1 Kings 11
Holman Christian Standard Bible
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) 2 from the nations that the Lord had told the Israelites about, “Do not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn you away from Me to their gods.”(C) Solomon was deeply attached to these women and loved them. 3 He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines,(D) and they turned his heart away from the Lord.(E)
4 When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been.(F) 5 Solomon followed Ashtoreth,(G) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom,(H) the detestable idol of the Ammonites.(I) 6 Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not completely follow Yahweh.
7 At that time, Solomon built a high place(J) for Chemosh,(K) the detestable idol of Moab, and for Milcom,[a](L) the detestable idol of the Ammonites, on the hill across from Jerusalem.(M) 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who were burning incense and offering sacrifices to their gods.
9 The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from Yahweh, 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[b] 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 because 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) because of my servant David and because 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 that he gave him a wife, the sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes. 20 Tahpenes’ 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 fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me leave, so I can 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 Hadadezer king of Zobah(X) 24 and gathered men to himself. He became captain of a raiding party when David killed the Zobaites. He[c] 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 ruled over Aram,[d](Z) but he 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 12 pieces,(AF) 31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take 10 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 10 tribes, 32 but one tribe will remain his because of my servant David(AG) and because of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel.(AH) 33 For they have abandoned Me; they have bowed the knee 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 eyes 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 his hand but will let him be ruler all the days of his life because of My servant David, whom I chose and who kept My commands and My statutes. 35 I will take 10 tribes of the kingdom from his son’s hand 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 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.’”[e](AT)
40 Therefore, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam,(AU) but he fled to Egypt,(AV) to Shishak king 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 40 years.(AY) 43 Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam(AZ) became king in his place.(BA)
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 11:7 Lit Molech
- 1 Kings 11:11 Lit Since this was with you
- 1 Kings 11:24 LXX; Hb reads They
- 1 Kings 11:25 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr read Edom
- 1 Kings 11:39 LXX omits and I will give . . . but not forever
1 Kings 11
Wycliffe Bible
11 Forsooth king Solomon loved burningly many alien women, and the daughter of Pharaoh, and women of Moab, and Ammonites, and Idumeans, and Sidonians, and Hittites; (And King Solomon burningly loved many foreign women, including the daughter of Pharaoh, and women of Moab, and of the Ammonites, and Edomites, and Sidonians, and Hittites;)
2 of the folks of which the Lord said to the sons of Israel, Ye shall not enter to those folks, neither any of them shall enter to you; for most certainly they shall turn away your hearts, that ye follow the gods of them. And so king Solomon was coupled to these women, by most burning love (But King Solomon was coupled to these women with a most burning love).
3 And wives as queens were seven hundred to him, and three hundred secondary wives; and the women turned away his heart.
4 And when he was then eld, his heart was depraved by women, that he followed alien gods (And then when he was old, his heart was so depraved by these women, that he followed other gods); and his heart was not perfect with his Lord God, as the heart of David, his father, was perfect.
5 But Solomon worshipped Astarte, the goddess of Sidonians, and Chemosh, the god of Moabites, and Moloch, the idol of Ammonites; (For Solomon worshipped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god of the Ammonites;)
6 and Solomon did that, that pleased not before the Lord, and he full-filled not that he followed the Lord, as David, his father. (and Solomon did what did not please the Lord, and he did not follow fully after the Lord, as his father David did.)
7 Then Solomon builded a temple to Chemosh, the idol of Moab, in the hill which is (over) against Jerusalem, and to Moloch, the idol of the sons of Ammon. (Then on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a temple for Chemosh, the false god of Moab, and for Moloch, the false god of the Ammonites.)
8 And by this manner he did to all his alien wives, the which burnt incenses, and offered to their gods. (And so in this manner he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense, and offered to their gods.)
9 Therefore the Lord was wroth to Solomon, for his soul was turned away from the Lord God of Israel; that appeared to him the second time, (And so the Lord was angry with Solomon; for his soul was turned away from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,)
10 and [had] commanded of this word, that he should not follow alien gods; and he kept not those things, which the Lord commanded to him. (and had commanded this thing, that he should not follow other gods; but he did not obey those things, which the Lord had commanded to him.)
11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, For thou haddest this thing with thee, and keptest not my covenant, and my behests, which I commanded to thee, I shall break, and I shall part thy realm, and I shall give it to thy servant. (And so the Lord said to Solomon, For thou hast done this thing, and did not keep my covenant, and obey my commands, which I commanded to thee, I shall break up, and I shall divide thy kingdom, and I shall give it to thy servant.)
12 Nevertheless I shall not do (it) in thy days, for David, thy father (for the sake of thy father David); I shall cut it (off) from the hand of thy son;
13 neither I shall do away all the realm, but I shall give one lineage to thy son, for David, my servant, and for Jerusalem, which I chose. (nor shall I take away all the kingdom, but I shall give one tribe to thy son, for the sake of my servant David, and for Jerusalem, which I have chosen.)
14 Forsooth the Lord raised to Solomon an adversary, Hadad (the) Idumean, of the king’s seed, that was in Edom. (And the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, of the king’s descendants, who was in Edom, or Idumea.)
15 For when David was in Idumea, and Joab, the prince of his chivalry, had gone up to bury them that were slain, and he had slain each male kind in Idumea; (For when David was in Edom, Joab, the leader of his cavalry, or of his army, had gone to bury those who were killed, after that he had killed each male in Edom;)
16 for Joab, and all Israel, dwelled there by six months, till they had killed each male kind in Idumea; (for Joab, and all Israel, stayed there for six months, until they had killed each male in Edom;)
17 Hadad himself fled, and (some) men of Idumea, of the servants of his father, with him, that he should enter into Egypt; soothly Hadad was a little child. (and Hadad himself had fled, with some Edomites, some of his father’s servants, so that he could escape to Egypt; for Hadad was still a young boy.)
18 And when they had risen from Midian, they came into Paran; and they took with them men of Paran, and entered into Egypt, to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and Pharaoh gave an house to him, and ordained to him meats, and assigned to him land. (And after they had left Midian, they came to Paran; and they took with them men from Paran, and then went to Egypt, unto Pharaoh, the king of Egypt; and Pharaoh gave him a house, and ordained him sustenance, and assigned him some land.)
19 And Hadad found grace before Pharaoh greatly, in so much that Pharaoh gave to him a wife, the sister of his wife, (that is,) the sister of the queen, (the sister) of Tahpenes. (And Hadad found much favour before Pharaoh, so much so that Pharaoh eventually gave him a wife, his own wife’s sister, that is, the sister of Queen Tahpenes.)
20 And the sister of Tahpenes engendered to him a son, Genubath; and Tahpenes nursed him in the house of Pharaoh; and Genubath dwelled before Pharaoh (and Genubath lived with Pharaoh), with the sons of Pharaoh.
21 And when Hadad had heard in Egypt, that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab, the prince of (the) chivalry, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, Suffer thou me, that I go into my land. (And when Hadad had heard in Egypt, that David slept with his forefathers, that is, that he had died, and that Joab, the leader of the cavalry, or of the army, had also died, he said to Pharaoh, Allow me to go back to my own land.)
22 And Pharaoh said to him, And of what thing hast thou need with me, that thou seekest to go to thy land? And he answered, Of nothing; but I beseech thee, that thou deliver me/that thou let me go. (And Pharaoh said to him, And what thing hast thou still need of from me, that thou now seekest to go back to thy own land to get? And he answered, Nothing; but I beseech thee, that thou let me go.)
23 And God raised (up) another adversary to Solomon, Rezon, the son of Eliadah, that fled Hadadezer, king of Zobah, his lord (who fled from Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, his lord);
24 and [he] gathered men against him, and was made the prince of thieves, when David killed them (of Zobah); and they went to Damascus, and dwelled there (and stayed there); and they made him king in Damascus.
25 And he was [an] adversary of Israel in all the days of Solomon; and this is (besides) the evil of Hadad, and his hatred against Israel; and he reigned in Syria. (And he was an adversary of Israel in all the days of Solomon, besides the evil that Hadad did; and he hated Israel, and he reigned upon Syria.)
26 (And) Also Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, of Ephraim of Zereda, the servant of Solomon, of which Jeroboam, a woman widow (a widow woman), Zeruah by name, was (his) mother, he (also) raised (up) his hand against the king.
27 And this was [the] cause of (his) rebelty against the king; for Solomon builded Millo, and made even the swallow of the city of David, his father. (And this was the story of his rebellion against the king; it happened when Solomon had built the Millo, and closed the breach in the wall of the City of David, his father.)
28 Forsooth Jeroboam was a mighty man and strong; and Solomon saw the young waxing man (to be) of good kindred, and witting in things to be done, and Solomon made him prefect, either sovereign, upon the tributes of all the house of Joseph. (And Jeroboam was a strong and mighty man; and Solomon saw that the young man was from a good family, and knowing how to do things, and so Solomon made him prefect, or the ruler, over all the taxes, or all the levies, in the house, or the territory, of the tribe of Joseph.)
29 Therefore it was done in that time, that Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem; and Ahijah of Shiloh, a prophet, covered with a new mantle, found him in the way (met him on the way); and they twain were alone in the field.
30 And Ahijah took his new mantle, with which he was covered, and he cut it into twelve parts;
31 and said to Jeroboam, Take to thee ten cuttings of the mantle; for the Lord God of Israel saith these things, Lo! I shall cut (off) the realm from the hand of Solomon, and I shall give to thee ten lineages (and I shall give ten tribes to thee);
32 but one lineage shall dwell to him, for David, my servant, and for Jerusalem, the city which I chose of all the lineages of Israel; (but one tribe shall stay with him, for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel;)
33 this cutting of the realm shall be; for Solomon forsook me, and worshipped Astarte, the goddess of Sidonians, and Chemosh, the god of Moab, and Moloch, the god of the sons of Ammon; and [he] went not in my ways, that he did rightwiseness before me, and my behests, and my dooms, as David, his father, did. (this breaking of his kingdom shall be because Solomon deserted me, and worshipped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god of the Ammonites; and he went not in my ways, so that he did what was right before me, and followed my laws, and my judgements, like his father David did.)
34 And I shall not take away all the realm from his hand, but I shall put him duke in all the days of his life, for David, my servant, whom I chose, which kept my behests, and my commandments. (And I shall not take away the whole kingdom from him, but I shall keep him as the leader in all the days of his life, for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose, who obeyed my laws, and my commandments.)
35 Soothly I shall take away the realm from the hand of his son, and I shall give [the] ten lineages to thee;
36 forsooth I shall give one lineage to his son, that a lantern dwell to David, my servant (so that a light, or a flame, shall remain for my servant David), in all days before me in Jerusalem, the city which I chose, that my name should be there.
37 Forsooth I shall take thee, and thou shalt reign on all things which thy soul desireth, and thou shalt be king upon Israel.
38 Therefore if thou shalt hear all things which I shall command to thee, and if thou shalt go in my ways, and if thou shalt do that, that is rightful before me, and if thou shalt keep my commandments, and my behests, as David, my servant, did, I shall be with thee, and I shall build a faithful house to thee, as I builded an house to David, and I shall give Israel to thee; (And so if thou shalt obey all the things which I shall command to thee, and if thou shalt go in my ways, and if thou shalt do what is right before me, and if thou shalt obey my commandments, and my laws, as my servant David did, I shall be with thee, and I shall build thee a steadfast house, like I built a house for David, and I shall give Israel to thee;)
39 and I shall torment the seed of David on this thing, nevertheless not in all days. (and I shall torment David’s descendants because of this, but not forever.)
40 Therefore Solomon would slay Jeroboam, which rose (who rose up), and fled into Egypt, to Shishak, king of Egypt; and he was in Egypt unto the death of Solomon.
41 Forsooth the residue of the words of Solomon, and all things which he did, and his wisdom, lo! all those things be written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of Solomon.
42 And the days in which Solomon reigned in Jerusalem upon all Israel, be forty years.
43 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David, his father; and Rehoboam, his son, reigned for him.
1 Kings 11
New King James Version
Solomon’s Heart Turns from the Lord
11 But (A)King Solomon loved (B)many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— 2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, (C)“You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, (D)that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his (E)heart was not [a]loyal to the Lord his God, (F)as was the heart of his father David. 5 For Solomon went after (G)Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after (H)Milcom[b] the abomination of the (I)Ammonites. 6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. 7 (J)Then Solomon built a [c]high place for (K)Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on (L)the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. 8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9 So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, (M)who had appeared to him twice, 10 and (N)had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. 11 Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, (O)I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your (P)servant. 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 (Q)However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give (R)one tribe to your son (S)for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem (T)which I have chosen.”
Adversaries of Solomon
14 Now the Lord (U)raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom. 15 (V)For it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, (W)after he had killed every male in Edom 16 (because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel, until he had cut down every male in Edom), 17 that Hadad fled to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him. Hadad was still a little child. 18 Then they arose from Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, apportioned food for him, and gave him land. 19 And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, that is, the sister of Queen Tahpenes. 20 Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh.
21 (X)So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David [d]rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, [e]“Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.”
22 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?”
So he answered, “Nothing, but do let me go anyway.”
23 And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, (Y)Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24 So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, (Z)when David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus. 25 He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
Jeroboam’s Rebellion
26 Then Solomon’s servant, (AA)Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, (AB)also (AC)rebelled against the king.
27 And this is what caused him to rebel against the king: (AD)Solomon had built the Millo and [f]repaired the damages to the City of David his father. 28 The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was (AE)industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.
29 Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet (AF)Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and (AG)tore it into twelve pieces. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for (AH)thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you 32 (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), 33 (AI)because [g]they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David. 34 However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes. 35 But (AJ)I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes. 36 And to his son I will give one tribe, that (AK)My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there. 37 So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38 Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then (AL)I will be with you and (AM)build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. 39 And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ ”
40 Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to (AN)Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
Death of Solomon(AO)
41 Now (AP)the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 42 (AQ)And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43 (AR)Then Solomon [h]rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his (AS)place.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 11:4 Lit. at peace with
- 1 Kings 11:5 Or Molech
- 1 Kings 11:7 A place for pagan worship
- 1 Kings 11:21 Died and joined his ancestors
- 1 Kings 11:21 Lit. Send me away
- 1 Kings 11:27 Lit. closed up the breaches
- 1 Kings 11:33 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. he has
- 1 Kings 11:43 Died and joined his ancestors
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
