1Kings 11

Solomon’s Many Wives

11Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.H4428H8010H157H7227H5237H802H1323H6547H4125H5984H130H6722H28502The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, 'You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.' Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.H1471H3068H559H1121H3478H935H935H403H5186H3824H310H430H8010H1692H1573He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD.H7651H3967H802H8282H7969H3967H6370H802H5186H38204In Solomon's old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the LORD his God, as his father, David, had been.H6256H8010H2209H802H5186H3824H310H312H430H3824H8003H3068H430H3824H1732H15Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech

, the detestable god of the Ammonites.H8010H3212H310H6253H430H6722H310H4445H8251H59846In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the LORD's sight; he refused to follow the LORD completely, as his father, David, had done.H8010H6213H7451H5869H3068H4390H310H3068H1732H17On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem

, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites.H8010H1129H1116H3645H8251H4124H2022H6440H3389H4432H8251H1121H59838Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.H6213H5237H802H6999H2076H4309The LORD was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.H3068H599H8010H3824H5186H3068H430H3478H7200H647110He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the LORD's command.H6680H1697H3212H310H312H430H8104H3068H668011So now the LORD said to him, "Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.H3068H559H8010H8104H1285H2708H6680H7167H7167H4467H5414H565012But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son.H3117H6213H1732H1H7167H3027H112113And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city."H7535H7167H4467H5414H259H7626H1121H1732H5650H3389H977

Solomon’s Adversaries

14Then the LORD raised up Hadad the Edomite, a member of Edom's royal family, to be Solomon's adversary.H3068H6965H7854H8010H1908H130H4428H2233H12315Years before, David had defeated Edom. Joab, his army commander, had stayed to bury some of the Israelite soldiers who had died in battle. While there, they killed every male in Edom.H1732H123H3097H8269H6635H5927H6912H2491H5221H2145H12316Joab and the army of Israel had stayed there for six months, killing them.H8337H2320H3097H3427H3478H3772H2145H12317But Hadad and a few of his father's royal officials escaped and headed for Egypt. (Hadad was just a boy at the time.)H111H1272H582H130H1H5650H935H4714H1908H6996H528818They set out from Midian and went to Paran, where others joined them. Then they traveled to Egypt and went to Pharaoh, who gave them a home, food, and some land.H6965H4080H935H6290H3947H582H6290H935H4714H6547H4428H4714H5414H1004H559H3899H5414H77619Pharaoh grew very fond of Hadad, and he gave him his wife's sister in marriage—the sister of Queen Tahpenes.H1908H4672H3966H2580H5869H6547H5414H802H269H802H269H8472H137720She bore him a son named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him

in Pharaoh's palace among Pharaoh's own sons.H269H8472H3205H1592H1121H8472H1580H8432H6547H1004H1592H6547H1004H8432H1121H654721When the news reached Hadad in Egypt that David and his commander Joab were both dead, he said to Pharaoh, "Let me return to my own country."H1908H8085H4714H1732H7901H1H3097H8269H6635H4191H1908H559H6547H7971H3212H77622"Why?" Pharaoh asked him. "What do you lack here that makes you want to go home?" "Nothing," he replied. "But even so, please let me return home."H6547H559H2638H1245H3212H776H559H7971H797123God also raised up Rezon son of Eliada as Solomon's adversary. Rezon had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah,H430H6965H7854H7331H1121H450H1272H113H1909H4428H667824and had become the leader of a gang of rebels. After David conquered Hadadezer, Rezon and his men fled to Damascus, where he became king.H6908H582H8269H1416H1732H2026H3212H1834H3427H4427H183425Rezon was Israel's bitter adversary for the rest of Solomon's reign, and he made trouble, just as Hadad did. Rezon hated Israel intensely and continued to reign in Aram.H7854H3478H3117H8010H7451H1908H6973H3478H4427H758

Jeroboam Rebels against Solomon

26Another rebel leader was Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon's own officials. He came from the town of Zeredah in Ephraim, and his mother was Zeruah, a widow.H3379H1121H5028H673H6868H8010H5650H517H8034H6871H490H802H7311H3027H442827This is the story behind his rebellion. Solomon was rebuilding the supporting terraces

and repairing the walls of the city of his father, David.H1697H7311H3027H4428H8010H1129H4407H5462H6556H5892H1732H128Jeroboam was a very capable young man, and when Solomon saw how industrious he was, he put him in charge of the labor force from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph.H376H3379H1368H2428H8010H7200H5288H6213H4399H6485H5447H1004H313029One day as Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh met him along the way. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone in a field,H6256H3379H3318H3389H5030H281H7888H4672H1870H3680H2319H8008H8147H770430and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.H281H8610H2319H8008H7167H8147H6240H716831Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you!H559H3379H3947H6235H7168H559H3068H430H3478H7167H4467H3027H8010H5414H6235H762632But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.H259H7626H5650H1732H3389H5892H977H7626H347833For Solomon has

abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of the Ammonites. He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He has not obeyed my decrees and regulations as David his father did.H5800H7812H6253H430H6722H3645H430H4124H4445H430H1121H5983H1980H1870H6213H3477H5869H2708H4941H1732H134"'But I will not take the entire kingdom from Solomon at this time. For the sake of my servant David, the one whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees, I will keep Solomon as leader for the rest of his life.H3947H4467H3027H7896H5387H3117H2416H1732H5650H977H8104H4687H270835But I will take the kingdom away from his son and give ten of the tribes to you.H3947H4410H1121H3027H5414H6235H762636His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name.H1121H5414H259H7626H1732H5650H5216H3117H6440H3389H5892H977H7760H803437And I will place you on the throne of Israel, and you will rule over all that your heart desires.H3947H4427H5315H183H4428H347838If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you. I will establish an enduring dynasty for you as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you.H8085H6680H1980H1870H6213H3477H5869H8104H2708H4687H1732H5650H6213H1129H539H1004H1129H1732H5414H347839Because of Solomon's sin I will punish the descendants of David—though not forever.'"H6031H2233H1732H311740Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.H8010H1245H4191H3379H3379H6965H1272H4714H7895H4428H4714H4714H4194H8010

Summary of Solomon’s Reign

41The rest of the events in Solomon's reign, including all his deeds and his wisdom, are recorded in The Book of the Acts of Solomon.H3499H1697H8010H6213H2451H3789H5612H1697H801042Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.H3117H8010H4427H3389H3478H705H814143When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king.H8010H7901H1H6912H5892H1732H1H7346H1121H4427