The First Book of Jeroboam

Chapter 1

 * 1) My name is Jeroboam. I was born to a good mother dog who saw that I was educated as she was educated. I've had many trials in my life, but I've always been highly favored of the Lord. I've received great knowledge of His goodness and mysteries. Because of these things, I now make this record of my life. I'm writing as my mother did, in Phoenician, but writing according to Jewish learning. I know this record is true, which I engrave upon metal plates I've made. My record begins with my mother, Ruth, who lived in the city of Samaria. When Hoshea was king the people of Samaria were full of wickedness and their hearts are full of evil. Even their dogs were wicked.
 * 2) But me, my mother, and a few dogs we know are the only dogs in Samaria who live righteously. When my mother was getting food with our owner she saw a prophet trying to warn the people that if they don't repent, Samaria would be destroyed.
 * 3) When my mother heard the words of the prophet, she was concerned for the people. So, she went out of the city and came to a large stone, where my mother prayed to the Lord for her concern on the people of Samaria. Then an angel appeared and showed her a book. The angel told her to read the book and my mother began to read, 'Samaria has been corrupt and the people had turned away from God. You, Ruth, shall teach the word of the Lord to anyone who is righteous.
 * 4) After that, with the gift and power of God, you'll warn the people about Samaria's destruction.' My mother then went back to Samaria and taught the word of God to all the righteous dogs. They listen to her and turned back to the Lord.
 * Now, I was one of those who'd listened to my mother and I went to our owners' house and told my father, Abram, what my mother had taught.
 * 1) But my father and his brother, Absalom, did not believe my mother because of their rebellious nature. However, my sister, Naomi, was of true delight and believed the words of my mother.
 * 2) Then, my mother, Ruth, went to the temple of Baal, an idol from the land of the Phoenicians, and said to God, "Lord, put a voice into my mouth, so that the people would understand me." When there were many people gathered at the temple my mother cried out, "People of Samaria, hear my words!" The people were surprised to see my mother, a dog, speaking to them.
 * 3) My mother then said, "The Lord your God is angry because you'd disobeyed Him and didn't follow His commandments. Which read, 'You shall not worship other gods before me. You shall not kill. You shall not have engraved images. You shall not commit adultry. You shall not bear a false witness against your neighbor. Honor your mother and father. Honor the sabbath.
 * 4) He is the same God who parted the Red Sea for Moses and helped your forefathers get to the land of the Canaanites. The Lord was with Joshua when your forefathers fought the Canaanites and their enemies.
 * 5) The idols you worship are just false gods and they can't save you because they can't speak or see. Only the Lord God can hear your prayers and can save you if you repent.
 * 6) But many years from this year, the Lord will raise a man from the tribe of Judah. He's to be the messiah that'll save all who will follow him after he'll be born in the land of Jerusalem. And twelve men will go through all the earth turning people from the power of the devil to God.
 * 7) The words of Baal's priests are not true, but the words of Moses and the prophets are the true words of the Lord.
 * 8) How can you call Baal god if good things happen? God can do nice things for you.
 * 9) Some of the people in Jerusalem believe that the Lord is God and they believe the words of the prophets. Why couldn't you stop selling your children into slavery?
 * 10) When the messiah come, he'll set you all free. They'll praise him and call him the light and the life of the world.
 * 11) Some of you in this kingdom will escape captivity and go to the kingdom of Judah. But the Lord will let the Assyrians bring new people to inherit the lands you live in.
 * 12) Under the order of the king of the Assyrians, you'll go to live in the lands eastward and the mountains of Media.
 * 13) Please understand that the Lord is your God and repent if knew what your doing is evil.
 * 14) If your priests are truly priests, then let them teach you that redemption does not come from idols, but comes from the Lord God. Amen."

Chapter 2

 * 1) After my mother had said these words, the people of Samaria were angry with the message that God gave her and they reject it. Then the people try to stone her, but she's been protected by the grace of the Lord.
 * 2) My mother made her escape and went back to our owner's house. My father tried to change her mind, but she said to him, "How could you turn away from God when your pride has made you fall away from Him?"
 * 3) That night, my family was sleeping when I had a dream.
 * 4) In the dream, I was in a great desert, where the sands didn't end. I turned to see a city being destroyed by an army and the people being carried away as captives. Then I saw an angel telling me to take my family, my friends, and all those who will listen to my mother into the wilderness.
 * 5) When I woke up I've got my family together and I told them about my dream. My mother already knew this because the Lord came to her in a dream, telling her to gather all those who'd listen her and flee into the wilderness.
 * So, my mother has gathered up her sister, Judith, and her family. While I gathered up the families of Jared, Hillel, Aaron, Samuel, Alma, Josh, and Lemuel. Noami had gathered up the families of Laban, Eli, Ben, Jezebel, Jesse, Simon, Abigail, Maya, Caleb, Levi, Noah, and Ethan. My father had gathered the families of Daniel, Jacob, and David. Also, Absalom had gathered the families of Asher, Ezra, Josiah, Jordan, Amir, Micah, and Amari.
 * 1) After getting all the righteous dogs, we all went out of Samaria and into the desert. My father and Absalom were sad because they left their inheritance and they want to return to the city. But my mother didn't want them to return to the land of Samaria.
 * 2) We walked through the desert for a while, until we came to the region of Gath. There we set up tents, which we took with us into the wilderness.
 * 3) While I was getting wood, I heard my father talking with Absalom. Their angry with my mother and they wanted to go back to Samaria.
 * 4) After hearing my father told his brother, I went to a nearby river and I prayed to the Lord for the concern of my father.
 * 5) Then God said to me, "How blessed are you, Jeroboam. For you have sought me diligently. If you shall keep my commandments, you shall prosper and shall be lead to a land of promise, a land which I have prepared for you and it's choice above all other lands. Since you have a good heart, you will be a ruler and a teacher over your family. If your father and his brother continue to rebel against me, they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. Even on that day if they shall rebel against me, I'll curse them with a sore curse and they'll have no power over your seed. Go now, Jeroboam. Go tell your mother that I've spoken to you."
 * So, I went to the tent of my mother and I told her about the things that God had told me. My mother's pleased that the Lord had shared these things with me.
 * 1) But when I told my mother what the Lord warned me about my father and Absalom she too was concerned about them. Then she told me that I'm going to help out on the journey to the Promised Land.
 * 2) After many days by the river Abram, my mother called her family and the other dogs together and said, "The Lord has made it known to me that some of us must go into Gath to retrieve a book of metal plates, which I can write the scriptures on them. With these plates, our seed will know the commandments of the Lord in the Promised Land."
 * 3) When my father heard this he said to my mother, "Those plates are in the hands of Achar, the advisor of the king of the Philistines. There's no way that Achar will give us the plates."
 * 4) Then Absalom said, "We cannot go to the house of Achar, even if the Lord God tells us to."
 * 5) But I, Jeroboam, said to my mother, "Mother, I will go and do what the Lord has commanded. For I know that He favors those who listen to His word and for He is the true God of the world. I know that what the Lord says to His prophets are true and are never wrong."
 * 6) After I said these words, my mother was pleased that I was faithful and I would be a great ruler and teacher over my family and friends.
 * So, my father, Absalom, Naomi, and I, Jeroboam, then went from the tent of my mother and walked down the road to a hill called Jeremiah, which was near Gath.
 * 1) While we think of a way to persuade Achar to give us the plates, Absalom said to us, "Lets cast lots and we shall see who would go to the house of Achar." So, we did cast lots and they fell onto my father.
 * 2) When my father was chosen he murmur and went his way into the city. Absalom, Naomi, and I wait on the hill Jeremiah for my father to return.
 * 3) Then, Absalom had began to murmur, saying that Achar won't give the plates to my father. "Why do you doubt the will of God?" I said to Absalom, "Didn't He had protected my mother when the people of Samaria tried to stone her?"
 * 4) After I had these words, Absalom didn't murmur again for he is afraid that the Lord will struck him down.
 * Now, after my father had returned he said that Achar had refused to give away the empty plates to him.
 * 1) Then, I, Jeroboam, had thought of a way we can get the plates. I said to them, "Lets go find some gold, so that we can trade it for the plates." So, we went to a cave and found a sack of gold, which some theives had left.
 * 2) We then took the sack of gold and went to the city of Gath to go speak to Achar.
 * 3) But as we approached the gate, the Lord had caused the guards to fall down to the earth asleep. Then we went to the house of Achar, which is on a street called Astrian.

Chapter 3

 * 1) Now, as we came to the house of Achar, Achar was surprised to see me, Naomi, my father, and Absalom at his door.
 * So, he let us in and said, "What in the name of the king do you, dogs, seek?"
 * 1) I said to Achar, "We came to trade this sack of gold for the empty plates of brass." And I put the sack of gold on the table.
 * 2) When Achar saw the gold he was in awe and felt proud to be receiving more gold. For that Achar is a wealthy and powerful man. Also, the captain of the Philistine army.
 * 3) But after Achar gave us an angry face, turned to his guards and said, "Take these dogs to the king, for I cannot give them the plates of brass."
 * 4) With that, the guards ran after us after we ran out of the house and toward the gate. We ran to a hill, where we hid in a cavity of a rock.
 * 5) My father had murmured because we didn't get the plates and decided to go back to my mother. But I, Jeroboam, said to him, "Why do you doubt, father? We can't go back, until we have the plates. Did God ever left Moses when he saved His people from bondage in Egypt? Have Samson doubted when he lost his strength? Gideon haven't doubted when the Lord called him to serve Him. When David was chosen by God to be king he didn't doubt His will. If you have the right spirit, the Lord will come to you. Like He did to me."
 * 6) After I said these things my father had said some harsh words to me, picked up a rod, and started hitting me with it.
 * 7) Naomi tried to stop my father, but Absalom was holding her back because Naomi realized that my father was going to kill me.
 * 8) When my father is about to hit me harder, an angel appeared and my father and Absalom fell back in fear.
 * 9) The angel said to my father, "Why do you hurt your son with a rod? Do you not know that the Lord had chosen him to be a ruler and a teacher over you because of your rebellious sins?" Then the angel healed me and said, "Now go back to Gath and the Lord will deliver Achar into your paws."
 * 10) After the angel had disappeared, my father and Absalom murmured knowing that getting the plates is going to be hard.
 * 11) When we came to the gates of Gath I went into the city, while my father, Absalom, and Naomi stayed at the gates.
 * 12) I walked the entire way to the street where Achar's house is and I've found that Achar had fell to the earth after drinking some wine.
 * 13) Now, I, Jeroboam, came up to Achar and I slowly draw out his own sword from him. The sword was of fine craftsman ship by how it looked.
 * 14) The handle was made of gold and it has the head of a serpent. I saw that it's decorated with precious jewels. Also, the blade was made from the most precious iron the Philistines had.
 * 15) Then the Holy Spirit told me that the Lord had delivered Achar into my paws because I've been faithful. When the Spirit commanded me to slay Achar I said that I won't kill him for that I haven't shed the blood of a man before.
 * 16) The Spirit said, "Behold, the Lord slays the wicked to bring forth His righteous purposes. Achar would've killed you and your family for he refused to give up his plates of brass."
 * 17) Then I asked, "If I don't slay him, how can I teach the law of God to my pups without the plates of brass?"
 * 18) The Spirit answered, "It is better that one man should perish than a whole nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief."
 * So, I lifted Achar's sword up and I used it to take off Achar's head. After that I hid the body of Achar behind some jars, so that no one would see that Achar had been slained.
 * 1) Then I went to the house of Achar, where I met three male dogs who served Achar and they asked where I was from.
 * 2) I told them that I'm from the land of Samaria and I told them that I want the empty plates of brass. So, the three dogs went to the treasure room and got me the plates.
 * 3) After that, I led the three dogs toward the gate and my father and Absalom had began to run away when they saw three dogs of Achar with me. Fearing that Achar is nearby.
 * I, Jeroboam, called out to them saying that Achar is dead. When the three dogs heard what I said they tried to flee, but Naomi pushed them down to the earth.
 * 1) "Come with us," Naomi said, "You three will be taken to live in a land of promise, which was prepared by the Lord God. But not as guard dogs. You'll live as free dogs." They agreed and they got up.
 * 2) One of the dogs said, "As the Lord lives, we'll serve Him and do whatever He says. Even to the end of our days." With that, they shook our paws and said that their names are Mormon, Josiah, and Boaz.
 * 3) We returned to my mother's tent in the wilderness, where she give thanks to God and she took Mormon, Josiah, and Boaz in as her sons for their mother had died after they were born.
 * 4) My mother then took the plates of brass and started writing on them. She wrote the Five Books of Moses, which give an account of the creation of the world, the record of the Jews, and the prophecies of the holy prophets down to the reign of king Hoshea.
 * 5) After that, my mother read from the plates of brass and taught us the word of the Lord. Even I, Jeroboam, was pleased that my mother had remembered what she'd learned from the Scriptures when she was young.
 * 6) After forty days, we gathered our things and traveled westward toward the land of Egypt, where we'd pitched our tents at Heliopolis.
 * 7) Then my mother called us together and my father and Absalom hoped that the Lord is allowing them to return to the land of Samaria.
 * 8) She said, "I am pleased that the Lord has blessed us with many great things, but there would be a lot of trials as we continue the journey. Jeroboam, the Lord wants you, your sister, Mormon, Josiah, Boaz, and Absalom to go to the city of Noph."
 * 9) I was confused when I wondered why would God commanded us to go to Noph. My mother then said, "When we take possession of the Promised Land we are to multiply into a great and mighty nation. But that couldn't be accomplished if my brother and sons have wives and my daughter to have a husband. My friend, Sirach, has five daughters and one son, so that they'll be abled to marry my sons, my daughter, and my brother."
 * 10) When we heard these words we were pleased that God is allowing me and some of my family to have mates of our own, so that we could have pups.

Chapter 4

 * 1) The next day, we went to Sirach's house in Noph and the Lord had softened Sirach's heart as we told him about our journey.
 * So, Sirach, his daughters, his son, and his whole household took provisions with them as we went back to my mother at Heliopolis.
 * 1) After we'd arrived, my father and Absalom became angry with me and they still want to return to the land of Samaria. So, they've partnered with two of Sirach's servants.