Solomon's wives and concubines.

1 ¶ But kingº Solomonº lovedºª manyº strangeº women,º together with² the daughterº of Pharaoh,º women of the Moabites,º Ammonites,º Edomites,º Zidonians,º [and] Hittites;º 2 Of² the nationsº [concerning] which² the LORDº saidºª unto² the childrenº of Israel,º Ye shall not² go inºª to them, neither² shall they² come inºª unto you: [for] surelyº they will turn awayºª² your heartº afterº their gods:º Solomonº claveºª unto these in love.ºª 3 And he had² sevenº hundredº wives,º princesses,º and threeº hundredº concubines:º and his wivesº turned awayºª² his heart.º

In his old age they draw him to idolatry.

4 For it came to pass,² whenº Solomonº was old,º [that] his wivesº turned awayºª² his heartº afterº otherº gods:º and his heartº was² not² perfectº with² the LORDº his God,º as [was] the heartº of Davidº his father.º 5 For Solomonº went¹ª² afterº Ashtorethº the goddessº of the Zidonians,º and afterº Milcomº the abominationº of the Ammonites.º 6 And Solomonº didºª evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º and went not fullyºª² afterº the LORD,º as [did] Davidº his father.º 7 Then² did Solomonº buildºª an high placeº for Chemosh,º the abominationº of Moab,º in the hillº that² [is] beforeº² Jerusalem,º and for Molech,º the abominationº of the childrenº of Ammon.º 8 And likewise² didºª he for all² his strangeº wives,º which burnt incenseºª and sacrificedºª unto their gods.º

God threateneth him.

9 ¶ And the LORDº was angryºª with Solomon,º because² his heartº was turnedºª from²² the LORDº Godº of Israel,º which had appearedºª unto² him twice,º 10 And had commandedºª² him concerning² this² thing,º that he should not² go¹ª² afterº otherº gods:º but he keptºª not²² that which² the LORDº commanded.ºª 11 Wherefore the LORDº saidºª unto Solomon,º Forasmuch² as² this² is² done of² thee, and thou hast not² keptºª my covenantº and my statutes,º which² I have commandedºª² thee, I will surely¹ª rendºª² the kingdomº from²² thee, and will giveºª it to thy servant.º 12 Notwithstanding² in thy daysº I will not² doºª it for David¹ thy father's¹ sake:²²² [but] I will rendºª it out of the handº² of thy son.º 13 Howbeitº I will not² rend awayºª² all² the kingdom;º [but] will giveºª oneº tribeº to thy sonº for David¹ my servant's¹ sake,²²² and for Jerusalem's¹ sake²² which² I have chosen.ºª

Solomon's adversaries were Hadad, who was entertained in Egypt,

14 ¶ And the LORDº stirred upºª an adversaryº unto Solomon,º² Hadadº the Edomite:º he² [was] of the king's¹ seedº²² in Edom.º 15 For it came to pass,² when Davidº was² in² Edom,º and Joabº the captainº of the hostº was gone upºª to buryºª² the slain,º after he had smittenºª every² maleº in Edom;º 16 (For² sixº monthsº did Joabº remainºª there² with all² Israel,º until² he had cut offºª every² maleº in Edom:)º 17 That Hadadº fled,ºª he² and certain¹² Edomites¹² of his father's¹ servantsº²² with² him, to goºª into Egypt;º Hadadº [being] yet a littleº child.º 18 And they aroseºª out of Midian,º² and cameºª to Paran:º and they tookºª men¹² with² them out of Paran,º² and they cameºª to Egypt,º unto² Pharaohº kingº of Egypt;º which gaveºª him an house,º and appointedºª him victuals,º and gaveºª him land.º 19 And Hadadº foundºª greatº favourº in the sightº of Pharaoh,º so that he gaveºª him to wifeº² the sisterº of his own wife,º the sisterº of Tahpenesº the queen.º 20 And the sisterº of Tahpenesº bareºª him² Genubathº his son,º whom Tahpenesº weanedºª inº Pharaoh'sº house:º and Genubathº was² in Pharaoh'sº householdº amongº the sonsº of Pharaoh.º 21 And when Hadadº heardºª in Egyptº that² Davidº sleptºª with² his fathers,º and that² Joabº the captainº of the hostº was dead,ºª Hadadº saidºª to² Pharaoh,º Let me depart,ºª that I may go¹ª² to² mine own country.º 22 Then Pharaohº saidºª unto him, But² what² hast thou² lackedº with² me, that, behold,² thou seekestºª to go¹ª² to² thine own country?º And he answered,ºª Nothing:² howbeit² let me go¹ª in any wise.ºª

Rezon, who reigned in Damascus,

23 ¶ And Godº stirred him upºª [another] adversary,º² Rezonº the sonº of Eliadah,º which² fledºª from²² his lordº Hadadezerº kingº of Zobah:º 24 And he gatheredºª men¹² unto² him, and became² captainº over a band,º when Davidº slewºª them [of Zobah]: and they went¹ª² to Damascus,º and dweltºª therein, and reignedºª in Damascus.º 25 And he was² an adversaryº to Israelº all² the daysº of Solomon,º beside² the mischiefº that² Hadadº [did]: and he abhorredºª Israel,º and reignedºª over² Syria.º

and Jeroboam, to whom Ahijah prophesied.

26 ¶ And Jeroboamº the sonº of Nebat,º an Ephrathiteº of² Zereda,º Solomon'sº servant,º whose mother'sº nameº [was] Zeruah,º a widowº woman,º even he lifted upºª [his] handº against the king.º 27 And this² [was] the causeº that² he lifted upºª [his] handº against the king:º Solomonº builtºª² Millo,º [and] repairedºª² the breachesº of the cityº of Davidº his father.º 28 And the manº Jeroboamº [was] a mighty² man¹ of valour:º and Solomonº seeingºª² the young manº that² he² was industrious,ººª he made him rulerºª² over all² the chargeº of the houseº of Joseph.º 29 And it came to pass² at that² timeº when Jeroboamº went outºª of Jerusalem,º² that the prophetº Ahijahº the Shiloniteº foundºª him in the way;º and he² had clad¹ª himself² with a newº garment;º and they twoº [were] alone² in the field:º 30 And Ahijahº caughtºª the newº garmentº that² [was] on² him, and rentºª it [in] twelveºº pieces:º 31 And he saidºª to Jeroboam,º Takeºª thee tenº pieces:º for² thus² saithºª the LORD,º the Godº of Israel,º Behold,² I will rendºª² the kingdomº out of the handº² of Solomon,º and will giveºª² tenº tribesº to thee: 32 (But he shall have² oneº tribeº for my servant¹ David's¹ sake,²²² and for Jerusalem's¹ sake,²² the cityº which² I have chosenºª out of all²² the tribesº of Israel:)º 33 Because² that² they have forsakenºª me, and have worshippedºª Ashtorethº the goddessº of the Zidonians,¹² Chemoshº the godº of the Moabites,º and Milcomº the godº of the childrenº of Ammon,º and have not² walkedºª in my ways,º to doºª [that which is] rightº in mine eyes,º and [to keep] my statutesº and my judgments,º as [did] Davidº his father.º 34 Howbeit I will not² takeºª² the whole² kingdomº out of his hand:º² but² I will makeºª him princeº all² the daysº of his lifeº for David¹ my servant's¹ sake,²²² whom²² I chose,ºª because² he keptºª my commandmentsº and my statutes:º 35 But I will takeºª the kingdomº out of his son's¹ hand,º²² and will giveºª it unto thee, [even]² tenº tribes.º 36 And unto his sonº will I giveºª oneº tribe,º that² Davidº my servantº may have² a lightº alwayº² beforeº me in Jerusalem,º the cityº which² I have chosenºª me to putºª my nameº there.² 37 And I will takeºª thee, and thou shalt reignºª according to all² that² thy soulº desireth,ºª and shalt be² kingº over² Israel.º 38 And it shall be,² if² thou wilt hearken¹ª unto²² all² that² I commandºª thee, and wilt walkºª in my ways,º and doºª [that is] rightº in my sight,º to keepºª my statutesº and my commandments,º as² Davidº my servantº did;ºª that I will be² with² thee, and buildºª thee a sureºª house,º as² I builtºª for David,º and will giveºª² Israelº unto thee. 39 And I will for² this² afflictºª² the seedº of David,º but² not² for ever.º² 40 Solomonº soughtºª therefore to killºª² Jeroboam.º And Jeroboamº arose,ºª and fledºª into Egypt,º unto² Shishakº kingº of Egypt,º and was² in Egyptº until² the deathº of Solomon.º

Solomon's acts, reign, and death: Rehoboam succeedeth him.

41 ¶ And the restº of the actsº of Solomon,º and all² that² he did,ºª and his wisdom,º [are] they² not² writtenºª in² the bookº of the actsº of Solomon?º 42 And the timeº that² Solomonº reignedºª in Jerusalemº over² all² Israelº [was] fortyº years.º 43 And Solomonº sleptºª with² his fathers,º and was buriedºª in the cityº of Davidº his father:º and Rehoboamº his sonº reignedºª in his stead.²