14 At that time, one of Yarave’am’s sons, Aviyyah, became very sick 2 and Yarave’am told his wife, “Go and get changed so that no one will recognise you as my wife. Then go to Shiloh where the prophet Ahiyyah is—he’s the one who prophesied that I’d become king. 3 Take ten loaves of bread and some cakes and a jar of honey to give to him. He’ll tell you what will happen to the boy.”

4 So his wife got ready and went to Ahiyyah’s house at Shiloh. Ahiyyah was now very elderly and not able to see, 5 but Yahweh had told him, “Listen, Yarave’am’s wife will be coming to ask for your guidance about her son, because he’s sick. I want you to tell her so-and-so. And when she comes, she won’t be dressed like a queen.”

6 So as soon as Ahiyyah heard her walk through the doorway, he said, “Come in, wife of Yarave’am. Why did you get changed like that? Now I’ve been instructed to pass bad news onto you—7 go back and give Yarave’am this message from Yisrael’s god Yahweh, ‘I chose you out from the people and placed you as a leader over my people Yisrael, 8 and I tore the kingdom away from David’s descendants and gave it to you. But you haven’t been like my servant David who obeyed my instructions and followed me with integrity—only doing what he knew that I approved of. 9 However, you’ve done more evil things than any of those who ruled before you. You’ve rejected me and made cast images of other gods, and have provoked me into anger. 10 Because of that, I’m about to bring calamity to your family: I’ll cause all your male descendants to die, either before or after they’ve left home. I’ll eliminate your family just like dried dung burns until it’s all gone.[ref] 11 The family members who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the countryside will be eaten by birds. All this comes from Yahweh.’

12 So go back home, but as soon as you set foot in the city, your son will die. 13 All Yisrael will mourn for him and they’ll bury him. He’ll be the only one of your children to be buried, because out of all of Yarave’am’s descendants, he’s the only one that Yisrael’s god Yahweh found good in. 14 In the future, Yahweh will appoint for himself, a king over Yisrael who will get rid of Yarave’am’s descendants—in fact it’s beginning to come about even now. 15 And Yahweh will strike Yisrael just like the reeds bend over in the swamps, and he’ll uproot Yisrael from this good soil that he gave to their ancestors and he’ll scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they made their Asherah statues which provoked Yahweh to anger. 16 He will hand Yisrael over to their enemies because of Yarave’am’s sins and how he encouraged Yisrael to sin.”

17 So Yarave’am’s wife left and went home to Tirtsah. As she entered the doorway of their home, their son died. 18 Just as Yahweh had told them, all Yisrael mourned for the boy and he was buried.