11:26And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
11:27And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father.
11:28And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.
11:29And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field:
11:30And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
11:31And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:
11:32(But he shall have one tribe for my servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:)
11:33Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
11:34Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant’s sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes:
11:35But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.
11:36And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.
11:37And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.
11:38And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.
11:39And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.
11:40Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
The garment is new. Ahijah tears it anyway. Twelve pieces make the judgment visible, and ten are put before a man whose existing authority comes from supervising Solomon's labor. The movement from royal servant to prospective king is enormous, but the pieces do not authorize an unlimited claim. David's house retains a place, Jerusalem retains its named significance, and the transfer is delayed until Solomon's son.
The promise to Jeroboam is larger than a temporary appointment. A sure house is offered, with David himself as the comparison, on the condition that Jeroboam listen and obey. That condition belongs beside the torn cloth, not in small print beneath it. The same speech explains Solomon's loss by his failure to keep the commands and offers Jeroboam continuity through keeping them. The division is not presented as permission for a rival set of gods. At the end, the promised king has to flee to Egypt. A promise of a throne and immediate possession of one are not the same event.