Solomon’s Foreign Wives

1Bvt King Salomon loued many outlandish women: both the daughter of Pharaoh, and the women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Zidon and Heth, 2Of the nations, whereof the Lord had sayd vnto the children of Israel, Goe not ye in to them, nor let them come in to you: for surely they will turne your hearts after their gods, to them, I say, did Salomon ioyne in loue. 3And he had seuen hundreth wiues, that were princesses, and three hundreth concubines, and his wiues turned away his heart. 4For when Salomon was olde, his wiues turned his heart after other gods, so that his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of Dauid his father. 5For Salomon followed Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6So Salomon wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord, but continued not to followe the Lord, as did Dauid his father. 7Then did Salomon build an hie place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the mountaine that is ouer against Ierusalem, and vnto Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8And so did he for all his outlandish wiues, which burnt incense and offered vnto their gods.

God’s Anger against Solomon

9Therefore the Lord was angry with Salomon, because hee had turned his heart from the Lorde God of Israel, which had appeared vnto him twise, 10And had giuen him a charge concerning this thing, that he should not follow other gods: but he kept not that, which the Lorde had commaunded him. 11Wherefore the Lord sayd vnto Salomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, & thou hast not kept my couenant, and my statutes (which I commanded thee) I will surely rent the kingdome from thee, and will giue it to thy seruant. 12Notwithstanding in thy dayes I will not doe it, because of Dauid thy father, but I will rent it out of the hand of thy sonne: 13Howbeit I wil not rent all the Kingdome, but will giue one tribe to thy sonne, because of Dauid my seruant, & because of Ierusalem which I haue chosen.

Hadad’s Return

14Then the Lord stirred vp an aduersarie vnto Salomon, euen Hadad the Edomite, of the Kings seede, which was in Edom. 15For when Dauid was in Edom, and Ioab the captaine of the hoste had smitten all the males in Edom, & was gone vp to bury ye slaine, 16(For six moneths did Ioab remaine there, and all Israel, till he had destroyed all the males in Edom) 17Then this Hadad fled and certaine other Edomites of his fathers seruants with him, to goe into Egypt, Hadad being yet a litle childe. 18And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran, and tooke men with them out of Paran, and came to Egypt vnto Pharaoh King of Egypt, which gaue him an house, and appointed him vitailes, and gaue him lande. 19So Hadad found great fauour in the sight of Pharaoh, and he gaue him to wife the sister of his owne wife, euen the sister of Tahpenes the Queene. 20And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his sonne, whome Tahpenes wayned in Pharaohs house: and Genubath was in Pharaohs house among the sonnes of Pharaoh. 21And when Hadad heard in Egypt, that Dauid slept with his fathers, and that Ioab the captaine of the hoste was dead, Hadad sayde to Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may goe to mine owne countrey. 22But Pharaoh saide vnto him, What hast thou lacked with me, that thou wouldest thus go to thine owne countrey? And he answered, Nothing, but in any wise let me goe.

Rezon’s Hostility

23And God stirred him vp another aduersarie, Rezon the sonne of Eliada, which fled from his lorde Hadadezer King of Zobah. 24And he gathered men vnto him, and had bene captaine ouer the company, when Dauid slew them; they went to Damascus, & dwelt there, and they made him King in Damascus. 25Therefore was he an aduersarie to Israel all the daies of Salomon: besides the euil that Hadad did, he also abhorred Israel, & reigned ouer Aram

Jeroboam’s Rebellion

26And Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat an Ephrathite of Zereda Salomons seruant (whose mother was called Zeruah a widowe) lift vp his hand against the King. 27And this was the cause that he lift vp his hande against the King, When Salomon built Millo, he repared the broken places of the citie of Dauid his father. 28And this man Ieroboam was a man of strength and courage, and Salomon seeing that the yong man was meete for the worke, he made him ouerseer of all the labour of the house of Ioseph. 29And at that time, when Ieroboam went out of Ierusalem, the Prophet Ahiiah the Shilonite founde him in the way, hauing a newe garment on him, and they two were alone in ye field. 30Then Ahiiah caught the newe garment that was on him, and rent it in twelue pieces, 31And said to Ieroboam, Take vnto thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lorde God of Israel, Beholde, I wil rent the kingdome out of ye hands of Salomon, and will giue ten tribes to thee. 32But he shall haue one tribe for my seruant Dauids sake, and for Ierusalem the citie, which I haue chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, 33Because they haue forsaken me, and haue worshipped Ashtaroth the god of the Zidonians, and Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and haue not walked in my wayes (to do right in mine eyes, & my statutes, & my lawes) as did Dauid his father. 34But I will not take the whole kingdome out of his hande: for I will make him prince all his life long for Dauid my seruants sake, whome I haue chosen, and who kept my commandements and my statutes. 35But I will take the kingdome out of his sonnes hand, and will giue it vnto thee, euen the ten tribes. 36And vnto his sonne will I giue one tribe, that Dauid my seruant may haue a light alway before me in Ierusalem the citie, which I haue chosen me, to put my Name there. 37And I wil take thee, and thou shalt reigne, euen as thine heart desireth, and shalt be King ouer Israel. 38And if thou hearken vnto all that I commande thee, and wilt walke in my wayes, and doe right in my sight, to keepe my statutes and my commandements, as Dauid my seruant did, then will I be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built vnto Dauid, and wil giue Israel vnto thee. 39And I will for this afflict the seede of Dauid, but not for euer. 40Salomon sought therefore to kill Ieroboam, and Ieroboam arose, and fled into Egypt vnto Shishak King of Egypt, and was in Egypt vntil the death of Salomon.

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

41And the rest of the wordes of Salomon, and all that he did, and his wisedom, are they not written in the booke of the actes of Salomon? 42The time that Salomon reigned in Ierusalem ouer all Israel, was fourtie yeere. 43And Salomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the citie of Dauid his father: and Rehoboam his sonne reigned in his steade.