| New King James Version | NET 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 fell in love with many foreign women (besides Pharaoh's daughter), including Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. |
| 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. | 2They came from nations about which the LORD had warned the Israelites, "You must not establish friendly relations with them! If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods." But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them. |
| 3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. | 3He had 700 royal wives and 300 concubines; his wives had a powerful influence over him. |
| 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. | 4When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to other gods; 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 worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte and the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. |
| 6Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David. | 6Solomon did evil in the LORD's sight; he did not remain loyal to the LORD, like his father David had. |
| 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. | 7Furthermore, on the hill east of Jerusalem Solomon built a high place for the detestable Moabite god Chemosh and for the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. |
| 8And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. | 8He built high places for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense and make sacrifices 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, | 9The LORD was angry with Solomon because he had shifted his allegiance away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him on two occasions |
| 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. | 10and had warned him about this very thing, so that he would not follow other gods. But he did not obey 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. | 11So the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you insist on doing these things and have not kept the covenantal rules I gave you, I will surely 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. | 12However, for your father David's sake I will not do this while you are alive. I will tear it away from your son's hand instead. |
| 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.” | 13But I will not tear away the entire kingdom; I will leave your son one tribe for my servant David's sake and for the sake of my chosen city Jerusalem." |
| 14Now the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was a descendant of the king in Edom. | 14The LORD brought against Solomon an enemy, Hadad the Edomite, a descendant of the Edomite king. |
| 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 | 15During David's campaign against Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, while on a mission to bury the dead, killed every male in Edom. |
| 16(because for six months Joab remained there with all Israel, until he had cut down every male in Edom), | 16For six months Joab and the entire Israelite army stayed there until they had exterminated 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. | 17Hadad, who was only a small boy at the time, escaped with some of his father's Edomite servants and headed for Egypt. |
| 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. | 18They went from Midian to Paran; they took some men from Paran and went to Egypt. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, supplied him with a house and food and even assigned him some land. |
| 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. | 19Pharaoh liked Hadad so well he gave him his sister-in-law (Queen Tahpenes' sister) as a 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. | 20Tahpenes' sister gave birth to his son, named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh's palace; Genubath grew up in Pharaoh's palace among Pharaoh's sons. |
| 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.” | 21While in Egypt Hadad heard that David had passed away and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead. So Hadad asked Pharaoh, "Give me permission to leave so I can return to my homeland." |
| 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.” | 22Pharaoh said to him, "What do you lack here that makes you want to go to your homeland?" Hadad replied, "Nothing, but please give me permission to leave." |
| 23And God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who had fled from his lord, Hadadezer king of Zobah. | 23God also brought against Solomon another enemy, Rezon son of Eliada who had run away from his master, King Hadadezer 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. | 24He gathered some men and organized a raiding band. When David tried to kill them, they went to Damascus, where they settled down and gained control of the city. |
| 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. | 25He was Israel's enemy throughout Solomon's reign and, like Hadad, caused trouble. He loathed Israel and ruled over Syria. |
| 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. | 26Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon's servants, rebelled against the king. He was an Ephraimite from Zeredah whose mother was a widow named Zeruah. |
| 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. | 27This is what prompted him to rebel against the king: Solomon built a terrace and he closed up a 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. | 28Jeroboam was a talented man; when Solomon saw that the young man was an accomplished worker, he made him the leader of the work crew from the tribe 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. | 29At that time, when Jeroboam had left Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the road; the two of them were alone in the open country. Ahijah was wearing a brand new robe, |
| 30Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. | 30and he grabbed the robe and 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 | 31Then he told Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces, for this is what the LORD God of Israel says: 'Look, I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon's hand and I will give ten tribes to you. |
| 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), | 32He will retain one tribe, for my servant David's sake 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. | 33I am taking the kingdom from him because they have abandoned me and worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte, the Moabite god Chemosh, and the Ammonite god Milcom. They have not followed my instructions by doing what I approve and obeying my rules and regulations, like 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. | 34I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand. I will allow him to be ruler for the rest of his life for the sake of my chosen servant David who kept my commandments and rules. |
| 35But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes. | 35I will take the kingdom from the hand of his son and give ten tribes 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 leave his son one tribe so my servant David's dynasty may continue to serve me in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen as my home. |
| 37So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. | 37I will select you; you will rule over all you desire to have 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. | 38You must obey all I command you to do, follow my instructions, do what I approve, and keep my rules and commandments, like my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David; I will give you Israel. |
| 39And I will afflict the descendants of David because of this, but not forever.’ ” | 39I will humiliate David's descendants because of this, 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 tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam escaped to Egypt and found refuge with King Shishak of Egypt. He stayed in Egypt until Solomon died. |
| 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? | 41The rest of the events of Solomon's reign, including all his accomplishments and his wise decisions, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of Solomon. |
| 42And the period that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. | 42Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem for 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. | 43Then Solomon passed away and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king. |
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