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Solomon Turns from Yahweh

11 Now (A)King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which Yahweh had said to the sons of Israel, “(B)You shall not [a]go along with them, nor shall they [b]go along with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. (C)And he had 700 wives—princesses—and 300 concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. Now it happened at the time that Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and (D)his heart was not [c]wholly devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father had been. For Solomon went after (E)Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after [d](F)Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. And Solomon did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and did not follow Yahweh fully, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for (G)Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is [e]east of Jerusalem, and for (H)Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 11:2 Lit go among
  2. 1 Kings 11:2 Lit go among
  3. 1 Kings 11:4 Lit complete with
  4. 1 Kings 11:5 In Jer 49:1, 3, Malcam
  5. 1 Kings 11:7 Lit before

Solomon meets God a third time

11 In addition to Pharaoh’s daughter, King Solomon loved many foreign women, including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. These came from the nations that the Lord had commanded the Israelites about: “Don’t intermarry with them. They will definitely turn your heart toward their gods.” Solomon clung to these women in love. He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred secondary wives. They turned his heart. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods. He wasn’t committed to the Lord his God with all his heart as was his father David. Solomon followed Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the detestable god of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes and wasn’t completely devoted to the Lord like his father David. On the hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a shrine to Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and to Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

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