20. You brought disgrace on your honor,and you polluted your offspring,so that you brought punishmentupon your childrenand caused painbecause of your foolishness.
21. Your empire became divided,and a rival kingdom sprang upout of Ephraim.
22. But the Lord will neverabandon his mercy,and none of his words will perish.He will never wipe outthe descendants of his chosen one,and never take away the descendantsof the one who loved him.Therefore, he gave a remnant to Jacoband a root to David from his family.
23. Solomon rested with his ancestors,and he left behind one of his offspring—Rehoboam, a foolish man among the people, one lacking understanding.He caused the people to rebelbecause of his policy,led by Jeroboam, Nebat’s son,who made Israel sinand set Ephraim on its sinful path.
24. Their sins increased greatlyuntil they were removed from their land.
25. They explored every kind of wickednessuntil vengeance overtook them.