1 Kings 11:1-39 ▼

1 King Solomon, however (peace), loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh (great house)—women of Moab (from father: what father?), Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women.

2 These women were from the nations about which the LORD {YHWH} had told the Israelites (God prevails), “You⁺ must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your⁺ hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon (peace) clung to these women in love.

3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away.

4 For when Solomon (peace) grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God {YHWH Elohaw}, as his father David had been (beloved).

5 Solomon (peace) followed Ashtoreth (star) the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom (Molech) the abomination of the Ammonites.

6 So Solomon (peace) did evil in the sight of the LORD {YHWH}; unlike his father David (beloved), he did not follow the LORD completely.

7 At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem (city of peace), Solomon (peace) built a high place for Chemosh (subduer) the abomination of Moab (of his father) and for Molech (king) the abomination of the Ammonites (tribal).

8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9 Now the LORD {YHWH} grew angry with Solomon (peace), because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God {Elohe} of Israel (he wrestles with God), who had appeared to him twice.

10 Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s {YHWH} command.

11 Then the LORD {YHWH} said to Solomon (peace), “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.

12 Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David (beloved), I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David (beloved) and for the sake of Jerusalem (city of peace), which I have chosen.”

14 Then the LORD {YHWH} raised up against Solomon (peace) an adversary, Hadad (mighty) the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom (red).

15 Earlier, when David (beloved) was in Edom (red), Joab (YHWH is father) the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom.

16 Joab (YHWH is father) and all Israel (he wrestles with God) had stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom (red).

17 But Hadad (I shall move softly), still just a young boy, had fled to Egypt (land of bondage), (mighty) along with some Edomites who were servants of his father.

18 Hadad and his men set out from Midian (strife) and went to Paran (place of caverns). They took men from Paran with them and went to Egypt (land of bondage), to Pharaoh (great house) king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food.

19 There Hadad (mighty) found such great favor in the sight of Pharaoh (great house) that he gave to him in marriage the sister of Queen Tahpenes (wife of the king), his own wife.

20 And the sister of Tahpenes (wife of the king) bore Hadad a son named Genubath (theft). Tahpenes herself weaned him in Pharaoh’s (great house) palace, and Genubath lived there among the sons of Pharaoh.

21 When Hadad (mighty) heard in Egypt (land of bondage) that David (beloved) had rested with his fathers and that Joab (YHWH is father), the commander of the army, was dead, he said to Pharaoh (great house), “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.”

22 But Pharaoh (great house) asked him, “What have you lacked here with me that you suddenly want to go back to your own country?” “Nothing,” Hadad replied, “but please let me go.”

23 And God {Elohim} raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon (prince) the son of Eliada (God knows), who had fled from his master, Hadadezer (Hadad is help) king of Zobah (station),

24 and had gathered men to himself. When David (beloved) killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus (well-watered land), where they settled and gained control.

25 Rezon was Israel’s (he wrestles with God) enemy throughout the days of Solomon (peace), adding to the trouble caused by Hadad (mighty). So Rezon ruled over Aram (exalted) with hostility toward Israel.

26 Now Jeroboam (the people will contend) son of Nebat (aspect) was an Ephraimite (fruitfulness) from Zeredah (fortress) whose mother was a widow named Zeruah (full breasted). Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon (peace), but he rebelled against the king,

27 and this is the account of his rebellion against the king. Solomon (peace) had built the supporting terraces \the Millo/ and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David (beloved).

28 Now Jeroboam was (the people will contend) a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon (peace) noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph (YHWH has added).

29 During that time, the prophet Ahijah (brother of Yah) the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as he (the people will contend) was going out of Jerusalem (city of peace). Now Ahijah had wrapped himself in a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field.

30 And Ahijah (brother of Yah) took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces,

31 and said to Jeroboam (the people will contend), “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of Israel (he wrestles with God), says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon (peace), and I will give you ten tribes.

32 But one tribe will remain for the sake of My servant David (beloved) and for the sake of Jerusalem (city of peace), the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel (he wrestles with God).

33 For they have [he has] forsaken Me to worship Ashtoreth (star) the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh (subduer) the god of the Moabites (of his father), and Milcom (great king) the god of the Ammonites (tribal). They have not walked in My ways, nor done what is right in My eyes, nor kept My statutes and judgments, as Solomon’s father David did (beloved).

34 Nevertheless, I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David (beloved) My servant, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and statutes.

35 But I will take ten tribes of the kingdom from the hand of his son and give them to you.

36 I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David (beloved) will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem (city of peace), the city where I chose to put My Name.

37 But as for you, I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your heart desires, and you will be king over Israel (he wrestles with God).

38 If you listen to all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight in order to keep My statutes and commandments as My servant David (beloved) did, then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give Israel (he wrestles with God) to you.

39 Because of this, I will humble David’s (beloved) descendants—but not forever.’”