Solomon’s Officials and Governors

4 King Solomon now ruled over all Israel,

The Teacher Speaks: The Futility of Wisdom

¹² I, the Teacher, was king of Israel, and I lived in Jerusalem.

³⁰ Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

³⁸ All these men came in battle array to Hebron with the single purpose of making David the king over all Israel. In fact, everyone in Israel agreed that David should be their king.

¹⁹ And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.

²⁰ When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam’s return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family of David.

³⁵ But I will take the kingdom away from his son and give ten of the tribes to you. ³⁶ His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name.

¹³ And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.”

⁵ He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.