1King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter – Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.2They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.’ Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.3He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.4As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.5He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.6So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.7On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.8He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.9The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.10Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.11So the Lord said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.12Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.13Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.’
Solomon’s adversaries
14Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom.15Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom.16Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom.17But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father.18They set out from Midian and went to Paran. Then taking people from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.19Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage.20The sister of Tahpenes bore him a son named Genubath, whom Tahpenes brought up in the royal palace. There Genubath lived with Pharaoh’s own children.21While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his ancestors and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Then Hadad said to Pharaoh, ‘Let me go, so that I may return to my own country.’22‘What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?’ Pharaoh asked. ‘Nothing,’ Hadad replied, ‘but do let me go!’23And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.24When David destroyed Zobah’s army, Rezon gathered a band of men around him and became their leader; they went to Damascus, where they settled and took control.25Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile towards Israel.
Jeroboam rebels against Solomon
26Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah.27Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the terraces[1] and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father.28Now Jeroboam was a man of standing, and when Solomon saw how well the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labour force of the tribes of Joseph.29About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country,30and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.31Then he said to Jeroboam, ‘Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes.32But for the sake of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe.33I will do this because they have[2] forsaken me and worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.34‘ “But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees.35I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes.36I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name.37However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel.38If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.39I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not for ever.” ’40Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.
Solomon’s death
41As for the other events of Solomon’s reign – all he did and the wisdom he displayed – are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon?42Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.43Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.
1 Kings 11
English Standard Version
Solomon Turns from the Lord
1Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, (De 17:17; Ne 13:26)2from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. (Ex 34:16)3He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.4For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. (1Ki 8:61; 1Ki 9:4)5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. (Jud 2:13; 1Ki 11:7; 1Ki 11:33; 2Ki 23:13)6So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done.7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. (Le 18:21; Le 20:2; Nu 21:29; 1Ki 11:5; 2Ki 23:10; 2Ki 23:13; Ac 7:43)8And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.
The Lord Raises Adversaries
9And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice (1Ki 3:5; 1Ki 9:2; 1Ki 11:2; 1Ki 11:4)10and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. (1Ki 6:12; 1Ki 9:6)11Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. (1Ki 11:31; 1Ki 12:15)12Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.13However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem that I have chosen.” (De 12:5; De 12:11; 2Sa 7:15; 1Ki 11:32; 1Ki 11:36; 1Ki 12:20; Ps 89:33)14And the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the royal house in Edom.15For when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army went up to bury the slain, he struck down every male in Edom (2Sa 8:14; 1Ch 18:12)16(for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom).17But Hadad fled to Egypt, together with certain Edomites of his father’s servants, Hadad still being a little child.18They set out from Midian and came to Paran and took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and assigned him an allowance of food and gave him land. (Nu 10:12; De 33:2)19And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.20And 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.21But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.” (1Ki 2:10)22But Pharaoh said to him, “What have you lacked with me that you are now seeking to go to your own country?” And he said to him, “Only let me depart.”23God also raised up as an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah. (2Sa 10:16)24And he gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band, after the killing by David. And they went to Damascus and lived there and made him king in Damascus. (2Sa 8:3; 2Sa 10:8; 2Sa 10:18)25He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, doing harm as Hadad did. And he loathed Israel and reigned over Syria.26Jeroboam 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. (1Sa 1:1; 2Sa 20:21; 1Ki 12:2; 2Ch 13:6)27And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of David his father. (2Sa 5:9; 1Ki 9:24)28The man Jeroboam was very able, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.29And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the open country. (1Ki 12:15; 1Ki 14:2; 1Ki 15:29; 2Ch 9:29)30Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. (1Sa 15:27)31And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes (1Ki 11:11)32(but he shall have one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), (De 12:5; 1Ki 11:13; 1Ki 12:21; 1Ki 14:21)33because they have[1] forsaken me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and they have not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my rules, as David his father did. (1Ki 11:5; 1Ki 11:7)34Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes.35But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and will give it to you, ten tribes. (1Ki 11:12; 1Ki 12:16)36Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. (2Sa 21:17; 1Ki 11:32; 1Ki 15:4; 2Ki 8:19; 2Ch 21:7)37And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel.38And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. (Jos 1:5; 1Sa 2:35; 2Sa 7:11; 2Sa 7:27)39And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.’”40Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. (1Ki 14:25; 2Ch 12:2; 2Ch 12:5; 2Ch 12:7; 2Ch 12:9)41Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon? (2Ch 9:29)42And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.43And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. (1Ki 2:10; 1Ki 14:20; Mt 1:7)