&#8216;The <sc>Lordsc> says this: &#8220;Do not attack and make war with your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you go home, for I have caused this to happen.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" /> They obeyed the <sc>Lordsc> and went home as the <sc>Lordsc> had ordered them to do.<n id="2" />p>

But the prophet said to the king, &#8220;Even if you were to give me half your possessions,<n id="1" /> I could not go with you and eat and drink<n id="2" /> in this place.

<t /><p class="bodytext">After this happened, Jeroboam still did not change his evil ways;<n id="1" /> he continued to appoint common people<n id="2" /> as priests at the high places. Anyone who wanted the job he consecrated as a priest.<n id="3" />

Jeroboam told his wife, &#8220;Disguise<n id="1" /> yourself so that people cannot recognize you are Jeroboam&#8217;s wife. Then go to Shiloh; Ahijah the prophet, who told me I would rule over this nation, lives there.<n id="2" />

So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, &#8220;Say this to my master, the king, &#8216;I will give you everything you demanded at first from your servant, but I am unable to agree to this latest demand.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" /> So the messengers went back and gave their report.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now a prophet visited King Ahab of Israel and said, &#8220;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8216;Do you see this huge army?<n id="1" /> Look, I am going to hand it over to you this very day. Then you will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">The king then told Abiathar the priest, &#8220;Go back to your property<n id="1" /> in Anathoth. You deserve to die,<n id="2" /> but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the sovereign <sc>Lordsc> before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners.<n id="1" /> Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation,<n id="2" /> obey<n id="3" /> you like your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you.<n id="4" />p>

The prophet<n id="1" /> visited the king of Israel and said, &#8220;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8216;Because the Syrians said, &#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,&#8221; I will hand over to you this entire huge army.<n id="2" /> Then you will know that I am the <sc>Lordsc>.&#8217;&#8221;p>

When the king passed by, he called out to the king, &#8220;Your servant went out into the heat<n id="1" /> of the battle, and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner.<n id="2" /> He told me, &#8216;Guard this prisoner. If he ends up missing for any reason,<n id="3" /> you will pay with your life or with a talent<n id="4" /> of silver.&#8217;<n id="5" />