Solomon Prays for Wisdom^(A)

3 Later, Solomon intermarried with the family of^[a] Pharaoh, the king of Egypt by taking his daughter and bringing her to the City of David to live until he had completed building his own palace, the Lord’s Temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. ² The people were sacrificing at various high places because the Temple had not yet been built and dedicated to^[b] the Lord.

³ Solomon loved the Lord, and lived according to the statutes that his father David obeyed, except that he sacrificed and burned offerings at the high places. ⁴ The king used to go to Gibeon to sacrifice, since there was a famous high place there, where Solomon once offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵ The Lord appeared to Solomon one night in a dream and told him, “Ask me for whatever you want and I’ll give it to you.”

⁶ So Solomon said:

¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, ¹¹ so God told him:

¹⁵ Then Solomon woke up and realized that he had dreamed a dream. Then he went back to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and threw a party for all of his servants.

Solomon’s Wisdom is Tested

¹⁶ Right about then, two prostitutes approached the king and requested an audience with him. ¹⁷ One woman said, “Your majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. ¹⁸ Three days later, this woman also gave birth. We lived alone there. There was nobody else with us in the house. It was just the two of us. ¹⁹ This woman’s son died overnight because she laid on top of him. ²⁰ She got up in the middle of the night, took my son from me while your servant was asleep, and laid him to her breast after laying her dead son next to me. ²¹ The next morning, I got up to nurse my son, and he was dead. But when I examined him carefully in the light of day, he turned out not to be my son whom I had borne!”

²² “Not so,” claimed the other woman. “The living child is my son, and the dead one is yours.”

But the first woman said, “Not so! The dead child is your son and the living one is my son.” This is what they testified before the king.

²³ The king said, “One of them claims, ‘This living son is mine, and your son is the dead one’ and the other claims ‘No. Your son is the dead one and my son is the living one.’ ²⁴ “Somebody get me a sword.” So they brought a sword to the king. ²⁵ “Divide the living child in two!” he ordered. “Give half to the one and half to the other.”

²⁶ The woman whose child was still alive cried out to the king, because her heart yearned for her son. “Oh no, your majesty!” she said. “Give her the living child. Please don’t kill him.”

But the other woman said, “Cut him in half! That way, he’ll belong to neither one of us.”

²⁷ The king announced his decision: “Give the living child to the first woman. Don’t kill him. She is his mother.” ²⁸ When this decision that the king had handed down was announced, everybody in Israel was amazed at^[d] the king, because they all saw that God’s wisdom was in him, enabling him to administer justice.

Temple Construction Begins^(A)

6 During the month of Ziv, which was the second month of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, 480 years after the Israelis left the land of Egypt, Solomon began to build the Lord’s Temple. ² The Temple for the Lord that Solomon was building was 60 cubits^[a] long and 20 cubits^[b] wide. ³ A portico extended in front of the Temple for 20 cubits^[c] outward, corresponding to the width of the Temple. Along the front of the Temple its depth was ten cubits.^{[d] 4} Solomon^[e] also constructed windows in the Temple with specially designed^[f] frames.

⁵ Against the wall of the Temple he built a series of rooms that encompassed the exterior of the Temple walls around the inner sanctuary. He built these side chambers all around the building.^{[g] 6} The lower structures were five cubits^[h] wide, the middle structures were six cubits^[i] wide and the third structures were seven cubits^[j] wide. Offsets were placed all around the Temple so that beams would not protrude through the walls of the Temple. ⁷ The Temple was constructed of stone precut at the quarry so that no hammer, axe, or any other iron implement would be heard in the Temple while it was being built. ⁸ A passageway to the side chamber was constructed on the south side of the Temple by which people^[k] could ascend winding stairs to the middle story, then from there to the third story.

Interior Finishing with Gold and Cedar

⁹ After Solomon^[l] built the Temple and finished it, he covered the Temple with beams and planks made of cedar. ¹⁰ He constructed this structure to adjoin the entire Temple, five cubits^[m] high, and fastened it to the Temple with cedar timbers.

¹¹ Then this message from the Lord came to Solomon: ¹² “Concerning^[n] this Temple that you’re building, if you live your life^[o] according to my statutes, carry out my ordinances, and keep all of my commands, and live according to them, then I will do what I promised to your father David. ¹³ I will reside among the Israelis and will never abandon my people Israel.”

¹⁴ So Solomon kept on building the Temple and finished it. ¹⁵ Then he built the inside walls of the Temple, lining them from floor to ceiling with cedar boards, and overlaying the Temple floor with boards made of cypress wood. ¹⁶ He lined 20 cubits^[p] of the rear part of the Temple from floor to ceiling with cedar boards specially constructed for the inside to serve as the Most Holy Place. ¹⁷ The rest of the main nave in the front was 40 cubits^[q] long. ¹⁸ Cedar^[r] carvings in the form of gourds and blooming flowers covered the entire interior of the Temple so that no stone could be seen.

¹⁹ Solomon^[s] also prepared an inner sanctuary within the Temple where the Lord’s Ark of the Covenant was placed. ²⁰ The inner sanctuary was 20 cubits^[t] long, 20 cubits^[u] wide, and 20 cubits^[v] high, and overlaid with pure gold. The altar was also overlaid with cedar. ²¹ Solomon overlaid the inside of the Temple with pure gold, fastened gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. ²² He finished the Temple by overlaying it entirely with gold, including overlaying with gold the whole altar that was by the inner sanctuary.

Temple Furnishings^(B)

²³ Inside the inner sanctuary Solomon^[w] placed two cherubim crafted from olive wood, each ten cubits^[x] high. ²⁴ Each wing of one cherub was five cubits^[y] long, and each wing of the other cherub was five cubits^[z] long, so that the distance from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing was ten cubits.^{[aa] 25} Each cherub was ten cubits^[ab] high, and both were of the same size and shape, ²⁶ the height of one cherub being ten cubits,^[ac] as was the height of the other.

²⁷ Solomon^[ad] placed the cherubim in the middle of the inner sanctuary, with their wings spread in such a way that the wing of one was touching the one wall and the opposite wing of the other cherub was touching the opposite wall. Furthermore, their wings in the center of the wall were touching each other wing-to-wing. ²⁸ Each cherub was overlaid with gold.

²⁹ Solomon^[ae] also inlaid all the inner walls of the Temple—both the inner and outer sanctuaries—with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and blooming flowers. ³⁰ He also overlaid the floor of the Temple with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.

³¹ Solomon^[af] also provided doors, lintels, and five-sided doorposts for the entrance to the inner sanctuary. ³² He installed two doors made of olive wood, inlaying them with carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and blooming flowers, and overlaying them with gold. Then he added more gold to cover the cherubim and palm trees.

³³ Solomon^[ag] also provided four-sided doorposts made of cypress wood for the entrance to the outer sanctuary, ³⁴ along with two doors of cypress wood, one door of which had two leaves that turned on hinges, as did the other door, which also had two leaves that turned on hinges.

³⁵ Solomon^[ah] also inlaid the doors with^[ai] cherubim, palm trees, and blooming flowers. He overlaid them with gold that was carefully^[aj] applied on the engraved work. ³⁶ He constructed the inner court with three rows of precut stone and a row of cedar beams.

Temple Construction is Completed

³⁷ The foundation for the Lord’s Temple was laid in the month of Ziv during the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, ³⁸ and the Temple was completely finished according to its plans and specifications in the eighth month of the eleventh year of Solomon’s^[ak] reign, that is, during the month of Bul. It took about seven years to build.

Solomon’s Palace

7 But Solomon took thirteen years to build his own palace, and finally finished it. ² He built his own palace out of timber supplied from the forest of Lebanon. It was 100 cubits^[al] long, 50 cubits^[am] wide, 20 cubits^[an] tall, and was constructed on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams interlocking the pillars. ³ There were 45 pillars paneled with cedar above the side chambers, with rows of fifteen pillars, ⁴ with three rows of framed windows facing each other in three ranks. ⁵ All the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames, with the doorways facing each other in three tiers. ⁶ There was also a hall of pillars 50 cubits^[ao] long and 30 cubits^[ap] wide, and a porch in front with pillars, and a canopy in front of the pillars.^{[aq] 7} He constructed the Judgment Hall for the throne room where he would be ruling, paneling it with cedar from floor to ceiling.^{[ar] 8} Solomon’s^[as] personal dwelling quarters, a separate court behind the hall, was of similar workmanship. Solomon^[at] also built a house similar to this for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Solomon had married.

⁹ All of these were made with expensive stones, pre-cut according to specifications, hand-sawed inside and out from the foundation to the coping, including from inside to the great court. ¹⁰ The foundation was made of expensive stone, including large stones ten cubits^[au] long and stones eight cubits^[av] long. ¹¹ Above these were expensive stones cut according to specifications, and cedar. ¹² So the great court was surrounded by three rows of cut stone, along with a row of cedar beams, just like the inner court of the Lord’s Temple and the porch surrounding the Temple.

Contributions by Hiram the Bronzeworker^(C)

¹³ King Solomon sent for Hiram^[aw] from Tyre, ¹⁴ the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, whose father was from Tyre. A bronze worker, he was wise, knowledgeable, and was skilled in all sorts of bronze working. He went to King Solomon and did all of his work.

¹⁵ He fashioned two bronze pillars, each one eighteen cubits^[ax] high, with a circumference of twelve cubits.^{[ay] 16} He also crafted two capitals of cast bronze and set them on top of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits,^[az] and the height of the other capital was five cubits.^{[ba] 17} A network of latticework on top of the pillars was inlaid with ornamental wreaths and chains, the top of each pillar containing seven groups of ornamental structures. ¹⁸ The pillars contained two rows of ornaments shaped like pomegranates around the latticework covering the top of each pillar. ¹⁹ The capitals on top of each pillar above the rounded latticework contained four cubits^[bb] of lily designs, ²⁰ with the capitals on the two pillars covered by 200 pomegranates in rows around both the capitals above and adjoining the rounded latticework. ²¹ That’s how he designed the pillars at the portico of the sanctuary. When he set up the right pillar, he named it Jachin.^[bc] When he set up the left pillar, he named it Boaz.^{[bd] 22} The work on the pillars was finished with a lily design on top of the pillars.

The Bronze Sea

²³ Hiram^[be] also made a sea of cast metal ten cubits^[bf] from brim to brim, circular in shape and five cubits^[bg] and 30 cubits^[bh] in its inner circumference. ²⁴ Under the brim, completely encircling it, were two rows of gourds inlaid as part of the original casting, ten to a cubit.^{[bi] 25} The sea stood on top of twelve oxen. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east. The sea was set on top of them, and their hind parts faced the center.^{[bj] 26} The reservoir, which held about 2,000 baths,^[bk] stood about a handbreadth^[bl] thick, and its rim looked like the brim of a cup or of a lily blossom.

The Ten Water Carts

²⁷ Hiram^[bm] also made ten bronze water carts.^[bn] Each one was four cubits^[bo] wide, four cubits long,^[bp] and three cubits^[bq] high. ²⁸ The carts were designed with borders between cross-pieces, ²⁹ and on the borders between the cross-pieces were lions, oxen, and cherubim. A pedestal was placed above the cross-pieces, and beneath the lions and oxen there were wreaths hanging down. ³⁰ Each cart had four bronze wheels equipped with bronze axles with four support feet. Beneath the basin were cast support structures made like wreaths on each side. ³¹ The opening to each water cart inside the crown on top was one cubit^[br] wide, with engravings on the opening. The borders to the frames surrounding the opening were square, not round. ³² The four wheels were placed underneath the borders, and the axles for the wheels were on the stand. Each wheel stood one and a half cubits^[bs] high. ³³ The wheels resembled those of a chariot, with their axles, rims, spokes, and hubs made of cast bronze. ³⁴ Four supports stood at the four corners of each cart, built into the carts themselves. ³⁵ On top of each stand was a circular structure one half of one cubit^[bt] high, with its braces and support frames integral with it, forming a single piece. ³⁶ Hiram^[bu] engraved ornamental cherubim, lions, and palm trees on the surfaces of the supports and frames wherever there was space to do so, and encircled the artwork with wreaths. ³⁷ He made ten identical water carts by using the same plans, castings, and shapes for all of them.

The Other Bronze Implements

³⁸ Hiram^[bv] also fashioned ten bronze basins, each holding about 40 baths,^[bw] each basin measuring four cubits^[bx] in diameter,^[by] with one basin for each stand. ³⁹ He set five of the stands on the right side of the Temple and five on the left side of the Temple. He set the bronze sea on the right side of the Temple eastward facing the south. ⁴⁰ Hiram also made the basins, shovels, and bowls to complete the work that he performed for King Solomon in the Lord’s Temple, ⁴¹ including the two pillars and the bowls for the capitals that stood on top of the two pillars, along with the two lattices that covered the two bowls of the capitals that stood on top of the pillars, ⁴² plus the 400 pomegranates for the two lattices (that is, the two rows of pomegranates for each lattice to cover the two bowls of the capitals that stood on top of the pillars), ⁴³ the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands, ⁴⁴ the single bronze^[bz] sea and the twelve oxen that stood under the sea, ⁴⁵ and the pots, shovels, and bowls—all of these utensils that Hiram made for King Solomon for the Lord’s Temple were made from polished bronze.

⁴⁶ The king had them cast in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan in the Jordan plain. ⁴⁷ Solomon never inventoried the weight of the bronze used, because there were too many utensils, so the weight of the bronze used was never ascertained. ⁴⁸ Solomon made all the furnishings that were placed in the Lord’s Temple, including the golden altar and the golden table on which the bread of the Presence was placed, ⁴⁹ along with the lamp stands (five on the right side and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary), all made of pure gold, as well as the flower blossoms, lamps, and tongs of gold, ⁵⁰ and the cups, snuffers, bowls, spoons, and the fire pans, all made of pure gold, and hinges for the doors of the inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place, and for the gates of the Temple that led to the nave, also of gold.

⁵¹ Thus all the work that King Solomon performed in the Lord’s Temple was finished. Then Solomon brought in the articles that had been dedicated by his father David, including silver, gold, and other utensils, and he placed them into storage in the treasuries of the Lord’s Temple.

The Temple is Dedicated^(D)

8 Then Solomon gathered together the elders of Israel, including all the heads of the tribes and the leaders of the ancestral households of the Israelis, to meet with him in Jerusalem so they could bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Zion, the City of David. ² So all the men gathered together to meet with King Solomon at the Festival of Tents^[ca] in the month Ethanim, the seventh month. ³ All the Elders of Israel showed up, and the priests picked up the ark ⁴ and brought it, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy implements that were in the tent. The priests and descendants of Levi carried them up to Jerusalem.^[cb]

⁵ King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel that had assembled to be with him stood in front of the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they were neither counted nor inventoried. ⁶ After this, the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to the place prepared for it, into the inner sanctuary of the Temple, under the wings of the cherubim in the Most Holy Place. ⁷ The wings of the cherubim spread over the resting place for the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles when viewed^[cc] from above. ⁸ The poles extended so far that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside. They remain there to this day. ⁹ The ark was empty except for the two stone tablets that Moses had placed there at Horeb when the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelis after they had come out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁰ When the priests left the Holy Place after setting the ark in place,^[cd] the cloud filled the Lord’s Temple ¹¹ so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, since the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s Temple.

Solomon’s Speech of Dedication^(E)

¹² Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives shrouded in darkness. ¹³ Now I have been constructing a magnificent Temple dedicated to you that will serve as a place for you to inhabit forever.”

¹⁴ Then the king turned to face the entire congregation of Israel while the congregation of Israel remained standing. ¹⁵ Then Solomon^[ce] prayed:

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication^(F)

²² Then Solomon took his place in front of the Lord’s altar in the presence of the entire congregation of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven, ²³ and said:

Solomon’s Blessing to the Assembly^(G)

⁵⁴ When Solomon had completed saying this entire prayer to the Lord, he got up from kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven in the presence of the Lord’s altar, ⁵⁵ stood up, and blessed all of the assembly of Israel in a loud voice. He said:

Solomon’s Initial Offerings^(H)

⁶² Then the king and all of Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord. ⁶³ Solomon offered peace offerings to the Lord consisting of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the Israelis dedicated the Lord’s Temple. ⁶⁴ That same day, the king consecrated the middle court that stood in front of the Lord’s Temple, because that was where he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and fat from the peace offerings and because the bronze altar that was in the Lord’s presence was too small to hold the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and fat from the peace offerings. ⁶⁵ So Solomon observed the Festival of Tents^[dn] at that time, as did all of Israel with him. A large assembly came up from as far away as Lebo-hamath and the Wadi^[do] of Egypt to appear in the presence of the Lord our God, not just for seven days, but for seven days after that, a total of fourteen days. ⁶⁶ The following^[dp] day, Solomon^[dq] sent the people away as they blessed the king. Then they went back to their tents, rejoicing and glad for all the good things that the Lord had done for his servant David and to his people Israel.

God Appears to Solomon^(I)

9 Later, after Solomon had finished building the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, and everything else that Solomon wanted to do, ² the Lord appeared to Solomon for a second time, just as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. ³ The Lord told him:

Solomon Cedes Cities to Hiram

¹⁰ It took 20 years for Solomon to finish working on the two houses—the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace— ¹¹ after which King Solomon gave Hiram 20 cities in the land of Galilee, because King Hiram of Tyre had provided Solomon with as much cedar, cypress timber, and gold as he wanted. ¹² Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities that Solomon had given him, but he wasn’t happy with them, ¹³ so he asked him, “What are these cities that you have given to me, my brother?” That’s why these cities were named “the land of Cabal”^[ds] to this day. ¹⁴ Then Hiram paid the king 120 talents^[dt] of gold.

Solomon’s Other Accomplishments^(J)

¹⁵ Here is a summary of the conscripted labor that King Solomon required to build the Lord’s Temple, his royal palace, the terrace ramparts in the City of David,^[du] the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. ¹⁶ Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer, burned it down, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and then gave it as a dowry for his daughter, Solomon’s wife. ¹⁷ So Solomon rebuilt Gezer, lower Beth-horon, ¹⁸ Baalath, and Tamar in the wilderness, ¹⁹ along with the storage cities that Solomon used for his chariots and for his cavalry, everything that Solomon felt like building in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in every territory under his control.

²⁰ The people who survived from the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not related to the Israelis, ²¹ and whose descendants had survived them and continued to live in the land because the Israelis were unable to completely eliminate them, Solomon placed under conscripted labor, a situation that remains in effect to this day. ²² However, Solomon did not force Israelis into conscripted labor, but they did serve as his soldiers, servants, princes, captains, chariot commanders, and cavalry. ²³ There were 550 chief officers who supervised Solomon’s activities and managed the staff that was doing the work.

²⁴ As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter arrived from the City of David to live in her house that Solomon^[dv] had built for her, then he fortified the terrace ramparts in the City of David.^{[dw] 25} Three times every year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar that he had built to the Lord, burning incense with the offerings in the presence of the Lord.

This concludes the record of the Temple construction.

Solomon’s Business Ventures^(K)

²⁶ King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Reed^[dx] Sea in the land of Edom. ²⁷ Hiram sent his servants to sail with the fleet, since they were expert seamen, and so they accompanied Solomon’s servants. ²⁸ They sailed as far as Ophir^[dy] and brought back 420 talents^[dz] of gold for Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon^(L)

10 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon’s reputation with the Lord, she came to test him^[ea] with difficult questions. ² She brought along a large retinue, camels laden with spices, and lots of gold and precious stones. Upon her arrival, she spoke with Solomon about everything that was on her mind.^{[eb] 3} Solomon answered all of her questions. Nothing was hidden from Solomon that he did not explain to her. ⁴ When the queen of Sheba had seen all of Solomon’s wisdom for herself, the palace that he had built, ⁵ the food set at his table, his servants who sat with him, his ministers in attendance and how they were dressed, his personal staff^[ec] and how they were dressed, and even his personal stairway by which he went up to the Lord’s Temple, she was breathless!

⁶ “Everything I heard about your wisdom and what you have to say is true!” she gasped, ⁷ “but I didn’t believe it at first! But then I came here and I’ve seen it for myself! It’s amazing! I wasn’t told half of what’s really great about your wisdom. You’re far better in person than what the reports have said about you! ⁸ How blessed are your staff! And how blessed are your employees,^[ed] who serve you continuously and get to listen to your wisdom! ⁹ And blessed be the Lord your God, who is delighted with you! He set you in place on the throne of Israel because the Lord loved Israel forever. That’s why he made you to be king, so you could carry out justice and implement righteousness.”

¹⁰ Then she gave the king 120 talents^[ee] of gold, a vast quantity of spices, and precious stones. No spices ever came again that were comparable to those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. ¹¹ Hiram’s ships that brought gold from Ophir,^[ef] also brought from Ophir^[eg] lots of algum wood^[eh] and precious stones. ¹² The king used the algum wood^[ei] to have supports made for the Lord’s Temple and for the royal palace, as well as lyres and harps for the choir,^[ej] and nothing like that wood^[ek] has ever come again or even been seen since right to this day. ¹³ In return, King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and had requested in addition to what he had given her consistent with his generosity. Afterward, she returned to her own land with her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth^(M)

¹⁴ Solomon’s annual revenue was 666 talents^[el] of gold, ¹⁵ not including revenue from traders, merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land. ¹⁶ King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, overlaying each large shield with the gold from 600 gold pieces,^{[em] 17} and 300 shields from beaten gold, overlaying each shield with the gold from 300 gold pieces.^[en] The king put them in his palace in the Lebanon forest. ¹⁸ The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. ¹⁹ Six steps led up to the throne, which had a round canopy fastened to the rear of the throne and armrests on each side of the seat and two lions standing on either side of each armrest. ²⁰ Twelve lions were placed on both sides of the six steps leading to the throne,^[eo] and nothing comparable was made for any other^[ep] kingdoms. ²¹ All of King Solomon’s drinking vessels were made of^[eq] gold, and all the vessels in his palace in the Lebanon forest were made of^[er] pure gold. None were of silver, because silver was never considered to be valuable during Solomon’s lifetime, ²² because the king had ships that sailed to Tarshish accompanied by Hiram’s ships. Once every three years ships from Tarshish returned, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. ²³ As a result, King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in regards to wealth and wisdom. ²⁴ All the earth continued to seek audiences with Solomon so they could hear the wise things that God had put in his heart. ²⁵ Everyone kept on bringing gifts on an annual basis, including items made of silver and gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules. ²⁶ Solomon accumulated chariots and cavalry. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 cavalry soldiers. He stationed them in various chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The king made silver as common as^[es] stones in Jerusalem, and made cedar trees as abundant as sycamore^[et] trees in the Shephelah.^{[eu] 28} Solomon imported horses from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s buyers procured them at market price from Kue. ²⁹ A chariot from Egypt cost 600 pieces^[ev] of silver, and a horse 150 pieces of silver,^[ew] but then they were exported to all the Hittite kings and to the Aramean kings.

Solomon’s Forbidden Marriages and Idolatry^(N)

11 But King Solomon married^[ex] many foreign women besides the daughter of Pharaoh: women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidonia, along with Hittite women, too, ² all of them from nations that the Lord had ordered the Israelis, “You are not to associate with^[ey] them and they are not to associate with you, because they will most certainly turn your affections^[ez] away to follow their gods.” Solomon became deeply attached to them by falling in love. ³ He had 700 princess wives and 300 mistresses^[fa] who^[fb] turned his heart away from the Lord,^{[fc] 4} because as Solomon grew older, his wives turned his affections away after other gods, and his heart was not fully as devoted to the Lord his God as his father David’s heart had been. ⁵ Solomon pursued Astarte, the Sidonian goddess, and Milcom, that detestable Ammonite idol. ⁶ Solomon practiced what the Lord considered to be evil by not fully following the Lord, as had his father David. ⁷ Later, Solomon even constructed a high place on the mountain east of Jerusalem that was dedicated to Chemosh, that detestable Moabite idol, and to Molech, the detestable Ammonite idol. ⁸ Solomon^[fd] did this for all of his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their own gods.

⁹ The Lord became angry at Solomon because his heart wandered away from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice^{[fe] 10} and warned him about this so he would not pursue other gods. But he did not obey what the Lord had commanded, ¹¹ so the Lord told Solomon, “Because you have done this and haven’t kept my covenant and statutes that I commanded you, I’m going to tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant. ¹² I’m not going to do this during your lifetime, for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of your son’s control.^{[ff] 13} For the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, I won’t tear away the entire kingdom. I’ll leave one tribe for your son to govern.”^[fg]

Solomon’s Enemies

¹⁴ After this, the Lord allowed^[fh] Hadad the Edomite to oppose Solomon. He was part of the royal line of Edom. ¹⁵ During David’s military campaign against Edom, when his army commander Joab had gone out to bury the dead, he killed every male in Edom. ¹⁶ Joab had his entire army of Israel stay there for six months until he had eliminated every male in Edom.

¹⁷ But Hadad escaped to Egypt in the company of some of his father’s Edomite servants, while Hadad was still a little child. ¹⁸ They left Midian, arrived in Paran, and left from Paran with some men and traveled on to Egypt, where Pharaoh, king of Egypt, gave him a house to live in, assigned a food allotment to him, and gave him some land. ¹⁹ Hadad won the affection of the Pharaoh, who gave permission for Hadad to marry the sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes. ²⁰ Queen Tahpenes’ sister bore him his son Genubath, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s palace while Genubath lived in Pharaoh’s palace with the Pharaoh’s own sons.

²¹ Later on, Hadad learned in Egypt that David had been buried^[fi] with his ancestors and that Joab the army commander was dead. So Hadad asked Pharaoh, “Please send me out so I can go back to my own land.”

²² Pharaoh asked him, “But have you lacked anything from me that would make you want to go back to your own country?”

“No,” he answered, “but I still really must leave.”

²³ God also raised up Eliada’s son Rezon, who had escaped from his master King Hadadezer of Zobah. ²⁴ He raised an army and commanded a gang of raiders after David had eliminated those who lived in Zobah. Rezon and his army^[fj] moved to Damascus, remained there, and Rezon ruled from Damascus. ²⁵ He opposed Israel during Solomon’s entire reign, in addition to all of the evil things that Hadad did. Rezon^[fk] also hated Israel while he reigned over Aram.

Jeroboam Rebels against Solomon

²⁶ Solomon had a servant, Nebat’s son Jeroboam, who was an Ephraimite from Zeredah. His widowed mother was named Zeruah. Jeroboam rebelled against Solomon, ²⁷ and this is why he rose in rebellion against the king: Solomon had built up the terrace ramparts^[fl] in the city of his father David in order to repair a weakness. ²⁸ Jeroboam was a valiant soldier, and because Solomon observed that the young man was able to get things done, he set him in charge over all of the conscripted labor from the household of Joseph. ²⁹ During that time, Jeroboam left Jerusalem and the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road. Ahijah had wrapped himself up in a new cloak, and both of them were alone on the open road. ³⁰ Ahijah grabbed the new cloak that he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces! ³¹ Then he told Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, because this is what the Lord God of Israel says:

⁴⁰ That’s why Solomon tried to execute Jeroboam, but Jeroboam got up and fled to Egypt, where he lived as a guest of King Shishak and remained until Solomon had died.

The Death of Solomon^(O)

⁴¹ Now the rest of Solomon’s accomplishments, including everything else he did, as well as records of^[fs] his wisdom, are recorded in the Book of the Acts of Solomon, are they not? ⁴² Solomon reigned over all of Israel from Jerusalem for a total of 40 years. ⁴³ Then Solomon died, as had^[ft] his ancestors, and he was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

Secession of the Northern Tribes^(P)

12 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem because all of Israel went there to install him as king. ² Nebat’s son Jeroboam heard about it while he was still in Egypt, where he had fled to get away from King Solomon. Jeroboam returned from Egypt ³ after being summoned. When Jeroboam and the entire assembly of Israel arrived, they spoke to Rehoboam, ⁴ “Your father made our burdens unbearable.^[fu] Therefore lighten your father’s requirements and his heavy burdens that he placed on us, and we’ll serve you.”

⁵ “Come again in three days,” Rehoboam^[fv] told them. So the people left ⁶ while King Rehoboam conferred with his advisors who had worked for his father Solomon during his administration. He asked them, “What is your advice as to how I should respond to these people?”

⁷ They advised him, “If today you are a servant, you will serve this people by answering them and speaking kindly to them. Then they will serve you forever.”

⁸ But Rehoboam^[fw] ignored the counsel that his elder advisors had given him. Instead, he consulted the younger men who had grown up with him and who worked for^[fx] him. ⁹ As a result, he asked them, “What’s your advice so that we can give an answer to these people who have asked me, ‘Please lighten the burden that your father put on us.’?”

¹⁰ “This is what you should tell these people who asked you ‘Your father made our burden heavy, but you must make it lighter for us!’” the young men who grew up with Rehoboam^[fy] replied. “Tell them, ‘My little finger will be thicker than my father’s whole body!^{[fz] 11} Not only that, but since my father loaded you down heavily, I’m going to add to that burden. My father disciplined you with whips, but I’m going to discipline you with scorpions!’”

¹² So Jeroboam and all the people went back to Rehoboam on the third day, just as they had been directed when the king said, “Come back again in three days.” ¹³ But the king gave the people a harsh response, because he was ignoring the counsel that his elders had given him. ¹⁴ Instead, Rehoboam^[ga] spoke to them along the lines of what the younger men suggested. He told them, “My father burdened you heavily, but I will add to that burden. If my father disciplined you with whips, I’m going to discipline you with scorpions!”

¹⁵ The king would not listen to the people, because the turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill his prediction that the Lord spoke by means of Ahijah the Shilonite to Nebat’s son Jeroboam. ¹⁶ When all of Israel saw that the king wasn’t listening to them, the people responded to the king’s message, “What’s the point in following David? We have no inheritance in the descendants of Jesse. Let’s go home,^[gb] Israel! David, take care of your own household!’ So Israel left for home.^{[gc] 17} And so Rehoboam ruled over the Israelis who lived in the cities of Judah.

¹⁸ King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of conscripted labor, but all of Israel stoned him to death, and King Rehoboam had to jump in his chariot and flee back in a hurry to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ That’s how Israel came to be in rebellion against David’s dynasty to this day.

Jeroboam Reigns over Israel^(Q)

²⁰ Now when all of Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent for him and invited him to visit their assembly, where they installed him as king over all of Israel. Nobody (with the sole exception of the tribe of Judah) would align with David’s dynasty. ²¹ As soon as Rehoboam returned to Jerusalem, he assembled 180,000 elite soldiers from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, intending to attack the dynasty of Israel and restore the kingdom to Solomon’s son Rehoboam. ²² But a message from God came to Shemaiah, a man of God: ²³ “Tell Solomon’s son Rehoboam, king of Judah, all the dynasty of Judah, Benjamin, and the rest of the people, ²⁴ ‘This is what the Lord says: “You are not to fight or even approach your fellow Israelis in battle. Every soldier is to return to his own home, because this development comes from me.”’” So they listened to what the Lord had to say and returned home,^[gd] just as the Lord had directed.

Jeroboam’s Idolatry

²⁵ Later on, Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. He also expanded from there and built Penuel. ²⁶ Jeroboam was thinking to himself, “The kingdom is about to return to David’s control.^{[ge] 27} If these people keep going up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord there, the hearts of these people will return to their lord, King Rehoboam of Judah. Then they’ll kill me and return to Rehoboam, king of Judah!” ²⁸ So the king sought some advice and then built two golden calves and announced, “It’s too difficult for you to travel to Jerusalem. So here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!” ²⁹ He set one of them in Bethel and placed the other one in Dan. ³⁰ Doing this was sinful, because the people traveled as far as Dan to appear before one of their idols.^{[gf] 31} Jeroboam^[gg] built temples on the high places, and appointed his own priests from the fringe elements of the people who were not descendants of Levi.

³² Jeroboam invented a festival for the fifteenth day of the eighth month similar to the festival that takes place in Judah. He approached the altar that he had set up in Bethel and sacrificed to the calves that he had made, having stationed in Bethel the priests that he had appointed. ³³ Then, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, he went up to burn incense on the altar that he had set up in Bethel, thus beginning the festival that he had made up out of his own heart for the Israelis.