11
1 Now
King Solomon loved
many foreign women,
together with the
daughter of
Pharaoh: women of
the Moabites,
Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians,
and Hittites,
2 of
the nations
concerning which
the LORD said to
the children of
Israel, “You shall
not go among
them, neither
shall they come
among you, for
surely they will
turn away your
heart after
their gods.” Solomon
joined to these
in love.
3 He
had seven
hundred wives, princesses,
and three hundred
concubines. His wives
turned his heart
away.
4 When
Solomon was old,
his wives turned
away his heart
after other gods; and
his heart was
not perfect with
the LORD his
God, as the
heart of David
his father was.
5 For
Solomon went after
Ashtoreth the goddess
of the Sidonians,
and after Milcom
the abomination of
the Ammonites.
6 Solomon
did that which
was evil in
the LORD’s sight,
and didn’t go
fully after the
LORD, as David
his father did.
7 Then
Solomon built a
high place for
Chemosh the
abomination of
Moab, on the
mountain that is
before Jerusalem,
and for Molech
the abomination of
the children of
Ammon.
8 So
he did for
all his
foreign wives, who
burned incense and
sacrificed to
their gods.
9 The
LORD was angry
with Solomon,
because his heart
was turned away
from the LORD,
the God of
Israel, who had
appeared to him
twice,
10 and
had commanded him
concerning this
thing, that he
should not go
after other gods;
but he didn’t keep
that which the
LORD commanded.
11 Therefore
the LORD said to
Solomon, “Because
this is done
by you, and
you have not
kept my covenant
and my statutes,
which I have
commanded you, I
will surely tear
the kingdom from
you, and will
give it to
your servant.
12 Nevertheless,
I will not
do it in
your days, for
David your father’s
sake; but I
will tear it
out of your
son’s hand.
13 However,
I will not
tear away all
the kingdom; but
I will give
one tribe to
your son, for
David my servant’s
sake, and for
Jerusalem’s sake
which I
have chosen.”
14 The
LORD raised up
an adversary to
Solomon: Hadad
the Edomite. He
was one of
the king’s
offspring in Edom.
15 For
when David was
in Edom, and Joab
the captain of
the army had
gone up to
bury the slain,
and had struck
every male in Edom
16 (for
Joab and all
Israel remained
there six months,
until he had
cut off every
male in Edom),
17 Hadad
fled, he
and certain Edomites of
his father’s servants
with him, to
go into Egypt, when
Hadad was still a
little child.
18 They
arose out of
Midian and came
to Paran; and
they took men
with them out
of Paran, and
they came to
Egypt, to Pharaoh
king of Egypt,
who gave him
a house, and
appointed him food,
and gave him land.
19 Hadad
found great favor
in the sight
of Pharaoh, so
that he gave
him as wife
the sister of his
own wife, the sister
of Tahpenes the
queen.
20 The sister
of Tahpenes bore
him Genubath his
son, whom Tahpenes
weaned in Pharaoh’s
house; and
Genubath was in
Pharaoh’s house
among the sons
of Pharaoh.
21 When
Hadad heard in
Egypt that David
slept with
his fathers, and
that Joab the
captain of the
army was dead,
Hadad said to
Pharaoh, “Let me
depart, that I
may go to
my own country.”
22 Then
Pharaoh said to
him, “But what
have you lacked
with me, that
behold, you seek
to go to
your own country?”
He answered, “Nothing,
however only let
me depart.”
23 God raised
up an adversary
to him, Rezon
the son of Eliada,
who had fled
from his lord,
Hadadezer king of
Zobah.
24 He
gathered men to
himself, and
became captain
over a troop,
when David killed
them of Zobah.
They went to
Damascus and lived
there, and reigned
in Damascus.
25 He
was an adversary
to Israel all
the days of
Solomon, in
addition to the
mischief of Hadad.
He abhorred Israel,
and reigned
over Syria.
26 Jeroboam
the son of
Nebat, an Ephraimite
of Zeredah, a
servant of Solomon,
whose mother’s name
was Zeruah,
a widow, also
lifted up his
hand against the
king.
27 This
was the reason
why he lifted
up his hand
against the king:
Solomon built
Millo, and
repaired the
breach of
his father David’s
city.
28 The
man Jeroboam was
a mighty man
of valor; and
Solomon saw the
young man that
he was industrious,
and he put
him in charge
of all the
labor of the
house of Joseph.
29 At
that time, when
Jeroboam went out
of Jerusalem, the
prophet Ahijah the
Shilonite found
him on the
way. Now Ahijah
had clad himself
with a new
garment; and the
two of them
were alone in
the field.
30 Ahijah took
the new garment
that was on him,
and tore it
in twelve pieces.
31 He said
to Jeroboam, “Take
ten pieces; for
the LORD, the
God of Israel,
says, ‘Behold, I
will tear the
kingdom out of
the hand of
Solomon and will
give ten tribes
to you
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),
33 because
they have forsaken
me, and have
worshiped Ashtoreth
the goddess of the
Sidonians, Chemosh
the god of
Moab, and Milcom
the god of
the children of
Ammon. They have
not walked in
my ways, to
do that which
is right in
my eyes, and
to keep my
statutes and my
ordinances, as
David his father
did.
34 “ ‘However,
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,
who kept my
commandments and
my statutes,
35 but
I will take
the kingdom out
of his son’s
hand and will
give it to
you, even ten
tribes.
36 I
will give one
tribe to his
son, that David
my servant may
have a lamp
always before me
in Jerusalem, the
city which I
have chosen for myself
to put my
name there.
37 I
will take you,
and you shall
reign according to
all that your
soul desires, and
shall be king
over Israel.
38 It
shall be, if
you will listen
to all that
I command you,
and will walk
in my ways,
and do that
which is right
in my eyes,
to keep my
statutes and my
commandments, as
David my servant
did, that I
will be with
you, and will
build you a
sure house, as
I built for
David, and will
give Israel to
you.
39 I
will afflict the
offspring of David
for this, but
not forever.’ ”
40 Therefore
Solomon sought to
kill Jeroboam, but
Jeroboam arose and
fled into Egypt,
to Shishak king
of Egypt, and
was in Egypt
until the death
of Solomon.
41 Now
the rest of
the acts of
Solomon, and all
that he did,
and his wisdom,
aren’t they written
in the book
of the acts
of Solomon?
42 The
time that Solomon
reigned in
Jerusalem over all
Israel was forty
years.
43 Solomon
slept with
his fathers, and
was buried in
his father David’s
city; and Rehoboam
his son reigned
in his place.