Solomon’s Unfaithfulness to God

11 King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter:(A) Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women(B) from the nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn your heart away to follow their gods.”(C) To these women Solomon was deeply attached[a] in love. He had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred who were concubines,(D) and they turned his heart away.(E)

When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father David had been.(F) Solomon followed Ashtoreth,(G) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom,(H) the abhorrent idol of the Ammonites.(I) Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not remain loyal to the Lord.

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

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

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

Solomon’s Enemies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Solomon’s Death

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

Footnotes

  1. 11:2 Lit Solomon clung
  2. 11:7 Lit Molech
  3. 11:11 Lit “Since this was with you
  4. 11:19 Lit Hadad found much favor in Pharaoh’s eyes
  5. 11:24 LXX; Hb reads They
  6. 11:25 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr read Edom
  7. 11:36 Or dominion
  8. 11:38–39 LXX omits and I will give... but not forever

Christian Humility

If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love,(A) if any fellowship with the Spirit,(B) if any affection and mercy,(C) make my joy complete by thinking the same way,(D) having the same love,(E) united in spirit, intent on one(F) purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition(G) or conceit,(H) but in humility(I) consider others as more important(J) than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests,(K) but rather to the interests of others.(L)

Christ’s Humility and Exaltation

Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,

who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God(M)
as something to be exploited.[a]
Instead he emptied himself(N)
by assuming the form of a servant,(O)
taking on the likeness of humanity.(P)
And when he had come as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.(Q)
For this reason God highly exalted him(R)
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow(S)
in heaven(T) and on earth
and under the earth(U)
11 and every tongue(V) will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory(W) of God the Father.

Lights in the World

12 Therefore, my dear friends,(X) just as you have always obeyed,(Y) so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling(Z) and arguing,(AA) 15 so that you may be blameless(AB) and pure,(AC) children of God who are faultless(AD) in a crooked(AE) and perverted(AF) generation,(AG) among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word(AH) of life. Then I can boast(AI) in the day of Christ(AJ) that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out(AK) as a drink offering(AL) on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus(AM) to send Timothy(AN) to you soon so that I too may be encouraged by news about you. 20 For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; 21 all seek their own interests,(AO) not those of Jesus Christ.(AP) 22 But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. 23 Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 I am confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon.(AQ)

25 But I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus(AR)—my brother, coworker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need(AS) 26 since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. 27 Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 For this reason, I am very eager to send him so that you may rejoice again when you see him and I may be less anxious. 29 Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with great joy and hold people like him in honor, 30 because he came close to death for the work(AT) of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me.

Footnotes

  1. 2:6 Or to be grasped, or to be held on to

Inside the Temple

41 Next he brought me into the great hall and measured the jambs;(A) on each side the width of the jamb was 10½ feet.[a][b] The width of the entrance was 17½ feet,[c] and the side walls of the entrance were 8¾ feet[d] wide on each side. He also measured the length of the great hall, 70 feet,[e] and the width, 35 feet.[f](B) He went inside the next room and measured the jambs at the entrance;(C) they were 3½ feet[g] wide. The entrance was 10½ feet wide, and the width of the entrance’s side walls on each side[h] was 12¼ feet.[i] He then measured the length of the room adjacent to the great hall, 35 feet, and the width, 35 feet.(D) And he said to me, “This is the most holy place.”(E)

Outside the Temple

Then he measured the wall of the temple; it was 10½ feet thick. The width of the side rooms all around the temple was 7 feet.[j](F) The side rooms were arranged one above another in three stories of thirty rooms each.[k] There were ledges on the wall of the temple all around to serve as supports for the side rooms, so that the supports would not be in the temple wall itself.(G) The side rooms surrounding the temple widened at each successive story, for the structure surrounding the temple went up by stages. This was the reason for the temple’s broadness as it rose. And so, one would go up from the lowest story to the highest by means of the middle one.[l](H)

I saw that the temple had a raised platform surrounding it; this foundation for the side rooms was 10½ feet high.[m](I) The thickness of the outer wall of the side rooms was 8¾ feet. The free space between the side rooms of the temple 10 and the outer chambers was 35 feet wide all around the temple.(J) 11 The side rooms opened into the free space, one entrance toward the north and another to the south. The area of free space was 8¾ feet wide all around.

12 Now the building that faced the temple yard toward the west was 122½ feet[n] wide. The wall of the building was 8¾ feet thick on all sides, and the building’s length was 157½ feet.[o]

13 Then the man measured the temple; it was 175 feet[p] long.(K) In addition, the temple yard and the building, including its walls, were 175 feet long. 14 The width of the front of the temple along with the temple yard to the east was 175 feet. 15 Next he measured the length of the building facing the temple yard to the west, with its galleries[q] on each side;(L) it was 175 feet.

Interior Wooden Structures

The interior of the great hall and the porticoes of the court— 16 the thresholds, the beveled windows,(M) and the balconies all around with their three levels opposite the threshold—were overlaid with wood on all sides.(N) They were paneled from the ground to the windows (but the windows were covered), 17 reaching to the top of the entrance, and as far as the inner temple and on the outside. On every wall all around, on the inside and outside, was a pattern 18 carved with cherubim and palm trees.(O) There was a palm tree between each pair of cherubim.(P) Each cherub had two faces: 19 a human face turned toward the palm tree on one side,(Q) and a lion’s face turned toward it on the other. They were carved throughout the temple on all sides. 20 Cherubim and palm trees were carved from the ground to the top of the entrance and on the wall of the great hall.

21 The doorposts of the great hall were square,(R) and the front of the sanctuary had the same appearance. 22 The altar was[r] made of wood, 5¼ feet[s] high and 3½ feet long.[t] It had corners, and its length[u] and sides were of wood.(S) The man told me, “This is the table that stands before the Lord.”(T)

23 The great hall and the sanctuary each had a double door,(U) 24 and each of the doors had two swinging panels.(V) There were two panels for one door and two for the other. 25 Cherubim and palm trees were carved on the doors of the great hall like those carved on the walls. There was a wooden canopy[v](W) outside, in front of the portico. 26 There were beveled windows and palm trees on both sides,(X) on the side walls of the portico, the side rooms of the temple, and the canopies.[w]

Footnotes

  1. 41:1 LXX; MT reads jambs; they were 10½ feet wide on each side—the width of the tabernacle
  2. 41:1 Lit six cubits, also in vv. 3,5
  3. 41:2 Lit 10 cubits
  4. 41:2 Lit five cubits, also in vv. 9,11,12
  5. 41:2 Lit 40 cubits
  6. 41:2 Lit 20 cubits, also in vv. 4,10
  7. 41:3 Lit two cubits, also in v. 22
  8. 41:3 LXX; MT reads width of the entrance
  9. 41:3 Lit seven cubits
  10. 41:5 Lit four cubits
  11. 41:6 Lit another three and thirty times
  12. 41:7 Hb obscure
  13. 41:8 Lit a full rod of six cubits of a joint; Hb obscure
  14. 41:12 Lit 70 cubits
  15. 41:12 Lit 90 cubits
  16. 41:13 Lit 100 cubits
  17. 41:15 Or ledges
  18. 41:21–22 Or and in front of the sanctuary was something that looked like 22 an altar
  19. 41:22 Lit three cubits
  20. 41:22 LXX reads long and 3½ feet wide
  21. 41:22 LXX reads base
  22. 41:25 Hb obscure
  23. 41:26 Hb obscure

Psalm 92

God’s Love and Faithfulness

A psalm. A song for the Sabbath day.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praise to your name, Most High,(A)
to declare your faithful love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night,(B)
with a ten-stringed harp[a]
and the music of a lyre.(C)

For you have made me rejoice, Lord,
by what you have done;
I will shout for joy
because of the works of your hands.(D)
How magnificent are your works, Lord,
how profound your thoughts!(E)
A stupid person does not know,
a fool does not understand this:(F)
though the wicked sprout like grass(G)
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be eternally destroyed.(H)
But you, Lord, are exalted forever.(I)
For indeed, Lord, your enemies—
indeed, your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.(J)
10 You have lifted up my horn(K)
like that of a wild ox;
I have been anointed[b] with the finest oil.(L)
11 My eyes look at my enemies;
when evildoers rise against me,
my ears hear them.(M)

12 The righteous thrive like a palm tree
and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon.(N)
13 Planted in the house of the Lord,
they thrive in the courts of our God.(O)
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
healthy and green,(P)
15 to declare, “The Lord is just;
he is my rock,
and there is no unrighteousness in him.”(Q)

Psalm 93

God’s Eternal Reign

The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed, enveloped in strength.
The world is firmly established;
it cannot be shaken.(R)
Your throne has been established
from the beginning;[c]
you are from eternity.(S)
The floods have lifted up, Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their pounding waves.(T)
Greater than the roar of a huge torrent—
the mighty breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is majestic.(U)

Lord, your testimonies are completely reliable;(V)
holiness adorns your house
for all the days to come.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 92:3 Or ten-stringed instrument and a harp
  2. 92:10 Syr reads you have anointed me
  3. 93:2 Lit from then

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