Solomon’s Foreign Wives

1And King Solomon loved many foreign women as well as the daughter of Pharaoh—Moabitesses, Ammonitesses, Edomitesses, Sidonianesses, and Hittitesses— 2from the nations of whom YHWH had said to the sons of Israel, “You⁺ must not enter into them and they must not enter into you⁺; surely they will stretch away your⁺ hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. 3And there were unto him seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. And his wives stretched away his heart.

4And it was, at the time of the old age of Solomon, that his wives stretched his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to YHWH his God like the heart of David his father. 5And Solomon walked after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom† the abomination of the Ammonites. 6And Solomon did evil in the eyes of YHWH, and he was not fully after YHWH like David his father.

7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is on the front of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the sons of Ammon. 8And likewise he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

God’s Anger against Solomon

9And YHWH became angry with Solomon, because his heart had stretched from YHWH, God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10And He had commanded to him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. And he did not keep what YHWH had commanded.

11And YHWH said to Solomon, “Because that you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant. 12Nevertheless in your days I will not do it, for the sake of David your father. From the hand of your son I will tear it. 13However all the kingdom I will not tear away. One tribe I will give to your son for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

Hadad’s Return

14And YHWH raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was from the seed of the king in Edom.

15And it came to pass in David being in Edom, in the going up of Joab the commander of the army to bury the slain, that he had struck down every male in Edom— 16for six months Joab had remained there, and all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom— 17and Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of the servants of his father with him, to go to Egypt. And Hadad was a young boy.

18And they arose from Midian and came to Paran. And they took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he gave to him a house, and he ordered food for him, and gave land to him.

19And Hadad found great favor in the eyes of Pharaoh, so that he gave to him as wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Queen Tahpenes. 20And the sister of Tahpenes bore to him Genubath his son, and Tahpenes weaned him in the house of Pharaoh; and Genubath was in the house of Pharaoh in the midst of the sons of Pharaoh.

21And Hadad heard in Egypt that David had rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead. And Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own land.”

22And Pharaoh said to him, “But what are you lacking with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own land?”

And he answered, “Nothing, but you must surely send me away.”

Rezon’s Hostility

And God raised up against him an adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, who had fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah his lord. And he gathered to him men and became captain of a troop, when David killed them; and they went to Damascus and dwelt in it, and they made him king in Damascus.

25And He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the trouble that was of Hadad. And he abhorred Israel and reigned over Aram.

Jeroboam’s Rebellion

26And Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zereda—the name of his mother was Zeruah, a widow, and a servant of Solomon—and he lifted up a hand against the king. 27And this is the thing for which he lifted up a hand against the king:

Solomon had built the Millo† and he had closed up the breach of the city of David his father. 28And the man Jeroboam was mighty in valor. And Solomon saw the young man, that he was doing business, and he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.

29And it came to pass at that time, that Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, and Ahijah the Shilonite, the prophet, met him on the way. And he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field.

30And Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. 31And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces. For thus says YHWH, God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give to you ten tribes. 32And one tribe he shall have for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, 33because that they have† forsaken Me and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways, to do right in My eyes, and My statutes and My ordinances, as David his father did.

34And I will not take all the kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David My servant, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes; 35and I will take the kingdom out of the hand of his son and give it to you—ten tribes. 36And to his son I will give one tribe, that there may be a lamp to David My servant all the days before Me in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen for Myself to put My name there. 37And you I will take, and you shall reign over all that your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel.

38And it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, and walk in My ways, and do right in My eyes, to keep My statutes and My commandments as did David My servant, I will be with you and I will build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and I will give to you Israel. And I will afflict the seed of David on account of this, but not all the days.’”

40And Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam, and Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt; and he was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

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

41And 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? 42And the days that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel were forty years.

43And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.