1: But king Solomon loved many strange women,
together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites,
Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;
2: Of the nations concerning which
the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither
shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after
their gods: Solomon clave unto 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 came to pass, when Solomon was old, that
his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect
with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5: For
Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the
abomination of the Ammonites.
6: And Solomon did evil in the sight of
the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
7: Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination
of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination
of the children of Ammon.
8: And likewise did he for all his strange
wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
9: And the
LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of
Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10: And had commanded him
concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not
that which the LORD commanded.
11: Wherefore the LORD said unto
Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant
and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom
from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
12: Notwithstanding in
thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of
the hand of thy son.
13: Howbeit I will not rend away all the
kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for
Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.
14: And the LORD stirred up an
adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom.
15: For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain
of the host was gone up to bury the slain, after he had smitten every male in
Edom;
16: (For six months did Joab remain there with all Israel,
until he had cut off every male in Edom:)
17: That Hadad fled, he and
certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad
being yet a little child.
18: And they arose out of Midian, and came
to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto
Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him victuals, and
gave him land.
19: And Hadad found great favour in the sight of
Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of
Tahpenes the queen.
20: And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath
his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh's
household among the sons of Pharaoh.
21: And when Hadad heard in
Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host
was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own
country.
22: Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked
with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered,
Nothing: howbeit let me go in any wise.
23: And God stirred him up
another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which fled from his lord Hadadezer
king of Zobah:
24: And he gathered men unto him, and became captain
over a band, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt
therein, and reigned in Damascus.
25: And he was an adversary to
Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he
abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
26: And Jeroboam the son of
Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was
Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
27: And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the
king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his
father.
28: And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and
Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all
the charge of the house of Joseph.
29: And it came to pass at that
time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite
found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two
were alone in the field:
30: And Ahijah caught the new garment that
was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces:
31: And he said to
Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel,
Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten
tribes to thee:
32: (But he shall have one tribe for my servant
David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all
the tribes of Israel:)
33: Because that they have forsaken me, and
have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the
Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my
ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my
judgments, as did David his father.
34: Howbeit I will not take the
whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his
life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments
and my statutes:
35: But I will take the kingdom out of his son's
hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.
36: And unto his
son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before
me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.
37: And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that
thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.
38: And it shall
be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways,
and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as
David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as
I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.
39: And I will for
this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.
40: Solomon sought
therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto
Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
41: And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his
wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
42:
And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.
43: And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of
David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.