Solomon’s Unfaithfulness to God

11 King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter:(A) Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women(B) from the nations that the Lord had told the Israelites about, “Do not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn you away from Me to their gods.”(C) Solomon was deeply attached to these women and loved them. He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines,(D) and they turned his heart away from the Lord.(E)

When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been.(F) Solomon followed Ashtoreth,(G) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom,(H) the detestable idol of the Ammonites.(I) Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not completely follow Yahweh.

At that time, Solomon built a high place(J) for Chemosh,(K) the detestable idol of Moab, and for Milcom,[a](L) the detestable idol of the Ammonites, on the hill across from Jerusalem.(M) He did the same for all his foreign wives, who were burning incense and offering sacrifices to their gods.

The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.(N) 10 He had commanded him about this, so that he would not follow other gods, but Solomon did not do what the Lord had commanded.(O)

11 Then the Lord said to Solomon, “Since you have done this[b] and did not keep My covenant and My statutes, which I commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.(P) 12 However, I will not do it during your lifetime because of your father David;(Q) I will tear it out of your son’s hand. 13 Yet I will not tear the entire kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son(R) because of my servant David and because of Jerusalem that I chose.”

Solomon’s Enemies

14 So the Lord raised up(S) Hadad the Edomite as an enemy against Solomon. He was of the royal family in Edom. 15 Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom. 16 For Joab and all Israel had remained there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom.(T) 17 Hadad fled to Egypt, along with some Edomites from his father’s servants. At the time Hadad was a small boy. 18 Hadad and his men set out from Midian and went to Paran.(U) They took men with them from Paran and went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt,(V) who gave Hadad a house, ordered that he be given food, and gave him land. 19 Pharaoh liked Hadad so much that he gave him a wife, the sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes. 20 Tahpenes’ sister gave birth to Hadad’s son Genubath. Tahpenes herself weaned him in Pharaoh’s palace, and Genubath lived there along with Pharaoh’s sons.

21 When Hadad heard in Egypt that David rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me leave, so I can go to my own country.”

22 But Pharaoh asked him, “What do you lack here with me for you to want to go back to your own country?”

“Nothing,” he replied, “but please let me leave.”

23 God raised up Rezon son of Eliada as an enemy(W) against Solomon. Rezon had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah(X) 24 and gathered men to himself. He became captain of a raiding party when David killed the Zobaites. He[c] went to Damascus,(Y) lived there, and became king in Damascus. 25 Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout Solomon’s reign, adding to the trouble Hadad had caused. He ruled over Aram,[d](Z) but he loathed Israel.

26 Now Solomon’s servant,(AA) Jeroboam son of Nebat, was an Ephraimite from Zeredah. His widowed mother’s name was Zeruah. Jeroboam rebelled(AB) against Solomon, 27 and this is the reason he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the supporting terraces(AC) and repaired the opening in the wall of the city of his father David. 28 Now the man Jeroboam was capable, and Solomon noticed the young man because he was getting things done. So he appointed him over the entire labor force of the house of Joseph.(AD)

29 During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite(AE) met Jeroboam on the road as Jeroboam came out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself with a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he had on, tore it into 12 pieces,(AF) 31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take 10 pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I will give you 10 tribes, 32 but one tribe will remain his because of my servant David(AG) and because of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel.(AH) 33 For they have abandoned Me; they have bowed the knee to Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, to Chemosh, the god of Moab, and to Milcom, the god of the Ammonites.(AI) They have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and to carry out My statutes and My judgments as his father David did.(AJ)

34 “‘However, I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand but will let him be ruler all the days of his life because of My servant David, whom I chose and who kept My commands and My statutes. 35 I will take 10 tribes of the kingdom from his son’s hand and give them to you. 36 I will give one tribe(AK) to his son,(AL) so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me(AM) in Jerusalem, the city I chose for Myself to put My name there.(AN) 37 I will appoint you,(AO) and you will reign as king(AP) over all you want,(AQ) and you will be king over Israel.

38 “‘After that, if you obey all I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and My commands as My servant David did, I will be with you.(AR) I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David,(AS) and I will give you Israel. 39 I will humble David’s descendants, because of their unfaithfulness, but not forever.’”[e](AT)

40 Therefore, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam,(AU) but he fled to Egypt,(AV) to Shishak king of Egypt,(AW) where he remained until Solomon’s death.

Solomon’s Death

41 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and his wisdom, are written in the Book of Solomon’s Events.(AX) 42 The length of Solomon’s reign in Jerusalem over all Israel totaled 40 years.(AY) 43 Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam(AZ) became king in his place.(BA)

The Kingdom Divided

12 Then Rehoboam(BB) went to Shechem,(BC) for all Israel(BD) had gone to Shechem to make him king.(BE) When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, for he was still in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence,(BF) Jeroboam stayed in Egypt.[f] They summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam: “Your father made our yoke difficult.(BG) You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us,(BH) and we will serve you.”

Rehoboam replied, “Go home for three days and then return to me.” So the people left. Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders(BI) who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to these people?”

They replied, “Today if you will be a servant to these people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”(BJ)

But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him(BK) and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and served him. He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to these people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

10 Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us!’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! 11 Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.’”[g](BL)

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had ordered: “Return to me on the third day.” 13 Then the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice the elders had given him 14 and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.”[h]

15 The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from the Lord(BM) to carry out His word, which the Lord had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.(BN) 16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him:

What portion do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.(BO)
Israel, return to your tents;
David, now look after your own house!(BP)

So Israel went to their tents, 17 but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.(BQ)

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram,[i](BR) who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem. 19 Israel is in rebellion against the house of David until today.(BS)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 11:7 Lit Molech
  2. 1 Kings 11:11 Lit Since this was with you
  3. 1 Kings 11:24 LXX; Hb reads They
  4. 1 Kings 11:25 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr read Edom
  5. 1 Kings 11:39 LXX omits and I will give . . . but not forever
  6. 1 Kings 12:2 LXX, Vg read Jeroboam returned from Egypt; 2Ch 10:2
  7. 1 Kings 12:11 Lit with scorpions
  8. 1 Kings 12:14 Lit with scorpions
  9. 1 Kings 12:18 LXX reads Adoniram; 1Kg 4:6; 5:14

The Damascus Road

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples(A) of the Lord. He went to the high priest(B) and requested letters(C) from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way,(D) he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As(E) he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

“Who are You, Lord?” he said.

“I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting,” He replied. “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one.(F) Then Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.

Saul’s Baptism

10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Here I am, Lord!” he said.(G)

11 “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus(H) named Saul, since he is praying there. 12 In a vision[a] he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so he can regain his sight.”(I)

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.(J) 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”(K)

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument(L) to take My name to Gentiles,(M) kings, and the Israelites.(N) 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for My name!”(O)

17 So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”(P)

18 At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 And after taking some food, he regained his strength.(Q)

Saul Proclaiming the Messiah

Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some days. 20 Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.”(R)

21 But all who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man who, in Jerusalem, was destroying those who called on this name and then came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?”(S)

22 But Saul grew more capable and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this One is the Messiah.

23 After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. So they were watching the gates day and night intending to kill him,(T) 25 but his disciples took him by night and lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the wall.(U)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Acts 9:12 Other mss omit In a vision

Psalm 131

A Childlike Spirit

A Davidic song of ascents.

Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.(A)
I do not get involved with things
too great or too difficult for me.(B)
Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself
like a little weaned child with its mother;
I am like a little child.(C)

Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
both now and forever.(D)

Read full chapter

A wicked person listens to malicious talk;[a]
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

The one who mocks the poor insults his Maker,(A)
and one who rejoices over calamity
will not go unpunished.(B)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:4 Lit to lips of iniquity

Bible Gateway Recommends