1 Kings 11

New International Version

Solomon’s Wives

11 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women^(A) besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites,^(B) Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. ²They 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. ³He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines,^(D) and his wives led him astray.^(E) ⁴As 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. ⁵He followed Ashtoreth^(H) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek^(I) the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁶So Solomon did evil^(J) in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

⁷On 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. ⁸He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

⁹The 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. ¹⁰Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods,^(O) Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.^(P) ¹¹So 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. ¹²Nevertheless, 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. ¹³Yet 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

¹⁴Then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary,^(W) Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. ¹⁵Earlier 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) ¹⁶Joab and all the Israelites stayed there for six months, until they had destroyed all the men in Edom. ¹⁷But Hadad, still only a boy, fled to Egypt with some Edomite officials who had served his father. ¹⁸They 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.

¹⁹Pharaoh was so pleased with Hadad that he gave him a sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, in marriage. ²⁰The 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.

²¹While 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!”

²³And God raised up against Solomon another adversary,^(Z) Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer^(AA) king of Zobah. ²⁴When 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. ²⁵Rezon 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

²⁶Also, 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.

²⁷Here 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. ²⁸Now 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.

²⁹About 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, ³⁰and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore^(AI) it into twelve pieces. ³¹Then 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. ³²But 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. ³³I 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. ³⁵I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes. ³⁶I 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. ³⁷However, 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. ³⁸If 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. ³⁹I will humble David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.’”

⁴⁰Solomon 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)

⁴¹As 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? ⁴²Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. ⁴³Then 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 Kings 11:27 Or the Millo
1 Kings 11:33 Hebrew; Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac because he has

Proverbs 1-2

New International Version

Purpose and Theme

1 The proverbs^(A) of Solomon^(B) son of David, king of Israel:^(C)

²for gaining wisdom and instruction;
    for understanding words of insight;
³for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
    doing what is right and just and fair;
⁴for giving prudence to those who are simple,^[a]^(D)
    knowledge and discretion^(E) to the young—
⁵let the wise listen and add to their learning,^(F)
    and let the discerning get guidance—
⁶for understanding proverbs and parables,^(G)
    the sayings and riddles^(H) of the wise.^[b]^(I)

⁷The fear of the Lord^(J) is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools^[c] despise wisdom^(K) and instruction.^(L)

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

⁸Listen, my son,^(M) to your father’s^(N) instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.^(O)
⁹They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.^(P)

¹⁰My son, if sinful men entice^(Q) you,
    do not give in^(R) to them.^(S)
¹¹If they say, “Come along with us;
    let’s lie in wait^(T) for innocent blood,
    let’s ambush some harmless soul;
¹²let’s swallow^(U) them alive, like the grave,
    and whole, like those who go down to the pit;^(V)
¹³we will get all sorts of valuable things
    and fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴cast lots with us;
    we will all share the loot^(W)”—
¹⁵my son, do not go along with them,
    do not set foot^(X) on their paths;^(Y)
¹⁶for their feet rush into evil,^(Z)
    they are swift to shed blood.^(AA)
¹⁷How useless to spread a net
    where every bird can see it!
¹⁸These men lie in wait^(AB) for their own blood;
    they ambush only themselves!^(AC)
¹⁹Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
    it takes away the life of those who get it.^(AD)

Wisdom’s Rebuke

²⁰Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,^(AE)
she raises her voice in the public square;
²¹on top of the wall^[d] she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:

²²“How long will you who are simple^(AF) love your simple ways?
    How long will mockers delight in mockery
    and fools hate^(AG) knowledge?
²³Repent at my rebuke!
    Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
    I will make known to you my teachings.
²⁴But since you refuse^(AH) to listen when I call^(AI)
    and no one pays attention^(AJ) when I stretch out my hand,
²⁵since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
²⁶I in turn will laugh^(AK) when disaster^(AL) strikes you;
    I will mock^(AM) when calamity overtakes you^(AN)—
²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster^(AO) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

²⁸“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;^(AP)
    they will look for me but will not find me,^(AQ)
²⁹since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.^(AR)
³⁰Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,^(AS)
³¹they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.^(AT)
³²For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;^(AU)
³³but whoever listens to me will live in safety^(AV)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”^(AW)

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

2 My son,^(AX) if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
²turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding^(AY)—
³indeed, if you call out for insight^(AZ)
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,^(BA)
⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.^(BB)
⁶For the Lord gives wisdom;^(BC)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.^(BD)
⁷He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield^(BE) to those whose walk is blameless,^(BF)
⁸for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.^(BG)

⁹Then you will understand^(BH) what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart,^(BI)
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
¹¹Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.^(BJ)

¹²Wisdom will save^(BK) you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
¹³who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,^(BL)
¹⁴who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,^(BM)
¹⁵whose paths are crooked^(BN)
    and who are devious in their ways.^(BO)

¹⁶Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,^(BP)
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
¹⁷who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.^[e]^(BQ)
¹⁸Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.^(BR)
¹⁹None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.^(BS)

²⁰Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹For the upright will live in the land,^(BT)
    and the blameless will remain in it;
²²but the wicked^(BU) will be cut off from the land,^(BV)
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.^(BW)

Footnotes

Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners
Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God