所罗门背弃上帝

11 除了埃及公主以外,所罗门王还宠爱许多外邦女子,有摩押人、亚扪人、以东人、西顿人和赫人。 耶和华曾告诉以色列人不可跟这些外族人通婚,免得受引诱去随从他们的神明,所罗门却迷恋这些女子。 他有七百个妻子,都是外国的公主,还有三百个妃嫔。这些女子使他的心背弃耶和华。 所罗门年老的时候,他的嫔妃诱惑他的心去追随别的神明。他没有像他父亲大卫那样忠心顺服他的上帝耶和华。 所罗门拜西顿人的女神亚斯她录和亚扪人的可憎神明米勒公。 他做了耶和华视为恶的事,没有像他父亲大卫那样忠心顺服耶和华。 在耶路撒冷东面的山上,所罗门为摩押人可憎的神明基抹和亚扪人可憎的神明摩洛修建丘坛。 他又为所有的外邦妃嫔修建丘坛,供她们向自己的神明烧香献祭。

9-10 所罗门背弃了曾两次向他显现的以色列的上帝耶和华,违背耶和华的命令去随从别的神明。所以,耶和华向他发怒, 11 说:“你既然违背我的命令,不遵守我的约和律例,我必夺走你的国,将它赐给你的一个臣仆。 12 然而,因你父大卫的缘故,我不会在你有生之年这样做,我要从你儿子手中把国夺走。 13 但我不会全部夺走,为了我仆人大卫和我拣选的耶路撒冷,我会留下一个支派给你儿子。”

所罗门的敌人

14 耶和华使以东王的后裔哈达兴起,与所罗门为敌。 15 从前大卫征讨以东,元帅约押前去埋葬阵亡的人,将以东的男子都杀了。 16 他率领以色列人在那里住了六个月,直到杀光了以东的男子。 17 那时,哈达年纪还小,他和他父亲的几个以东臣仆一起逃往埃及。 18 他们从米甸逃到巴兰,在那里招聚了一些人,然后又逃到埃及去见埃及王法老。法老赐他粮食、房屋和田地。 19 法老非常喜欢哈达,将王后答比妮的妹妹许配给他。 20 他们生了一个儿子,取名基努拔,由王后在宫中抚养,跟王子们在一起。 21 后来,哈达知道大卫已与祖先同眠,约押元帅也死了,就求法老准他回国。 22 法老问他:“你为什么要回国呢?你在我这里还缺什么吗?”哈达答道:“什么都不缺,但还是求王准我回国。” 23 上帝又使以利亚大的儿子利逊兴起,与所罗门为敌。这人从他主人琐巴王哈大底谢身边逃走后, 24 招聚了一群匪徒,自己做头目。大卫征服琐巴人后,他又前往大马士革,在那里做王。 25 所罗门活着的时候,哈达和利逊不断为患。利逊统治亚兰,他憎恨以色列人。

耶罗波安叛变

26 所罗门的一个臣仆耶罗波安也叛变了。他是以法莲支派洗利达人尼八的儿子,母亲洗鲁阿是个寡妇。 27 以下是他反叛所罗门的缘由:

当年所罗门建造米罗堡,修补大卫城的城墙时, 28 发现年轻的耶罗波安勤奋能干,就提拔他监管约瑟家族的一切工程。

29 有一次,耶罗波安出了耶路撒冷,在路上遇见身披新衣的示罗人亚希雅先知。当时野外只有他们二人。 30 亚希雅将身上的新衣撕作十二片, 31 对耶罗波安说:“你可以拿十片。以色列的上帝耶和华说,‘我必夺走所罗门的国,把十个支派赐给你。 32 然而,为了我仆人大卫和我在以色列众支派中拣选的耶路撒冷城,我会留下一个支派给所罗门。 33 所罗门背弃了我,去祭拜西顿人的女神亚斯她录、摩押的神明基抹、亚扪人的神明米勒公。他没有遵行我的道,没有做我视为正的事,也不像他父亲大卫那样遵守我的律例和典章。 34 然而,我不会夺走他整个国,我会让所罗门终生为王,因为我所拣选的仆人大卫遵守我的诫命和律法。 35 我必从他儿子手中把国夺走,将十个支派赐给你, 36 只给他儿子留下一个支派,好使我仆人大卫有后裔留在我选为居所的耶路撒冷城。 37 我要让你做王,使你如愿地统治以色列。 38 若你像我仆人大卫一样听从我的一切吩咐,遵行我的道,做我视为正的事,遵守我的律例诫命,我就与你同在,巩固你的王朝,像巩固大卫的王朝一样,使你统治以色列。 39 因所罗门的所作所为,我必让大卫的后裔遭难,但不会永远如此。’”

40 所罗门想杀耶罗波安,他就逃到埃及投奔埃及王示撒,在那里一直住到所罗门过世。

41 所罗门的其他事迹、作为和智慧都记在所罗门记上了。 42 所罗门在耶路撒冷统治以色列四十年, 43 他与祖先同眠后葬在他父亲大卫的城里。他儿子罗波安继位。

11 And king Solomon hath loved many strange women, and the daughter of Pharaoh, females of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Zidon, [and] of the Hittites,

of the nations of which Jehovah said unto the sons of Israel, `Ye do not go in to them, and they do not go in to you; surely they turn aside your heart after their gods;' to them hath Solomon cleaved for love.

And he hath women, princesses, seven hundred, and concubines three hundred; and his wives turn aside his heart.

And it cometh to pass, at the time of the old age of Solomon, his wives have turned aside his heart after other gods, and his heart hath not been perfect with Jehovah his God, like the heart of David his father.

And Solomon goeth after Ashtoreth god[dess] of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites;

and Solomon doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and hath not been fully after Jehovah, like David his father.

Then doth Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] on the front of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the sons of Ammon;

and so he hath done for all his strange women, who are perfuming and sacrificing to their gods.

And Jehovah sheweth Himself angry with Solomon, for his heart hath turned aside from Jehovah, God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice,

10 and given a charge unto him concerning this thing, not to go after other gods; and he hath not kept that which Jehovah commanded,

11 and Jehovah saith to Solomon, `Because that this hath been with thee, and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes that I charged upon thee, I surely rend the kingdom from thee, and have given it to thy servant.

12 `Only, in thy days I do it not, for the sake of David thy father; out of the hand of thy son I rend it;

13 only all the kingdom I do not rend away; one tribe I give to thy son, for the sake of David My servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, that I have chosen.'

14 And Jehovah raiseth up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; of the seed of the king [is] he in Edom;

15 and it cometh to pass, in David's being with Edom, in the going up of Joab head of the host to bury the slain, that he smiteth every male in Edom --

16 for six months did Joab abide there, and all Israel, till the cutting off of every male in Edom --

17 and Hadad fleeth, he and certain Edomites, of the servants of his father, with him, to go in to Egypt, and Hadad [is] a little youth,

18 and they rise out of Midian, and come into Paran, and take men with them out of Paran, and come in to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he giveth to him a house, and bread hath commanded for him, and land hath given to him.

19 And Hadad findeth grace in the eyes of Pharaoh exceedingly, and he giveth to him a wife, the sister of his own wife, sister of Tahpenes the mistress;

20 and the sister of Tahpenes beareth to him Genubath his son, and Tahpenes weaneth him within the house of Pharaoh, and Genubath is in the house of Pharaoh in the midst of the sons of Pharaoh.

21 And Hadad hath heard in Egypt that David hath lain with his fathers, and that Joab head of the host is dead, and Hadad saith unto Pharaoh, `Send me away, and I go unto my land.'

22 And Pharaoh saith to him, `But, what art thou lacking with me, that lo, thou art seeking to go unto thine own land?' and he saith, `Nay, but thou dost certainly send me away.'

23 And God raiseth to him an adversary, Rezon son of Eliadah, who hath fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah, his lord,

24 and gathereth unto himself men, and is head of a troop in David's slaying them, and they go to Damascus, and dwell in it, and reign in Damascus;

25 and he is an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, (besides the evil that Hadad [did]), and he cutteth off in Israel, and reigneth over Aram.

26 And Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda -- the name of whose mother [is] Zeruah, a widow woman -- servant to Solomon, he also lifteth up a hand against the king;

27 and this [is] the thing [for] which he lifted up a hand against the king: Solomon built Millo -- he shut up the breach of the city of David his father,

28 and the man Jeroboam [is] mighty in valour, and Solomon seeth the young man that he is doing business, and appointeth him over all the burden of the house of Joseph.

29 And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Jeroboam hath gone out from Jerusalem, and Ahijah the Shilonite, the prophet, findeth him in the way, and he is covering himself with a new garment; and both of them [are] by themselves in a field,

30 and Ahijah layeth hold on the new garment that [is] on him, and rendeth it -- twelve pieces,

31 and saith to Jeroboam, `Take to thee ten pieces, for thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, lo, I am rending the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and have given to thee the ten tribes,

32 and the one tribe he hath for My servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have fixed on, out of all the tribes of Israel.

33 `Because they have forsaken Me, and bow themselves to Ashtoreth, god[dess] of the Zidonians, to Chemosh god of Moab, and to Milcom god of the sons of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways, to do that which [is] right in Mine eyes, and My statutes and My judgments, like David his father.

34 `And I do not take the whole of the kingdom out of his hand, for prince I make him all days of his life, for the sake of David My servant whom I chose, who kept My commands and My statutes;

35 and I have taken the kingdom out of the hand of his son, and given it to thee -- the ten tribes;

36 and to his son I give one tribe, for there being a lamp to David My servant all the days before Me in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen to Myself to put My name there.

37 `And thee I take, and thou hast reigned over all that thy soul desireth, and thou hast been king over Israel;

38 and it hath been, if thou dost hear all that I command thee, and hast walked in My ways, and done that which is right in Mine eyes, to keep My statutes and My commands, as did David My servant, that I have been with thee, and have built for thee a stedfast house, as I built for David, and have given to thee Israel,

39 and I humble the seed of David for this; only, not all the days.'

40 And Solomon seeketh to put Jeroboam to death, and Jeroboam riseth and fleeth to Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and he is in Egypt till the death of Solomon.

41 And the rest of the matters of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written on the book of the matters of Solomon?

42 And the days that Solomon hath reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel [are] forty years,

43 and Solomon lieth with his fathers, and is buried in the city of David his father, and reign doth Rehoboam his son in his stead.

Solomon’s Wives

11 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women(A) besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites,(B) Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry(C) with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines,(D) and his wives led him astray.(E) As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods,(F) and his heart was not fully devoted(G) to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth(H) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek(I) the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil(J) in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

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

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

Solomon’s Adversaries

14 Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary,(W) Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. 15 Earlier when David was fighting with Edom, Joab the commander of the army, who had gone up to bury the dead, had struck down all the men in Edom.(X) 16 Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom. 17 But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father. 18 They set out from Midian and went to Paran.(Y) Then taking people from Paran with them, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.

19 Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. 20 The sister of Tahpenes bore him a son named Genubath, whom Tahpenes brought up in the royal palace. There Genubath lived with Pharaoh’s own children.

21 While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David rested with his ancestors and that Joab the commander of the army was also dead. Then Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.”

22 “What have you lacked here that you want to go back to your own country?” Pharaoh asked.

“Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but do let me go!”

23 And God raised up against Solomon another adversary,(Z) Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer(AA) king of Zobah. 24 When David destroyed Zobah’s army, Rezon gathered a band of men around him and became their leader; they went to Damascus,(AB) where they settled and took control. 25 Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram(AC) and was hostile toward Israel.

Jeroboam Rebels Against Solomon

26 Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled(AD) against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah.

27 Here is the account of how he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the terraces[a](AE) and had filled in the gap in the wall of the city of David his father. 28 Now Jeroboam was a man of standing,(AF) and when Solomon saw how well(AG) the young man did his work, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the tribes of Joseph.

29 About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah(AH) the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way, wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone out in the country, 30 and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore(AI) it into twelve pieces. 31 Then he said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘See, I am going to tear(AJ) the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand and give you ten tribes. 32 But for the sake(AK) of my servant David and the city of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, he will have one tribe. 33 I will do this because they have[b] forsaken me and worshiped(AL) Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Molek the god of the Ammonites, and have not walked(AM) in obedience to me, nor done what is right in my eyes, nor kept my decrees(AN) and laws as David, Solomon’s father, did.

34 “‘But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees. 35 I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes. 36 I will give one tribe(AO) to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp(AP) before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name. 37 However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule(AQ) over all that your heart desires;(AR) you will be king over Israel. 38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right(AS) in my eyes by obeying my decrees(AT) and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty(AU) as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. 39 I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’”

40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled(AV) to Egypt, to Shishak(AW) the king, and stayed there until Solomon’s death.

Solomon’s Death(AX)

41 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign—all he did and the wisdom he displayed—are they not written in the book of the annals of Solomon? 42 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 43 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam(AY) his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 11:27 Or the Millo
  2. 1 Kings 11:33 Hebrew; Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac because he has