1 Kings 10:14-11:13

New International Version

Solomon’s Splendor^(A)

¹⁴ The weight of the gold^(B) that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,^{[a] 15} not including the revenues from merchants and traders and from all the Arabian kings and the governors of the territories.

¹⁶ King Solomon made two hundred large shields^(C) of hammered gold; six hundred shekels^[b] of gold went into each shield. ¹⁷ He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold, with three minas^[c] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.^(D)

¹⁸ Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory and overlaid with fine gold. ¹⁹ The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. ²⁰ Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. ²¹ All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.^(E) Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s days. ²² The king had a fleet of trading ships^[d](F) at sea along with the ships^(G) of Hiram. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

²³ King Solomon was greater in riches^(H) and wisdom^(I) than all the other kings of the earth. ²⁴ The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom^(J) God had put in his heart. ²⁵ Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift^(K)—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

²⁶ Solomon accumulated chariots and horses;^(L) he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,^[e] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The king made silver as common^(M) in Jerusalem as stones,^(N) and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig^(O) trees in the foothills. ²⁸ Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue^[f]—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. ²⁹ They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.^[g] They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites^(P) and of the Arameans.

Solomon’s Wives

11 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women^(Q) besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites,^(R) Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. ² They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry^(S) with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. ³ He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines,^(T) and his wives led him astray.^{(U) 4} As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods,^(V) and his heart was not fully devoted^(W) to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. ⁵ He followed Ashtoreth^(X) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek^(Y) the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁶ So Solomon did evil^(Z) in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

⁷ On a hill east^(AA) of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh^(AB) the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek^(AC) the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁸ He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

⁹ The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared^(AD) to him twice. ¹⁰ Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods,^(AE) Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.^{(AF) 11} So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees,^(AG) which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear^(AH) the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. ¹² Nevertheless, for the sake of David^(AI) your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. ¹³ Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe^(AJ) for the sake^(AK) of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”^(AL)