28 Now Jeroboam was a valiant and powerful man. And perceiving the young man to be ingenious and industrious, Solomon appointed him as first ruler over the tributes of the entire house of Joseph.
29 And it happened, in that time, that Jeroboam departed from Jerusalem. And the prophet Ahijah, the Shilonite, wearing with a new cloak, found him on the way. And the two were alone in the field.
30 And taking his new cloak, with which he was covered, Ahijah tore it into twelve parts.
31 And he said to Jeroboam: "Take ten pieces for yourself. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give to you ten tribes.
32 Yet one tribe shall remain with him, for the sake of my servant, David, as well as Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.
33 For he has abandoned me, and he has adored Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Chemosh, the god of Moab, and Milcom, the god of the sons of Ammon. And he has not walked in my ways, so that he would do justice before me, and so that he would carry out my precepts and judgments, as his father David did.
34 But I will not take the entire kingdom from his hand. Instead, I will establish him as the ruler during all the days of his life, for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my precepts.