1 Kings 11

1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women including the daughter of Pharaoh—women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites.

Now a number of strange women were loved by Solomon, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:

2 They were from the nations about which Yahweh said to the people of Israel, “You will not go among them to marry, neither will they come among you, for they will certainly turn your heart to their gods.” In spite of this command, Solomon was affectionate toward these women in love.

The nations of which the Lord had said to the children of Israel, You are not to take wives from them and they are not to take wives from you; or they will certainly make you go after their gods: to these Solomon was united in love.

3 Solomon had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines. His wives turned his heart away.

He had seven hundred wives, daughters of kings, and three hundred other wives; and through his wives his heart was turned away.

4 For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; his heart was not fully surrendered to Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father.

For it came about that when Solomon was old, his heart was turned away to other gods by his wives; and his heart was no longer true to the Lord his God as the heart of his father David had been.

5 For Solomon followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and he followed Molech, the disgusting idol of the Ammonites.

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and Milcom, the disgusting god of the Ammonites.

6 Solomon did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh; he did not fully follow Yahweh as David his father had done.

And Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord, not walking in the Lord's ways with all his heart as David his father did.

7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the disgusting idol of Moab, on a hill east of Jerusalem, and also for Molech, the disgusting idol of the people of Ammon.

Then Solomon put up a high place for Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, in the mountain before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the disgusting god worshipped by the children of Ammon.

8 He also built high places for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods at them.

And so he did for all his strange wives, who made offerings with burning of perfumes to their gods.

9 Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from him, the God of Israel, even though he had appeared to him twice

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had twice come to him in a vision;

10 and commanded him about this very thing, that he should not go after other gods. But Solomon did not obey what Yahweh commanded.

And had given him orders about this very thing, that he was not to go after other gods; but he did not keep the orders of the Lord.

11 Therefore Yahweh said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept the covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant.

So the Lord said to Solomon, Because you have done this, and have not kept my agreement and my laws, which I gave you, I will take the kingdom away from you by force and will give it to your servant.

12 However, for David your father's sake, I will not do it in your lifetime, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

I will not do it in your life-time, because of your father David, but I will take it from your son.

13 Yet I will not tear away all the kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for David my servant's sake, and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

Still I will not take all the kingdom from him; but I will give one tribe to your son, because of my servant David, and because of Jerusalem, the town of my selection.

14 Then Yahweh raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was from the royal family of Edom.

So the Lord sent Hadad the Edomite to make trouble for Solomon: he was of the king's seed in Edom.

15 When David was in Edom, Joab the captain of the army had gone up to bury the dead, every man who had been killed in Edom.

And when David had sent destruction on Edom, and Joab, the captain of the army, had gone to put the dead into the earth, and had put to death every male in Edom;

16 Joab and all Israel remained there six months until he had killed every male in Edom.

(For Joab and all Israel were there six months till every male in Edom had been cut off; )

17 But Hadad was taken with other Edomites by his father's servants into Egypt, since Hadad was still a little child.

Hadad, being still a young boy, went in flight to Egypt, with certain Edomites, servants of his father;

18 They left Midian and came to Paran, from where they took men with them to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and land and food.

And they went on from Midian and came to Paran; and, taking men from Paran with them, they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who gave him a house and gave orders for his food and gave him land.

19 Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that Pharaoh gave him a wife, his own wife's sister, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

Now Hadad was very pleasing to Pharaoh, so that he gave him the sister of his wife, Tahpenes the queen, for his wife.

20 The sister of Tahpenes gave birth to Hadad's son. They named him Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh's palace. So Genubath lived in Pharaoh's palace among the children of Pharaoh.

And the sister of Tahpenes had a son by him, Genubath, whom Tahpenes took care of in Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was living in Pharaoh's house among Pharaoh's sons.

21 While he was in Egypt, Hadad heard that David had lain down with his ancestors and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, so I may go to my own country.”

Now when Hadad had news in Egypt that David had been put to rest with his fathers, and that Joab, the captain of the army, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, Send me back to my country.

22 Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that you now seek to go to your own country?” Hadad answered, “Nothing. Please let me go.”

But Pharaoh said to him, What have you been short of while you have been with me, that you are desiring to go back to your country? And he said, Nothing; but even so, send me back.

23 God also raised up another adversary to Solomon, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah.

And God sent another trouble-maker, Rezon, the son of Eliada, who had gone in flight from his lord, Hadadezer, king of Zobah:

24 Rezon gathered men to himself and became captain over a small force, when David defeated the men of Zobah. Rezon's men went to Damascus and lived there, and Rezon controlled Damascus.

He got some men together and made himself captain of a band of outlaws; and went to Damascus and became king there.

25 He was an enemy of Israel all the days of Solomon, along with the trouble that Hadad caused. Rezon abhorred Israel and reigned over Aram.

He was a trouble to Israel all through the days of Solomon. And this is the damage Hadad did: he was cruel to Israel while he was ruler over Edom.

26 Then Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, an official of Solomon, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king.

And there was Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother was Zeruah, a widow; and his hand was lifted up against the king.

27 He lifted up his hand against the king because Solomon had built up the place located at Millo and repaired the opening in the city wall of David his father.

The way in which his hand came to be lifted up against the king was this: Solomon was building the Millo and making good the damaged parts of the town of his father David;

28 Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, so he gave him command over all the labor of the house of Joseph.

And Jeroboam was an able and responsible man; and Solomon saw that he was a good worker and made him overseer of all the work given to the sons of Joseph.

29 At that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had dressed in a new garment and the two men were alone in the field.

Now at that time, when Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite came across him on the road; now Ahijah had put on a new robe; and the two of them were by themselves in the open country.

30 Then Ahijah grabbed hold of the new garment that was on him and tore it into twelve pieces.

And Ahijah took his new robe in his hands, parting it violently into twelve.

31 He said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces, for Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'Look, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and I will give ten tribes to you

And he said to Jeroboam, Take ten of the parts, for this is what the Lord has said: See, I will take the kingdom away from Solomon by force, and will give ten tribes to you;

32 (but Solomon will have one tribe, for my servant David's sake and for Jerusalem's sake—the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),

(But one tribe will be his, because of my servant David, and because of Jerusalem, the town which, out of all the tribes of Israel, I have made mine, )

33 because they have forsaken me and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Molech the god of the people of Ammon. They have not walked in my ways, to do what is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my decrees, as did David his father.

Because they are turned away from me to the worship of Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and Chemosh, the god of Moab, and Milcom, the god of the Ammonites; they have not been walking in my ways or doing what is right in my eyes or keeping my laws and my decisions as his father David did.

34 However, I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon's hand. Instead, I have made him ruler all the days of his life, for David my servant's sake whom I chose, the one who kept my commandments and my statutes.

But I will not take the kingdom from him; I will let him be king all the days of his life, because of David my servant, in whom I took delight because he kept my orders and my laws.

35 But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and I will give it to you, ten tribes.

But I will take the kingdom from his son, and give it to you.

36 I will give one tribe to Solomon's son, so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city in which I have chosen to put my name.

And one tribe I will give to his son, so that David my servant may have a light for ever burning before me in Jerusalem, the town which I have made mine to put my name there.

37 I will take you, and you will rule to fulfill all that you desire, and you will be king over Israel.

And you I will take, and you will be king over Israel, ruling over whatever is the desire of your soul.

38 If you listen to all that I command you, and if you walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, then I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.

And if you give attention to the orders I give you, walking in my ways and doing what is right in my eyes and keeping my laws and my orders as David my servant did; then I will be with you, building up for you a safe house, as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you.

39 I will punish the descendants of David, but not forever.'”

(So that I may send trouble for this on the seed of David, but not for ever.)

40 So Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam got up and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and he remained in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

And Solomon was looking for a chance to put Jeroboam to death; but he went in flight to Egypt, to Shishak, king of Egypt, and was in Egypt till the death of Solomon.

41 As for the other matters concerning Solomon, all that he did and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the events of Solomon?

Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all he did, and his wisdom, are they not recorded in the book of the acts of Solomon?

42 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

And the time Solomon was king in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

43 He slept with his ancestors and he was buried in the city of David his father. Rehoboam his son became king in his place.

And Solomon went to rest with his fathers, and was put into the earth in the town of David his father: and Solomon went to rest with his fathers and Rehoboam his son became king in his place.