THE FIRST BOOK OF
THE KINGS,

1 Kings 11 ©

Solomon’s wives and concubines, v. 1. etc. Who enrapture him to idolatry, 4. Whereat God is angry and threatens him, 9. Solomon’s adversaries are, Hadad, an Edomite, fled into Egypt, 14. Rezon, who reigned in Damascus, 23. And Jeroboam the Ephrathite, 26. To whom the prophet Ahijah foretells that he would have the kingdom of Israel, 29. Solomon seeks Jeroboam’s life, and dies, 40.

1

BUT 1king Solomon loved manya2strange women, 3together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites;

2

Of the nations concerning which the LORD 4said unto the children of Israel, Yeb shall 5not 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 6concubines: and his wives 7turned 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 8perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5

For Solomon 9wentc after 10Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after 11Milcom 12the abomination of the Ammonites.

6

And Solomon did 13evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not 14fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

7

Thend did Solomon build an 15high place for 16Chemosh, the abomination 17of Moab, in the 18hill that is before Jerusalem, and for 19Molech, 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 20from the LORD God of Israel, whiche had appeared unto him 21twice,

10

Andf 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 22said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, 23Ig will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to 24thy servant.

12

Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it 25for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy 26son.

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 27Jerusalem’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 ith came to pass, when David was 28in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone up to bury the 29slain, 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 30Midian, and came to 31Paran: 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 32victuals, and gave him land.

19

And Hadad 33found 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 34queen.

20

And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes 35weaned 36in 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 37let me go in any wise.

23

¶Andi God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, which 38fled from his lord Hadadezer king of 39Zobah:

24

And he 40gathered 41men unto him, and became captain over a band, whenj David slew 42them of Zobah: and they went to 43Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

25

And 44he was an adversary to Israel 45all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that 46Hadad did: and 47he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

26

¶And Jeroboamk the son of Nebat, 48an Ephrathite of 49Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he 50lifted up his hand against the king.

27

And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built 51Millo, and repaired 52the breaches of the city of David his father.

28

53And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the 54young man that he was 55industrious, he made him ruler 56over 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 57Ahijah the Shilonite 58found him in the way; and he had clad 59himself 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,l I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:

32

(But he shall have 60one tribe for 61my 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 62worshipped Ashtoreth 63the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not 64walked in my ways, to do 65that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

34

Howbeit I will 66not 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 67will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.

36

And unto his son 68will I give one tribe, thatm David my servant may have a 69light 70alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put 71my name there.

37

And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign 72according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king 73over 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 74with thee, and build 75thee 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 76not 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 then rest of the 77acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written 78in the book of the acts of Solomon?

42

And 79the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel waso forty years.

43

And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and 80Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.