In this way all the people of the world will know that Yahweh is Elohim and there is no other god.

May your hearts be committed to Yahweh our Elohim. Then you will live by his laws and keep his commands as you have today.”

At that time Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Booths. A large crowd had come from the territory between the border of Hamath and the River of Egypt to be near Yahweh our Elohim for seven days.

They will answer themselves, ‘They abandoned Yahweh their Elohim, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt. They adopted other gods, worshiped, and served them. That is why Yahweh brought this disaster on them.’”

Thank Yahweh your Elohim, who is pleased with you. He has put you on the throne of Israel. Because of Yahweh’s eternal love for the people of Israel, he has made you king so that you would maintain justice and righteousness.”

The whole world wanted to listen to the wisdom that Elohim gave Solomon.

In his old age, his wives tempted him to follow other gods. He was no longer committed to Yahweh his Elohim as his father David had been.

God Pronounces Judgment on Solomon

So Yahweh became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned from Yahweh Elohim of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

Elohim also raised up Rezon, son of Eliada, as a rival to Solomon. Rezon fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah,

He told Jeroboam, “Take 10 pieces because this is what Yahweh Elohim of Israel says: I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hands and give ten tribes to you.

But Elohim spoke his word to Shemaiah, the man of Elohim. He said,

A Prophet Announces God’s Judgment

A man of Elohim from Judah had come to Bethel. When he arrived, Jeroboam was standing at the altar to offer a sacrifice.

When King Jeroboam heard the man of Elohim condemning the altar in Bethel, he pointed to the man across the altar. “Arrest him,” he said. But the arm that he used to point to the man of God was paralyzed so that he couldn’t pull it back.

The altar was torn apart, and the ashes from the altar were poured on the ground. This was the miraculous sign the man of Elohim performed at Yahweh’s command.

Then the king asked the man of Elohim, “Please make an appeal to Yahweh your Elohim, and pray for me so that I can use my arm again.” So the man of Elohim made an appeal to Yahweh, and the king was able to use his arm again, as he had earlier.

The king told the man of Elohim, “Come home with me; have something to eat and drink, and I will give you a gift.”

The man of Elohim told the king, “Even if you gave me half of your palace, I would never go with you to eat or drink there.

So the man of Elohim left on another road and didn’t go back on the road he had taken to Bethel.

A Prophet Disobeys God

An old prophet was living in Bethel. His sons told him everything the man of Elohim did in Bethel that day and the exact words he had spoken to the king. When they told their father,

he said to them, “Which road did he take?” (His sons had seen which road the man of Elohim from Judah had taken.)

He went after the man of Elohim and found him sitting under an oak tree. The old prophet asked him, “Are you the man of Elohim who came from Judah?” “Yes,” he answered.

When they were sitting at the table, Yahweh spoke his word to the old prophet who had brought back the man of Elohim.

Yahweh also called to the man of Elohim. He said, “This is what Yahweh says: You rebelled against the words from Yahweh’s mouth and didn’t obey the command that Yahweh your Elohim gave you.

The man of Elohim left. A lion found him as he traveled on the road and killed him. His dead body was thrown on the road. The donkey and the lion were standing by the body.

When the old prophet who had brought the man of Elohim back from the road heard about it, he said, “It’s the man of Elohim who rebelled against the words from Yahweh’s mouth! Yahweh gave him to the lion. It tore him to pieces and killed him as the word of Yahweh had told him.”