Solomon’s Foreign Wives

1But king Solomo loued many outlandishe women, & the daughter of Pharao, and women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonites, & Hethites: 2Wher as yet concerning these nations, the Lorde sayd vnto the children of Israel: Go not ye into them, nor let them come into, els will they turne your heartes after their gods: Neuerthelesse, Solomon claue vnto them in loue. 3And he had seuen hundred queenes, and three hundred concubines: and his wyues turned away his heart. 4For it came to passe when Solomon was olde, his wyues turned his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of Dauid his father. 5For Solomon folowed Astaroth the god of the Zidons, and Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites. 6And Solomon wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lorde, and folowed not the Lorde perfectly, as dyd Dauid his father. 7For then dyd Solomon buylde an hye place for Chamos the abhomination of Moabim the hill that is before Hierusalem, & vnto Moloch the abhomination of the children of Ammon. 8And lykewyse dyd he for all his outlandishe wyues, which burnt cense and offered vnto their gods.

God’s Anger against Solomon

9And the Lorde was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned fro the Lord God of Israel which had appeared vnto him twyse, 10And gaue him a charge concerning this thyng, that he shoulde not folowe other gods: But he kept not that which the Lorde commaunded him. 11Wherfore the Lorde sayde vnto Solomon: Forasmuche as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept myne appoyntment, and my statutes whiche I commaunded thee, I wil rent the kingdome from thee, and will geue it to thy seruaunt. 12Notwithstanding, in thy dayes I will not do it, because of Dauid thy father: but wil take it fro the hand of thy sonne. 13Howbeit, I will not take away all the kingdome: But will geue one tribe to thy sonne, because of Dauid my seruaut, and because of Hierusalem whiche I haue chosen.

Hadad’s Return

14And the Lorde stirred vp an aduersarie vnto Solomon, euen one Hadad an Edomite, of the kinges seede, whiche was in Edom. 15For when Dauid was in Edom, and Ioab the captayne of the hoast was gone vp to burie them that were slaine, he smote all the men children in Edom: 16(For sixe monethes dyd Ioab remayne there, and all Israel, till he had destroyed all the men children of Edom.) 17And this Hadad fled, and certaine other Edomites of his fathers seruautes with hym, to come into Egypt, Hadad beyng yet a litle childe. 18And they arose out of Madian, & came to Paran, and toke men with them out of Paran, and came to Egypt vnto Pharao king of Egypt, whiche gaue him an house, and appoynted him vittailes, and gaue him lande. 19And Hadad gat great fauour in the sight of Pharao, so that he gaue him to wyfe the sister of his owne wyfe, euen the syster of Thahpenes the queene. 20And the sister of Thahpenes bare him Genubath his sonne, who Thahpenes norished in Pharaos house: And Genubath was with Pharaos housholde among the sonnes of Pharao. 21And when Hadad hearde in Egypt that Dauid was layde to sleepe with his fathers, & that Ioab the captayne of the hoaste was dead also, he sayde to Pharao: Let me depart, that I may go to myne owne countrey. 22Pharao sayde vnto him: What hast thou lacked here with me, that thou wouldest thus go to thyne owne countrey? He aunswered, Nothing: howbeit, let me go.

Rezon’s Hostility

23And God stirred him vp another aduersarie, one Rezon the sonne of Eliada, whiche fled from his lorde Hadadezer king of Zoba: 24And he gathered men vnto him, and became captayne ouer the companie when Dauid slue them: And they went to Damasco, and dwelt there, and raigned in Damasco. 25Therfore was he an aduersarie to Israel all the dayes of Solomon, and this was the mischiefe, in that Hadad dyd abhorre Israel and raigned ouer Syria.

Jeroboam’s Rebellion

26And Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat, an Ephrathite of Zareda (whose mother was called Zeruah, whiche was a wydowe) and he Solomons seruaunt, lyft vp his hande against the king. 27But this was the cause that he lift vp his hande against the king: Solomon buylt Mello, and mended the broken places of the citie of Dauid his father. 28And this felowe Ieroboam was a man of strength & courage: And Solomon sawe the young man that he was able to do the worke, he made him ruler ouer all the charge of the house of Ioseph. 29And it chaunced at that season that Ieroboam went out of Ierusalem, and the prophete Ahia the Silonite met him by the way, hauing a newe mantel on him, and they two were alone in the fielde. 30Ahia caught the newe mantel that was on him, & rent it in twelue peeces, 31And sayd to Ieroboam, Take thee ten peeces: For thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel, Behold, I will rent the kingdome out of the handes of Solomon, and will geue ten tribes to thee. 32And he shal haue one for my seruaunt Dauids sake, and for Hierusalem, the citie which I haue chosen out of all the tribes of Israel: 33Because they haue forsaken me, & haue worshipped Astharoth the god of the Zidons, and Chamos the god of the Moabites, & Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, & haue not walked in my wayes, to fulfill my pleasure, my statutes, and my lawes, as dyd Dauid his father. 34I will not take the whole kingdome out of his hand: But I will make him chiefe all his lyfe long for Dauid my seruauntes sake whom I chose: because he kept my commaundementes and my statutes: 35But I will take the kingdome out of his sonnes hande, and will geue it vnto thee, euen ten tribes of it: 36And vnto his sonne will I geue one tribe, that Dauid my seruaut may haue a light alway before me in Hierusalem, the citie which I haue chosen me to put my name there. 37And I will take thee, and thou shalt raigne according to all that thy soule desireth, and shalt be king ouer Israel. 38And if thou hearken vnto all that I commaunde thee, and wilt walke in my wayes, and do that is right in my sight, that thou kepe my statutes and my commaundementes as Dauid my seruaunt dyd, then will I be with thee, and buyld thee a sure house, as I buylt for my seruaunt Dauid, and will geue Israel vnto thee: 39And I will for this offence whiche Solomon hath committed vexe the seede of Dauid, but nor for euer. 40Solomon sought therfore to kil Ieroboam, and Ieroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, vnto Sisac king of Egypt, and continued there in Egypt vntill the death of Solomon.

The Death of Solomon
(2 Chronicles 9:29–31)

41The rest of the wordes that concerne Solomon, and all that he dyd, and his wysdome, are they not written in the booke of the wordes of Solomon? 42The tyme that Solomon raigned in Hierusalem vpon al Israel was fourtie yeres. 43And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the citie of Dauid his father: and Rehoboam his sonne raigned in his steade.