| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— | 1King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. |
| 2from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. | 2These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love. |
| 3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. | 3He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines—and his wives turned his heart away. |
| 4For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. | 4For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. |
| 5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. | 5Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. |
| 6Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David. | 6So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely. |
| 7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. | 7At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites. |
| 8And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. | 8He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. |
| 9So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, | 9Now the LORD grew angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. |
| 10and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. | 10Although He had warned Solomon explicitly not to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. |
| 11Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. | 11Then the LORD said to Solomon, “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. |
| 12Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. | 12Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. |
| 13However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.” | 13Yet 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 and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” |
| 14Now the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom. | 14Then the LORD raised up against Solomon an adversary, Hadad the Edomite, from the royal line of Edom. |
| 15For it happened, when David was in Edom, and Joab the commander of the army had gone up to bury the slain, after he had killed every male in Edom | 15Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab the commander of the army had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom. |
| 16(because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel, until he had cut down every male in Edom), | 16Joab and all Israel had stayed there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom. |
| 17that Hadad fled to go to Egypt, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him. Hadad was still a little child. | 17But Hadad, still just a young boy, had fled to Egypt, along with some Edomites who were servants of his father. |
| 18Then 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, who gave him a house, apportioned food for him, and gave him land. | 18Hadad and his men set out from Midian and went to Paran. They took men from Paran with them and went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house and land and provided him with food. |
| 19And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, that is, the sister of Queen Tahpenes. | 19There Hadad found such great favor in the sight of Pharaoh that he gave to him in marriage the sister of Queen Tahpenes, his own wife. |
| 20Then the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house. And Genubath was in Pharaoh’s household among the sons of Pharaoh. | 20And the sister of Tahpenes bore Hadad a son named Genubath. Tahpenes herself weaned him in Pharaoh’s palace, and Genubath lived there among the sons of Pharaoh. |
| 21So when Hadad heard in Egypt that David rested with his fathers, and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.” | 21When Hadad heard in Egypt that David had rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, “Let me go, that I may return to my own country.” |
| 22Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that suddenly you seek to go to your own country?” So he answered, “Nothing, but do let me go anyway.” | 22But Pharaoh 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.” |
| 23And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah. | 23And God raised up against Solomon another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah, |
| 24So he gathered men to him and became captain over a band of raiders, when David killed those of Zobah. And they went to Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus. | 24and had gathered men to himself. When David killed the Zobaites, Rezon captained a band of raiders and went to Damascus, where they settled and gained control. |
| 25He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon (besides the trouble that Hadad caused); and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria. | 25Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout the days of Solomon, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled over Aram with hostility toward Israel. |
| 26Then Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king. | 26Now Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon, but he rebelled against the king, |
| 27And this is what caused him to rebel against the king: Solomon had built the Millo and repaired the damages to the City of David his father. | 27and this is the account of his rebellion against the king. Solomon had built the supporting terraces and repaired the gap in the wall of the city of his father David. |
| 28The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him the officer over all the labor force of the house of Joseph. | 28Now Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. So when Solomon noticed that the young man was industrious, he put him in charge of the whole labor force of the house of Joseph. |
| 29Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. | 29During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as he was going out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself in a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field. |
| 30Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. | 30And Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces, |
| 31And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you | 31and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes. |
| 32(but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), | 32But one tribe will remain for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. |
| 33because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David. | 33For they have forsaken Me to worship Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites. 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. |
| 34However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes. | 34Nevertheless, 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 My servant, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and statutes. |
| 35But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes. | 35But I will take ten tribes of the kingdom from the hand of his son and give them to you. |
| 36And to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for Myself, to put My name there. | 36I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name. |
| 37So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. | 37But as for you, I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your heart desires, and you will be king over Israel. |
| 38Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. | 38If 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 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 to you. |
| 39And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ ” | 39Because of this, I will humble David’s descendants—but not forever.’ ” |
| 40Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. | 40Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, where he remained until the death of Solomon. |
| 41Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon? | 41As for the rest of the acts of Solomon—all that he did, as well as his wisdom—are they not written in the Book of the Acts of Solomon? |
| 42And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. | 42Thus the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. |
| 43Then Solomon rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. | 43And Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. And his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. |
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