Solomon’s Foreign Wives

1And king Solomon was a lover of women. (11:1) And he took strange women, as well as the daughter of Pharao, Moabitish, Ammanitish women, Syrians and Idumeans, Chettites, and Amorites; 2of the nations concerning whom the Lord forbade the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall not go in to them, and they shall not come in to you, lest they turn away your hearts after their idols: Solomon clave to these in love. 3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. (11:3) And the strange women turned away his heart after their gods. 4And it came to pass in the time of the old age of Solomon, that his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5(11:7A) and to Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians. 6And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he went not after the Lord, as David his father. 7Then Solomon built a high place to Chamos the idol of Moab, and to their king the idol of the children of Ammon, 8And thus he acted towards all his strange wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their idols.

God’s Anger against Solomon

9And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because he turned away his heart from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared twice to him, 10and charged him concerning this matter, by no means to go after other gods, but to take heed to do what the Lord God commanded him; neither was his heart perfect with the Lord, according to the heart of David his father. 11And the Lord said to Solomon, Because it has been thus with thee, and thou hast not kept my commandments and my ordinances which I commanded thee, I will surely rend thy kingdom out of thy hand, and give it to thy servant. 12Only in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will take it out of the hand of thy son. 13Only I will not take away the whole kingdom: I will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen.

Hadad’s Return

14And the Lord raised up and enemy to Solomon, Ader the Idumaean, and Esrom son of Eliadae who dwelt in Raama, and Adadezer king of Suba his master; (and men gathered to him, and he was head of the conspiracy, and he seized on Damasec,) and they were adversaries to Israel all the days of Solomon: and Ader the Idumaean was of the seed royal in Idumaea. 15And it happened, that while David was utterly destroying Edom, while Joab captain of the host was going to bury the dead, when they slew every male in Idumaea; 16(for Joab and all Israel abode there six months in Idumaea, until he utterly destroyed every male in Idumaea;) 17that Ader ran away, he and all the Idumaeans of the servants of his father with him; and they went into Egypt; and Ader was then a little child. 18And there rise up men out of the city of Madiam, and they come to Pharan, and take men with them, and come to Pharao king of Egypt: and Ader went in to Pharao, and he gave him a house, and appointed him provision. 19And Ader found great favour in the sight of Pharao, and he gave him his wife's sister in marriage, the elder sister of Thekemina. 20And the sister of Thekemina bore to him, even to Ader, Ganebath her son; and Thekemina brought him up in the midst of the sons of Pharao, and Ganebath was in the midst of the sons of Pharao. 21And Ader heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead; and Ader said to Pharao, Let me go, and I will return to my country. 22And Pharao said to Ader, What lackest thou with me? that lo! thou seekest to depart to thy country? and Ader said to him, By all means let me go.

Rezon’s Hostility

23(OMITTED TEXT) 24(OMITTED TEXT) 25(11:22A) So Ader returned to his country; this is the mischief which Ader did, and he was a bitter enemy of Israel, and he reigned in the land of Edom.

Jeroboam’s Rebellion

26And Jeroboam the son of Nabat, the Ephrathite of Sarira, the son of a widow, was servant of Solomon. 27And this was the occasion of his lifting up his hands against king Solomon: now king Solomon built the citadel, he completed the fortification of the city of David his father. 28And the man Jeroboam was very strong; and Solomon saw the young man that he was active, and he set him over the levies of the house of Joseph. 29And it came to pass at that time, that Jeroboam went forth from Jerusalem, and Achia the Selonite the prophet found him in the way, and caused him to turn aside out of the way: and Achia was clad with a new garment, and they two were alone in the field. 30And Achia laid hold of his new garment that was upon him, and tore it into twelve pieces: 31and he said to Jeroboam, Take to thyself ten pieces, for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give thee ten tribes. 32Yet he shall have two tribes, for my servant David's sake, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. 33Because he forsook me, and sacrificed to Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians, and to Chamos, and to the idols of Moab, and to their king the abomination of the children of Ammon, and he walked not in my ways, to do that which was right before me, as David his father did. 34Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, (for I will certainly resist him all the days of his life,) for David my servant's sake, whom I have chosen. 35But I will take the kingdom out of the hand of his son, and give thee ten tribes. 36But to his son I will give the two remaining tribes, that my servant David may have an establishment continually before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for myself to put my name there. 37And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign as thy soul desires, and thou shalt be king over Israel. 38And it shall come to pass, if thou wilt keep all the commandments that I shall give thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that which is right before me, to keep my ordinances and my commandments, as David my servant did, that I will be with thee, and will build thee a sure house, as I built to David. 39(OMITTED TEXT) 40And Solomon sought to slay Jeroboam: but he arose and fled into Egypt, to Susakim king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until Solomon died.

The Death of Solomon

41And the rest of the history of Solomon, and all that he did, and all his wisdom, behold are not these things written in the book of the life of Solomon? 42And the days during which Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel were forty years. 43And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father. And it came to pass when Jeroboam son of Nabat heard of it, even while he was yet in Egypt as he fled from the face of Solomon and dwelt in Egypt, he straightway comes into his own city, into the land of Sarira in the mount of Ephraim. (11:44) And king Solomon slept with his fathers, and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.