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1 Kings 11-12
New English Translation

The Lord Punishes Solomon for Idolatry

11 King Solomon fell in love with many foreign women (besides Pharaoh’s daughter), including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. 2 They came from nations about which the Lord had warned the Israelites, “You must not establish friendly relations with them![a] If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods.”[b] But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them.[c]

3 He had 700 royal wives[d] and 300 concubines;[e] his wives had a powerful influence over him.[f] 4 When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to[g] other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father David had been.[h] 5 Solomon worshiped[i] the Sidonian goddess Astarte and the detestable Ammonite god Milcom.[j] 6 Solomon did evil in the Lord’s sight;[k] he did not remain loyal to[l] the Lord, as his father David had. 7 Furthermore,[m] on the hill east of Jerusalem[n] Solomon built a high place[o] for the detestable Moabite god Chemosh[p] and for the detestable Ammonite god Milcom.[q] 8 He built high places for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and make sacrifices to their gods.[r]

9 The Lord was angry with Solomon because he had shifted his allegiance[s] away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him on two occasions[t] 10 and had warned him about this very thing, so that he would not follow other gods.[u] But he did not obey[v] the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you insist on doing these things and have not kept the covenantal rules I gave you,[w] I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12 However, for your father David’s sake I will not do this while you are alive. I will tear it away from your son’s hand instead. 13 But I will not tear away the entire kingdom; I will leave[x] your son one tribe for my servant David’s sake and for the sake of my chosen city Jerusalem.”

14 The Lord brought[y] against Solomon an enemy, Hadad the Edomite, a descendant of the Edomite king. 15 During David’s campaign against Edom,[z] Joab, the commander of the army, while on a mission to bury the dead, killed every male in Edom. 16 For Joab and the entire Israelite army[aa] stayed there six months until they had exterminated every male in Edom.[ab] 17 Hadad,[ac] who was only a small boy at the time, escaped with some of his father’s Edomite servants and headed for Egypt.[ad] 18 They went from Midian to Paran; they took some men from Paran and went to Egypt. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, gave him a house and some land and supplied him with food.[ae] 19 Pharaoh liked Hadad so well[af] he gave him his sister-in-law (Queen Tahpenes’ sister) as a wife.[ag] 20 Tahpenes’ sister gave birth to his son,[ah] named Genubath. Tahpenes raised[ai] him in Pharaoh’s palace; Genubath grew up in Pharaoh’s palace among Pharaoh’s sons. 21 While in Egypt Hadad heard that David had passed away[aj] and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead. So Hadad asked Pharaoh, “Give me permission to leave[ak] so I can return to my homeland.” 22 Pharaoh said to him, “What do you lack here that makes you want to go to your homeland?”[al] Hadad replied,[am] “Nothing, but please give me permission to leave.”[an]

23 God also brought against Solomon[ao] another enemy, Rezon son of Eliada who had run away from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah. 24 He gathered some men and organized a raiding band.[ap] When David tried to kill them,[aq] they went to Damascus, where they settled down and gained control of the city. 25 He was Israel’s enemy throughout Solomon’s reign and, like Hadad, caused trouble. He loathed[ar] Israel and ruled over Syria.

26 Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon’s servants, rebelled against[as] the king. He was an Ephraimite[at] from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. 27 This is what prompted him to rebel against the king:[au] Solomon built a terrace, and he closed up a gap in the wall of the city of his father David.[av] 28 Jeroboam was a talented man;[aw] when Solomon saw that the young man was an accomplished worker, he made him the leader of the work crew from the tribe[ax] of Joseph. 29 At that time, when Jeroboam had left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road; the two of them were alone in the open country. Ahijah[ay] was wearing a brand new robe, 30 and he grabbed the robe[az] and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 Then he told Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces, for this is what the Lord God of Israel has said: ‘Look, I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and I will give ten tribes to you. 32 He will retain one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. 33 I am taking the kingdom from him[ba] because they have[bb] abandoned me and worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They have not followed my instructions[bc] by doing what I approve and obeying my rules and regulations, as Solomon’s father David did.[bd] 34 I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will allow him to be ruler for the rest of his life for the sake of my chosen servant David who kept my commandments and rules. 35 I will take the kingdom from the hand of his son and give ten tribes to you.[be] 36 I will leave[bf] his son one tribe so my servant David’s dynasty may continue to serve me[bg] in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen as my home.[bh] 37 I will select[bi] you; you will rule over all you desire to have and you will be king over Israel. 38 You must obey[bj] all I command you to do, follow my instructions,[bk] do what I approve,[bl] and keep my rules and commandments, as my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David;[bm] I will give you Israel. 39 I will humiliate David’s descendants because of this,[bn] but not forever.’”[bo] 40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam escaped to Egypt and found refuge with King Shishak of Egypt.[bp] He stayed in Egypt until Solomon died.

Solomon’s Reign Ends

41 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, including all his accomplishments and his wise decisions, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of Solomon.[bq] 42 Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem for forty years. 43 Then Solomon passed away[br] and was buried in the city of his father David.[bs] His son Rehoboam replaced him as king.[bt]

Rehoboam Loses His Kingdom

12 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in[bu] Shechem to make Rehoboam[bv] king. 2 [bw] When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon and had been living ever since.[bx] 3 They sent for him,[by] and Jeroboam and the whole Israelite assembly came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made us work too hard.[bz] Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”[ca] 5 He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.

6 King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served[cb] his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them,[cc] “How do you advise me to answer these people?” 7 They said to him, “Today if you will be a servant to these people and grant their request,[cd] speaking kind words to them,[ce] they will be your servants from this time forward.”[cf] 8 But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.[cg] 9 He asked them, “How do you advise me[ch] to respond to these people who said to me, ‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?”[ci] 10 The young advisers with whom Rehoboam[cj] had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden.’[ck] Say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father![cl] 11 My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier.[cm] My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’”[cn]

12 Jeroboam and all the people reported[co] to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said, “Return to me on the third day.” 13 The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the advice of the older men 14 and followed[cp] the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier.[cq] My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”[cr] 15 The king refused to listen to the people, because the Lord was instigating this turn of events[cs] so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made[ct] through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, “We have no portion in David, no share in the son of Jesse![cu] Return to your homes, O Israel![cv] Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!”[cw] So Israel returned to their homes.[cx] 17 (Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.) 18 King Rehoboam sent Adoniram,[cy] the supervisor of the work crews,[cz] out after them, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day. 20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. No one except the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty.[da]

21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled warriors from all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin[db] to attack Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon. 22 But God told Shemaiah the prophet,[dc] 23 “Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah, and to all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the rest of the people, 24 ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Do not attack and make war with your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you go home. Indeed this thing has happened because of me.”’” So they obeyed the Lord’s message. They went home in keeping with the Lord’s message.

Jeroboam Makes Golden Calves

25 [dd] Jeroboam built up Shechem in the Ephraimite hill country and lived there. From there he went out and built up Penuel. 26 Jeroboam then thought to himself:[de] “Now the Davidic dynasty could regain the kingdom.[df] 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem, their loyalty could shift to their former master,[dg] King Rehoboam of Judah. They might kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.” 28 After the king had consulted with his advisers,[dh] he made two golden calves. Then he said to the people,[di] “It is too much trouble for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look, Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 29 He put one in Bethel and the other in Dan. 30 This caused Israel to sin;[dj] the people went to Bethel and Dan to worship the calves.[dk]

31 He built temples[dl] on the high places and appointed as priests common people who were not Levites. 32 Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,[dm] like the festival celebrated in Judah.[dn] On the altar in Bethel he offered sacrifices to the calves he had made.[do] In Bethel he also appointed priests for the high places he had made.

A Prophet from Judah Visits Bethel

33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month (a date he had arbitrarily chosen)[dp] Jeroboam[dq] offered sacrifices on the altar he had made in Bethel. He inaugurated a festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to offer sacrifices.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 11:2 tn Heb “you must not go into them, and they must not go into you.”
  2. 1 Kings 11:2 tn Heb “Surely they will bend your heart after their gods.” The words “if you do” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  3. 1 Kings 11:2 tn Heb “Solomon clung to them for love.” The pronominal suffix, translated “them,” is masculine here, even though it appears the foreign women are in view. Perhaps this is due to attraction to the masculine forms used of the nations earlier in the verse.
  4. 1 Kings 11:3 tn Heb “wives, princesses.”
  5. 1 Kings 11:3 sn Concubines were slave women in ancient Near Eastern societies who were the legal property of their master, but who could have legitimate sexual relations with their master. A concubine’s status was more elevated than a mere servant, but she was not free and did not have the legal rights of a free wife. The children of a concubine could, in some instances, become equal heirs with the children of the free wife. The usage in the present passage suggests that after the period of the Judges concubines may have become more of a royal prerogative (cf. also 2 Sam 21:10-14).
  6. 1 Kings 11:3 tn Heb “his wives bent his heart.”
  7. 1 Kings 11:4 tn Heb “bent his heart after.”
  8. 1 Kings 11:4 tn Heb “his heart was not complete with the Lord his God, like the heart of David his father.”
  9. 1 Kings 11:5 tn Heb “walked after.”
  10. 1 Kings 11:5 tn Heb “Milcom, the detestable thing of the Ammonites.”
  11. 1 Kings 11:6 tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”
  12. 1 Kings 11:6 tn The idiomatic statement reads in Hebrew, “he did not fill up after.”
  13. 1 Kings 11:7 tn Heb “then.”
  14. 1 Kings 11:7 sn The hill east of Jerusalem refers to the Mount of Olives.
  15. 1 Kings 11:7 sn A high place. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated (see 1 Kgs 3:2).
  16. 1 Kings 11:7 tn Heb “Chemosh, the detestable thing of Moab.”
  17. 1 Kings 11:7 tc The MT reads “Molech,” but Milcom must be intended (see vv. 5, 33).
  18. 1 Kings 11:8 tn Heb “and the same thing he did for all his foreign wives, [who] were burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.”
  19. 1 Kings 11:9 tn Heb “bent his heart.”
  20. 1 Kings 11:9 sn These two occasions are mentioned in 1 Kgs 3:5 and 9:2.
  21. 1 Kings 11:10 tn Heb “and had commanded him concerning this thing not to walk after other gods.”
  22. 1 Kings 11:10 tn Or “keep.”
  23. 1 Kings 11:11 tn Heb “Because this is with you, and you have not kept my covenant and my rules which I commanded you.”
  24. 1 Kings 11:13 tn Heb “give.”
  25. 1 Kings 11:14 tn Or “raised up.”
  26. 1 Kings 11:15 tn Heb “when David was [fighting (?)] with Edom.”
  27. 1 Kings 11:16 tn Heb “and all Israel.”
  28. 1 Kings 11:16 tn Heb “until he had cut off every male in Edom.”
  29. 1 Kings 11:17 tn The MT reads “Adad,” an alternate form of the name Hadad.
  30. 1 Kings 11:17 tn Heb “and Adad fled, he and Edomite men from the servants of his father, to go to Egypt, and Hadad was a small boy.”
  31. 1 Kings 11:18 tn Heb “and they arose from Midian and went to Paran and they took men with them from Paran and went to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt and he gave to him a house and food he said to him, and a land he gave to him.”
  32. 1 Kings 11:19 tn Heb “and Hadad found great favor in the eyes of Pharaoh.”
  33. 1 Kings 11:19 tn Heb “and he gave to him a wife, the sister of his wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.”
  34. 1 Kings 11:20 tn Heb “bore him Genubath his son.”
  35. 1 Kings 11:20 tc The Hebrew text reads וַתִּגְמְלֵהוּ (vattigmelehu, “weaned him”) but a slight alteration of the consonantal text yields וַתִּגְדְלֵהוּ (vattigdelehu, “raised him”), which seems to make better sense.
  36. 1 Kings 11:21 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  37. 1 Kings 11:21 tn Heb “send me away.”
  38. 1 Kings 11:22 tn Heb “Indeed what do you lack with me, that now you are seeking to go to your land?”
  39. 1 Kings 11:22 tn Heb “and he said.”
  40. 1 Kings 11:22 sn So Hadad asked Pharaoh…. This lengthy description of Hadad’s exile in Egypt explains why Hadad wanted to oppose Solomon and supports the author’s thesis that his hostility to Solomon found its ultimate source in divine providence. Though Hadad enjoyed a comfortable life in Egypt, when the Lord raised him up (apparently stirring up his desire for vengeance) he decided to leave the comforts of Egypt and return to Edom.
  41. 1 Kings 11:23 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Solomon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  42. 1 Kings 11:24 tn Heb “and he was the officer of a raiding band.”
  43. 1 Kings 11:24 tn The Hebrew text reads “when David killed them.” This phrase is traditionally joined with what precedes. The ancient Greek version does not reflect the phrase and some suggest that it has been misplaced from the end of v. 23.
  44. 1 Kings 11:25 tn The construction (Qal of קוּץ + בְּ [quts + bet] preposition) is rare, but not without parallel (see Lev 20:23).
  45. 1 Kings 11:26 tn Heb “raised a hand against.”
  46. 1 Kings 11:26 tn Heb “Ephrathite,” which here refers to an Ephraimite (see HALOT 81 s.v. אֶפְרַיִם).
  47. 1 Kings 11:27 tn Heb “this is the matter concerning which he raised a hand against the king.”
  48. 1 Kings 11:27 sn The city of his father David. The phrase refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  49. 1 Kings 11:28 tn Heb “man of strength.”
  50. 1 Kings 11:28 tn Heb “house.”
  51. 1 Kings 11:29 tn The Hebrew text has simply “he,” making it a bit unclear whether Jeroboam or Ahijah is the subject, but in the Hebrew word order Ahijah is the nearer antecedent, and this is followed by the present translation.
  52. 1 Kings 11:30 tn Heb “and Ahijah grabbed the new robe that was on him.”
  53. 1 Kings 11:33 tn The words “I am taking the kingdom from him” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  54. 1 Kings 11:33 tc This is the reading of the MT; the LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate read “he has.”
  55. 1 Kings 11:33 tn Heb “walked in my ways.”
  56. 1 Kings 11:33 tn Heb “by doing what is right in my eyes, my rules and my regulations, like David his father.”
  57. 1 Kings 11:35 tn Heb “and I will give it to you, ten tribes.”
  58. 1 Kings 11:36 tn Heb “give.”
  59. 1 Kings 11:36 tn Heb “so there might be a lamp for David my servant all the days before me in Jerusalem.” The metaphorical “lamp” symbolizes the Davidic dynasty. Because this imagery is unfamiliar to the modern reader, the translation “so my servant David’s dynasty may continue to serve me” has been used.
  60. 1 Kings 11:36 tn Heb “so there might be a lamp for David my servant all the days before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for myself to put my name there.”
  61. 1 Kings 11:37 tn Heb “take.”
  62. 1 Kings 11:38 tn Heb “If you obey.” In the Hebrew text v. 38 is actually one long conditional sentence, which has been broken into two parts in the translation for stylistic purposes.
  63. 1 Kings 11:38 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
  64. 1 Kings 11:38 tn Heb “do what is right in my eyes.”
  65. 1 Kings 11:38 tn Heb “I will build for you a permanent house, like I built for David.”
  66. 1 Kings 11:39 sn Because of this. Reference is made to the idolatry mentioned earlier.
  67. 1 Kings 11:39 tn Heb “but not all the days.”
  68. 1 Kings 11:40 tn Heb “but Jeroboam arose and ran away to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt.”
  69. 1 Kings 11:41 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Solomon, and all which he did, and his wisdom, are they not written on the scroll of the events of Solomon?”
  70. 1 Kings 11:43 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
  71. 1 Kings 11:43 sn The city of his father David. The phrase refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  72. 1 Kings 11:43 tc Before this sentence the Old Greek translation includes the following words: “And it so happened that when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard—now he was in Egypt where he had fled from before Solomon and was residing in Egypt—he came straight to his city in the land of Sarira which is on mount Ephraim. And king Solomon slept with his fathers.”
  73. 1 Kings 12:1 tn Heb “come [to].”
  74. 1 Kings 12:1 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  75. 1 Kings 12:2 tc Verse 2 is not included in the Old Greek translation. See the note on 11:43.
  76. 1 Kings 12:2 tn Heb “and Jeroboam lived in Egypt.” The parallel text in 2 Chr 10:2 reads, “and Jeroboam returned from Egypt.” In a purely consonantal text the forms “and he lived” and “and he returned” are identical (וישׁב).
  77. 1 Kings 12:3 tn Heb “They sent and called for him.”
  78. 1 Kings 12:4 tn Heb “made our yoke burdensome.”
  79. 1 Kings 12:4 tn Heb “but you, now, lighten the burdensome work of your father and the heavy yoke which he placed on us, and we will serve you.” In the Hebrew text the prefixed verbal form with vav (וְנַעַבְדֶךָ, [venaʿavdekha] “and we will serve you”) following the imperative (הָקֵל [haqel], “lighten”) indicates purpose (or result). The conditional sentence used in the translation above is an attempt to bring out the logical relationship between these forms.
  80. 1 Kings 12:6 tn Heb “stood before.”
  81. 1 Kings 12:6 tn Heb “saying.”
  82. 1 Kings 12:7 tn Heb “and serve them and answer them,” understood as “serve them in how you answer them,” hence “grant their request.”
  83. 1 Kings 12:7 tn Heb “and speak to them good words.”
  84. 1 Kings 12:7 tn Heb “all the days.” The Hebrew phrase contrasts what he is asked to do “today” (literally “the day”) with the benefit for “all the days.”
  85. 1 Kings 12:8 tn Heb “He rejected the advice of the elders which they advised and he consulted the young men with whom he had grown up, who stood before him.” The referent (Rehoboam) of the initial pronoun (“he”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  86. 1 Kings 12:9 tn In the Hebrew text the verb “we will respond” is plural, although it can be understood as an editorial “we.” The ancient versions have the singular here.
  87. 1 Kings 12:9 tn Heb “Lighten the yoke which your father placed on us.”
  88. 1 Kings 12:10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Rehoboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  89. 1 Kings 12:10 tn Heb “Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter upon us.”
  90. 1 Kings 12:10 tn Heb “My little one is thicker than my father’s hips.” The referent of “my little one” is not clear. The traditional view is that it refers to the little finger. As the following statement makes clear, Rehoboam’s point is that he is more harsh and demanding than his father.
  91. 1 Kings 12:11 tn Heb “and now my father placed upon you a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke.”
  92. 1 Kings 12:11 tn Heb “My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.” “Scorpions” might allude to some type of torture using poisonous insects, but more likely it refers to a type of whip that inflicts an especially biting, painful wound. Cf. CEV “whips with pieces of sharp metal.”
  93. 1 Kings 12:12 tn Heb “came.”
  94. 1 Kings 12:14 tn Heb “and spoke to them according to.”
  95. 1 Kings 12:14 tn Heb “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke.”
  96. 1 Kings 12:14 tn Heb “My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.” See the note on the same phrase in v. 11.
  97. 1 Kings 12:15 tn Heb “because this turn of events was from the Lord.”
  98. 1 Kings 12:15 tn Heb “so that he might bring to pass his word which the Lord spoke.”
  99. 1 Kings 12:16 sn We have no portion in David; no share in the son of Jesse. Their point seems to be that they have no familial relationship with David that brings them any benefits or places upon them any obligations. They are being treated like outsiders.
  100. 1 Kings 12:16 tn Heb “to your tents, Israel.” The word “return” is supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  101. 1 Kings 12:16 tn Heb “Now see your house, David.”
  102. 1 Kings 12:16 tn Heb “went to their tents.”
  103. 1 Kings 12:18 tc The MT has “Adoram” here, but the Old Greek translation and Syriac Peshitta have “Adoniram.” Cf. 1 Kgs 4:6.
  104. 1 Kings 12:18 sn The work crews. See the note on this expression in 4:6.
  105. 1 Kings 12:20 tn Heb “there was no one [following] after the house of David except the tribe of Judah, it alone.”
  106. 1 Kings 12:21 tn Heb “he summoned all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men, accomplished in war.”
  107. 1 Kings 12:22 tn Heb “and the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying.”
  108. 1 Kings 12:25 tc The Old Greek translation has here a lengthy section consisting of twenty-three verses that are not found in the MT.
  109. 1 Kings 12:26 tn Heb “said in his heart.”
  110. 1 Kings 12:26 tn Heb “Now the kingdom could return to the house of David.” The imperfect verbal form translated “could return” is understood as having a potential force here. Perhaps this is not strong enough; another option is “will return.”
  111. 1 Kings 12:27 tn Heb “the heart of these people could return to their master.”
  112. 1 Kings 12:28 tn The words “with his advisers” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  113. 1 Kings 12:28 tn Heb “to them.”
  114. 1 Kings 12:30 tn Heb “and this thing became a sin.”
  115. 1 Kings 12:30 tc The MT reads “and the people went before the one to Dan.” It is likely that some words have been accidentally omitted and that the text originally said, “and the people went before the one at Bethel and before the one at Dan.”
  116. 1 Kings 12:31 tn The Hebrew text has the singular, but the plural is preferable here (see 1 Kgs 13:32). The Old Greek translation and the Vulgate have the plural.
  117. 1 Kings 12:32 sn The eighth month would correspond to October-November in modern reckoning.
  118. 1 Kings 12:32 sn The festival celebrated in Judah probably refers to the Feast of Tabernacles (i.e., Booths or Temporary Shelters), held in the seventh month (September-October). See also 1 Kgs 8:2.
  119. 1 Kings 12:32 tn Heb “and he offered up [sacrifices] on the altar; he did this in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made.”
  120. 1 Kings 12:33 tn Heb “which he had chosen by himself.”
  121. 1 Kings 12:33 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jeroboam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
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1 Kings 11-12
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Solomon’s Heart Turns from the Lord

11 But (A)King Solomon loved (B)many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— 2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, (C)“You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, (D)that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his (E)heart was not [a]loyal to the Lord his God, (F)as was the heart of his father David. 5 For Solomon went after (G)Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after (H)Milcom[b] the abomination of the (I)Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. 7 (J)Then Solomon built a [c]high place for (K)Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on (L)the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. 8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9 So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, (M)who had appeared to him twice, 10 and (N)had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, (O)I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your (P)servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 (Q)However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give (R)one tribe to your son (S)for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem (T)which I have chosen.”

Adversaries of Solomon

14 Now the Lord (U)raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom. 15 (V)For it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, (W)after he had killed every male in Edom 16 (because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel, until he had cut down every male in Edom), 17 that Hadad fled to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him. Hadad was still a little child. 18 Then they arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, apportioned food for him, and gave him land. 19 And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, that is, the sister of Queen Tahpenes. 20 Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.

21 (X)So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David [d]rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, [e]“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 suddenly you seek to go to your own country?”

So he answered, “Nothing, but do let me go anyway.”

23 And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, (Y)Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, (Z)when David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

Jeroboam’s Rebellion

26 Then Solomon’s servant, (AA)Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, (AB)also (AC)rebelled against the king.

27 And this is what caused him to rebel against the king: (AD)Solomon had built the Millo and [f]repaired the damages to the City of David his father. 28 The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was (AE)industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.

29 Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet (AF)Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and (AG)tore it into twelve pieces. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for (AH)thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘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 the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), 33 (AI)because [g]they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David. 34 However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes. 35 But (AJ)I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes. 36 And to his son I will give one tribe, that (AK)My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there. 37 So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38 Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then (AL)I will be with you and (AM)build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. 39 And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ ”

40 Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to (AN)Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

Death of Solomon(AO)

41 Now (AP)the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 42 (AQ)And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 (AR)Then Solomon [h]rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his (AS)place.

The Revolt Against Rehoboam(AT)

12 And (AU)Rehoboam went to (AV)Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when (AW)Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in (AX)Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt), 3 that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our (AY)yoke [i]heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

7 And they spoke to him, saying, (AZ)“If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [j]scourges!’ ”

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” 13 Then the king answered the people [k]roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [l]scourges!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; for (BA)the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had (BB)spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:

(BC)“What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tents, O Israel!
Now, see to your own house, O David!”

So Israel departed to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over (BD)the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

18 Then King Rehoboam (BE)sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So (BF)Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

20 Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all (BG)Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah (BH)only.

21 And when (BI)Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of (BJ)Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22 But (BK)the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, 24 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, (BL)for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.

Jeroboam’s Gold Calves

25 Then Jeroboam (BM)built[m] Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built (BN)Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 If these people (BO)go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

28 Therefore the king asked advice, (BP)made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. (BQ)Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 29 And he set up one in (BR)Bethel, and the other he put in (BS)Dan. 30 Now this thing became (BT)a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 31 He made [n]shrines on the high places, (BU)and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 Jeroboam [o]ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like (BV)the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. (BW)And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. 33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had (BX)devised in his own heart. And he [p]ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and (BY)burned incense.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 11:4 Lit. at peace with
  2. 1 Kings 11:5 Or Molech
  3. 1 Kings 11:7 A place for pagan worship
  4. 1 Kings 11:21 Died and joined his ancestors
  5. 1 Kings 11:21 Lit. Send me away
  6. 1 Kings 11:27 Lit. closed up the breaches
  7. 1 Kings 11:33 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. he has
  8. 1 Kings 11:43 Died and joined his ancestors
  9. 1 Kings 12:4 hard
  10. 1 Kings 12:11 Scourges with points or barbs, lit. scorpions
  11. 1 Kings 12:13 harshly
  12. 1 Kings 12:14 Lit. scorpions
  13. 1 Kings 12:25 fortified
  14. 1 Kings 12:31 Lit. a house; cf. 1 Kin. 13:32, lit. houses
  15. 1 Kings 12:32 instituted
  16. 1 Kings 12:33 instituted
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