you shall be free to set a king over yourself, one chosen by your God יי. Be sure to set as king over yourself one of your own people; you must not set a foreigner over you, one who is not your kin.

(4) Their names were: the elder one, Oholah^a; and her sister, Oholibah^b. They became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

(5) Oholah whored while she was Mine, and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, warriors^c.

(6) clothed in blue, governors and prefects, cavalry troops—all of them handsome young fellows.

(7) She bestowed her favors upon them—upon all the pick of the Assyrians—and defiled herself with all their fetishes after which she lusted.

(9) Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians after whom she lusted.

(11) Her sister Oholibah saw this; yet her lusting was more depraved than her sister’s, and her whoring more debased.

(12) She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and prefects, warriors^d. gorgeously clad, horsemen mounted on steeds—all of them handsome young fellows.

(22) Assuredly, Oholibah, thus said the Sovereign GOD: I am going to rouse against you the lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them upon you from all around—

(23) the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, [the people of] Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, all of them handsome young fellows, governors and prefects, officers and warriors,^g all of them riding on horseback.

(16) Moreover, he shall not keep many horses or send people back to Egypt to add to his horses, since יי has warned you, “You must not go back that way again.”

(28) Solomon’s horses were procured from Mizraim^h and Kue. The king’s dealers would buy them from Kue at a fixed price.

(29) A chariot imported from Mizraimⁱ. cost 600 shekels of silver, and a horse 150; these in turn were exported by them^j to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Arameans.

(40) Solomon sought to put Jeroboam to death, but Jeroboam promptly fled to King Shishak of Egypt; and he remained in Egypt till the death of Solomon.

(5) The prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and the officers of Judah, who had assembled in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus said the LORD: You have abandoned Me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.”

(6) Then the officers of Israel and the king humbled themselves and declared, “The LORD is in the right.”

(7) When the LORD saw that they had submitted, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.

(8) They will be subject to him, and they will know the difference between serving Me and serving the kingdoms of the earth.” King Shishak of Egypt marched against Jerusalem.

(9) ^aHe took away the treasures of the House of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace; he took away everything; he took away the golden shields that Solomon had made.

(17) And he shall not have many wives, lest his heart go astray; nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess.

As it is taught in a mishna (Sanhedrin 21a) concerning the mitzvot of a king: “And he should not multiply wives for himself, that his heart not turn away” (Deuteronomy 17:17). Rabbi Yehuda says: He may accumulate many wives for himself, provided that they are not like those who turn his heart from reverence for God. Rabbi Shimon says: Even one who turns his heart away, he should not marry her. If so, why is it stated: “He shall not multiply wives for himself”? This teaches that even with regard to wives like Abigail, who was righteous and prevented David from sin (see I Samuel chapter 25), he is forbidden to have many. In this case, Rabbi Shimon does not interpret the rationale of the verse, while Rabbi Yehuda does interpret its rationale.

The Gemara answers: Actually, Rabbi Yehuda does not generally interpret the rationale of the verse, and it is different here, with regard to a king, as the verse itself specifies the reason: “And he should not multiply wives for himself, that his heart not turn away.” What is the reason that he may not multiply wives for himself? It is because he must ensure that his heart will not turn away.

And Rabbi Shimon maintains: Since we generally interpret the rationale in the verse, there is no need for the verse itself to supply the rationale for the prohibition. Let the Merciful One state: “He may not multiply,” and we do not need the Torah to add “that his heart not turn away,” and I would already know the answer to the question: What is the reason that he may not accumulate many wives? It is because of the concern that his heart not turn away. If so, why do I need the phrase “His heart not turn away” that the Merciful One writes? It must certainly be necessary in order to increase the scope of the prohibition: Even if there is one woman who turns his heart away, he may not marry her. Therefore, the verse includes two halakhot: A general stricture against a king’s marrying too many women, and a further halakha that a king may not marry even one woman who will lead him astray.

(1) That He prohibited the king from having many wives. And that is His saying, "he may not have many wives" (Deuteronomy 17:17). And the limit on this is that he not surpass eighteen wives with a contract (ketubah) and marriage (kiddushin). And the regulations of this commandment have already been explained in the second [chapter] of Sanhedrin. (See Parashat Shoftim; Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 3.)

(1) King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Phoenician, and Hittite women,

(2) from the nations of which GOD had said to the Israelites, “None of you shall join them and none of them shall join you,^a lest they turn your heart away to follow their gods.” Such Solomon clung to and loved.

(3) He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned his heart away.

(4) In his old age, his wives turned away Solomon’s heart after other gods, and he was not as wholeheartedly devoted to the ETERNAL his God as his father David had been.

(5) Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Phoenicians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

(6) Solomon did what was displeasing to GOD and did not remain loyal to GOD like his father David.

(7) At that time, Solomon built a shrine for Chemosh the abomination of Moab on the hill near Jerusalem, and one for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites.

(8) And he did the same for all his foreign wives who offered and sacrificed to their gods.

(23) King Solomon surpassed all the monarchs on earth in wealth and in wisdom.

(24) All the world came to pay homage to Solomon and to listen to the wisdom with which God had endowed him;

(25) and each one would bring tribute—silver and gold objects, robes, weapons and spices, horses and mules—in the amount due each year.

(27) The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as sycamores in the Shephelah.

(27) David went out with his men and killed two hundred Philistines^f; David brought their foreskins and ^bthey were counted out for the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. Saul then gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

(2) ^aSons were born to David in Hebron: His first-born was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;

(3) his second was Chileab, by Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third was Absalom son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;

(4) the fourth was Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah son of Abital;

(5) and the sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

(27) After the period of mourning was over, David sent and had her [Batsheva] brought into his palace; she became his wife and she bore him a son. But the LORD was displeased with what David had done,

(2) Thoughts on David. Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rabbi Levi that three things came out of David's mouth regarding Saul, and all three were fulfilled. As it is said (1 Samuel 26:10), "As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him." And so it was. Either his day will come and he will die, and so it was. Or he will go down in battle and perish, and so it was, as it is said (1 Samuel 31:6), "So Saul died, and his three sons." Rabbi Elazar said, "By the life of the Lord, I swear to the evil inclination that I will not do this thing." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said to Avishai ben Tzeruya, "By the life of the Lord, if you touch the blood of the righteous, I will mix your blood with his." And Saul had a concubine, as it is written (2 Samuel 3:7), "And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem." And you compare yourself to Saul. Saul's feet were as swift as eagles; Rabbi Levi said he could travel sixty miles in one day. Rabbi Simon said "One hundred and twenty," and the rabbis say "One hundred and eighty." And when was this? When the Ark was captured. This is as it is written (1 Samuel 4:10-11), "And a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the city and told what had happened, the whole city sent up a cry." Just as Saul was compared to the man of Benjamin who ran to Shiloh, so too, a person who goes to a party should not bring his children with him because of appearances. But Saul went to war, and he knew that the judgment of the law would fall upon him, and he brought his children with him. And you say (2 Samuel 21:17), "You shall go out no more with us to battle." Saul ate non-sacred food in purity, as it is stated (1 Samuel 9:23-24), "The cook took up the thigh and what was attached to it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, 'This is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion, from the time I said, "I have invited guests."' And Saul ate with Samuel that day." Rabbi Yochanan says the thigh and the tail. Rabbi says the thigh and the breast. He ate non-sacred food in purity, and you compare yourself to Saul. This is what the Scripture says (Job 12:16), "With Him is strength and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His." Strength refers to Torah, as it is stated (Psalms 29:11), "The Lord will give strength to His people." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, "Why is it called wisdom? Because it gives strength to the body and the eyes." What is meant by (Job 12:16), "The deceived and the deceiver are His"? Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, "Prophets and prophetesses." Rabbi Shimon said "Shetia" and the Rabbis said "Sega". If a person makes a mistake in Torah study, the words of Torah correct him. This is what the verse means when it says, "Even though I have erred, the teaching has not strayed from me" (Job 6:10). It is not enough that the Torah waits for a person during his lifetime, it also waits for him at the moment of his death. David requested "Let my soul be redeemed from distress" (Psalms 25:17). Regarding the words of Kush the Benjamite, Rabbi Chanina bar Papa said, "Just as Joseph's mistress summoned him, as it says, 'Lie with me' (Genesis 39:7), so too did the Holy One, blessed be He, summon him, as it says, 'Come to me, the Hebrew slave' (Genesis 39:17). Similarly, Saul said, 'My sons have stirred up my servants against me to ambush me' (1 Samuel 22:8). Rabbi Acha said, "But isn't it true that someone who commits an abomination is not punished? So why did David say this about Saul?" It is because he sang a song to God, as it is written, "In the falling of your enemy, do not rejoice" (Proverbs 24:17).

(35) Indeed, in all respects his piety was so great that not even David was his equal: David had many wives and concubines; Saul had but on wife. David remained behind, fearing to lose his life in battle with his son Absalom; Saul went into the combat knowing he should not return alive. Mild and generous, Saul led the life of a saint in his own house, observing even the priestly laws of purity. Therefore God reproached David with having pronounced a curse upon Saul in his prayer.

MISHNA: The king “shall not add many wives for himself” (Deuteronomy 17:17), but only eighteen. Rabbi Yehuda says: He may add many wives for himself, provided that they are not like those who turn his heart away from reverence for God. Rabbi Shimon says: Even if he wants to marry only one wife, if she turns his heart away, he should not marry her. If so, why is it stated: “He shall not add many wives for himself”? This teaches that even if his wives are like Abigail, who was righteous and prevented David from sin (see I Samuel, chapter 25), it is prohibited for him to have many wives.

(30) Ahab son of Omri did what was displeasing to GOD, more than all who preceded him.

(31) Not content to follow the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel daughter of King Ethbaal of the Phoenicians, and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.

(32) He erected an altar to Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.

(33) Ahab also made a sacred post.^c Ahab did more to provoke the anger of the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, than all the kings of Israel who preceded him.

(25) (Indeed, there never was anyone like Ahab, who committed himself to doing what was displeasing to GOD, at the instigation of his wife Jezebel.

(26) He acted most abominably, straying after the fetishes just like the Amorites, whom GOD had dispossessed before the Israelites.)

(16) In the fifth year of King Joram^e. son of Ahab of Israel—Jehoshaphat had been king of Judah—Joram son of King Jehoshaphat of Judah became king.

(17) He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.

(18) He followed the practices of the kings of Israel—whatever the House of Ahab did, for he had married a daughter^f of Ahab—and he did what was displeasing to GOD.

(18) When he is seated on his royal throne, he shall have a copy of this Teaching written for him on a scroll by* the levitical priests.

(7) And once these signs have happened to you,^f act when the occasion arises, for God is with you.

(8) After that, you are to go down to Gilgal ahead of me, and I will come down to you to present burnt offerings and offer sacrifices of well-being. Wait seven days until I come to you and instruct you what you are to do next.”

(6) ^dWhen the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble—for the troops were hard pressed—the people hid in caves, among thorns, among rocks, in tunnels, and in cisterns.

(7) Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan, [to] the territory of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and the rest of the people rallied to him in alarm.d

(8) He waited seven days, the time that Samuel [had set].^g But when Samuel failed to come to Gilgal, and the people began to scatter,

(9) Saul said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the sacrifice of well-being”; and he presented the burnt offering.

(10) He had just finished presenting the burnt offering when Samuel arrived; and Saul went out to meet him and welcome him.

(11) But Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul replied, “I saw the people leaving me and scattering; you had not come at the appointed time, and the Philistines had gathered at Michmas.

(33) When it was reported to Saul that the troops were sinning against the LORD, eating with the blood, he said, “You have acted faithlessly. Roll a large stone over to me today.”^k

(34) And Saul ordered, “Spread out among the troops and tell them that everyone must bring me his ox or his sheep and slaughter it here, and then eat. You must not sin against the LORD and eat with the blood.” Every one of the troops brought^l his own ox with him that night and slaughtered it there.

(35) Thus Saul set up an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar he erected to the LORD.

(36) Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder among them until the light of morning; and let us not leave a single survivor among them.” “Do whatever you please,” they replied. But the priest said, “Let us approach God here.”

(37) So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hands of Israel?” But this time He did not respond to him.

(38) Then Saul said, “Come forward, all chief officers of the troops, and find out how this guilt was incurred today.

(39) For as the LORD lives who brings victory to Israel, even if it was through my son Jonathan, he shall be put to death!” Not one soldier answered him.

(40) And he said to all the Israelites, “You stand on one side, and my son Jonathan and I shall stand on the other.” The troops said to Saul, “Do as you please.”

(41) Saul then said to the LORD, the God of Israel,^m “Show Thammim.”-m Jonathan and Saul were indicated by lot, and the troops were cleared.

(42) And Saul said, “Cast the lots between my son and me”; and Jonathan was indicated.

(9) Doeg the Edomite, who was standing among the courtiers of Saul, spoke up: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.

(10) He inquired of the LORD on his behalf and gave him provisions; he also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

(11) Thereupon the king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and for all the priests belonging to his father’s house at Nob. They all came to the king,

(12) and Saul said, “Listen to me, son^c of Ahitub.” “Yes, my lord,” he replied.

(13) And Saul said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? You gave him food and a sword, and inquired of God for him—that he may rise^e in ambush against me, as is now the case.”

(14) Ahimelech replied to the king, “But who is there among all your courtiers as trusted as David, son-in-law of Your Majesty and^f obedient to your bidding, and esteemed in your household?

(15) This is the first time that I inquired of God for him; ^gI have done no wrong. Let not Your Majesty find fault with his servant [or] with any of my father’s house; for your servant knew nothing whatever about all this.”

(16) But the king said, “You shall die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.”

(17) And the king commanded the guards standing by, “Turn about and kill the priests of the LORD, for they are in league with David; they knew he was running away and they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants would not raise a hand to strike down the priests of the LORD.

(18) Thereupon the king said to Doeg, “You, Doeg, go and strike down the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite went and struck down the priests himself; that day, he killed eighty-five men^h who wore the linen ephod.-h

(19) He put Nob, the town of the priests, to the sword: men and women, children and infants, oxen, asses, and sheep—[all] to the sword.

(20) But one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped—his name was Abiathar—and he fled to David.

(16) When he [Uzziah] was strong, he grew so arrogant he acted corruptly: he trespassed against his God by entering the Temple of the LORD to offer incense on the incense altar.

(17) The priest Azariah, with eighty other brave priests of the LORD, followed him in

(18) and, confronting King Uzziah, said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the LORD, but for the Aaronite priests, who have been consecrated, to offer incense. Get out of the Sanctuary, for you have trespassed; there will be no glory in it for you from the LORD God.”

(19) Uzziah, holding the censer and ready to burn incense, got angry; but as he got angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in front of the priests in the House of the LORD beside the incense altar.

(20) When the chief priest Azariah and all the other priests looked at him, his forehead was leprous, so they rushed him out of there; he too made haste to get out, for the LORD had struck him with a plague.

(21) King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in^b as a leper, for he was cut off from the House of the LORD—while Jotham his son was in charge of the king’s house and governed the people of the land.

(20) Thus he will not act haughtily toward his fellows or deviate from the Instruction to the right or to the left, to the end that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel.

(13) Samuel answered Saul, ^h“You acted foolishly in not keeping the commandments that the LORD your God laid upon you! Otherwise the LORD would have established your dynasty over Israel forever.

(14) But now your dynasty will not endure. The LORD will seek out a man after His own heart, and the LORD will appoint him ruler over His people, because you did not abide by what the LORD had commanded you.”

(10) I will establish a home for My people Israel and will plant them firm, so that they shall dwell secure and shall tremble no more. Evil men shall not oppress them any more as in the past,

(11) ever since I appointed chieftains over My people Israel. I will give you safety from all your enemies.
“The LORD declares to you that He, the LORD, will establish a house^c for you.

(12) When your days are done and you lie with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own issue, and I will establish his kingship.

(13) He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish his royal throne forever.

(14) I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to Me. When he does wrong, I will chastise him^d with the rod of men and the affliction of mortals;

(15) but I will never withdraw My favor from him as I withdrew it from Saul, whom I removed^e to make room for you.

(16) Your house and your kingship shall ever be secure before you; your throne shall be established forever.”

Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: Why did the kingship of the house of Saul not continue on to succeeding generations? It is because there was no flaw in his ancestry; he was of impeccable lineage. As Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: One appoints a leader over the community only if he has a box full of creeping animals hanging behind him, i.e., he has something inappropriate in his ancestry that preceded him. Why is that? It is so that if he exhibits a haughty attitude toward the community, one can say to him: Turn and look behind you and be reminded of your humble roots. This is why David’s kingdom lasted while Saul’s did not, as David descended from a family with problematic ancestry, namely Tamar (see Genesis, chapter 38) and Ruth the Moabite (see Ruth 4:18–22).

(33) Even after this incident, Jeroboam did not turn back from his evil way, but kept on appointing priests for the shrines from the ranks of the people. He ordained as priests of the shrines any who so desired.

(34) Thereby the House of Jeroboam incurred guilt—to their utter annihilation from the face of the earth.

(73) R. Oshiyah said: "Until Jeroboam came, Israel had to bear the iniquity of one golden calf, and from that time on for two and three." R. Isaac said: "Every evil dispensation which comes upon Israel, a twenty-fourth part of its punishment is for the golden calf, as it is said (Ex. 32, 34) Nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sins upon them." R. Chanina said: "After twenty-four generations this verse was fulfilled, as it is said (Ez. 9, 1) Then He called in mine ears with a loud voice, saying: 'The pkudas (visitation) of the city drew near.'" (I. K. 13, 33) After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way. After what? R. Abba said: "After the Holy one, praised be He! held Jeroboam by his garment, saying, 'Repent, and I, David, the son of Jesse, and thou wilt walk in the Garden of Eden.' Jeroboam asked: 'Who will lead?' He said: 'The son of Jesse.' And he rejoined: "If so I do not want it.' "

(7) Go tell Jeroboam: Thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: I raised you up from among the people and made you a ruler over My people Israel;

(8) I tore away the kingdom 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 sight.

(9) You have acted worse than all those who preceded you; you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke My anger; and Me you have cast behind your back.

(10) Therefore I will bring disaster upon the House of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, bond and free,^a in Israel. I will sweep away the House of Jeroboam utterly, as dung is swept away.

(11) Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the town shall be devoured by dogs; and anyone who dies in the open country shall be eaten by the birds of the air; for GOD has spoken.

(2) “Because I lifted you up from the dust and made you a ruler over My people Israel, but you followed the way of Jeroboam and caused My people Israel to sin, provoking My anger with their sin—

(3) I am going to sweep away Baasha and his house. I will make your house like the House of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

(4) Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the town shall be devoured by dogs, and anyone belonging to him who dies in the open country shall be devoured by the birds of the sky.”

(23) And GOD has also spoken concerning Jezebel: "‘The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the field^c of Jezreel. (24) All of Ahab’s line who die in the town shall be devoured by dogs, and all who die in the open country shall be devoured by the birds of the sky.’”

(8) In the thirty-eighth year of King Azariah of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king over Israel in Samaria—for six months.

(9) He did what was displeasing to GOD, as his predecessors had done; he did not depart from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

(10) Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down before the people^b and killed him, and succeeded him as king.

(11) The other events of Zechariah’s reign are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel.

(12) This was in accord with the word that GOD had spoken to Jehu:^c “Four generations of your descendants shall occupy the throne of Israel.” And so it came about.

(13) Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month.

(14) Then Menahem son of Gadi set out from Tirzah and came to Samaria; he attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria and killed him, and he succeeded him as king.

(24) He [Menahem] did what was displeasing to GOD; he did not depart from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

(25) His aide, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him and struck him down in the royal palace in Samaria; with him were fifty Gileadites, with men from Argob and Arieh;^e and he killed him and succeeded him as king.

(30) Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah, attacked him, and killed him. He succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.