1 King Solomon loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter: women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon and the Hittites,
2 from the nations of which the LORD had told the children of Israel, "Do not go in among them, and they must not come in among you, for they will certainly turn your hearts toward their gods." To these Solomon held fast in love.
3 He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart aside.
4 When Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as his father David's heart had been.
5 Solomon followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and did not wholly follow the LORD as his father David had done.
7 At that time Solomon built a high place on the hill east of Jerusalem for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8 He did likewise for every one of his foreign wives, who were burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.
9 So the LORD grew angry with Solomon because his heart had turned from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him two times
10 and had given him a command about this very matter, that he must not follow other gods. But he did not keep the LORD's command.
11 The LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this and have not kept my covenant and the statutes I gave you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to a servant of yours.
12 But for the sake of your father David I will not do it during your lifetime. From your son's hand I will tear it away.
13 Even so, I will not tear away the whole kingdom; one tribe I will give to your son, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I chose."
14 The LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon: Hadad the Edomite, of the royal line in Edom.
15 It had happened, when David was in Edom and Joab the army commander went up to bury the dead, that he struck down every male in Edom
16 (for six months Joab and all Israel stayed there, until he had wiped out every male in Edom),
17 but Hadad escaped to Egypt with some Edomites from his father's servants; Hadad was then a small boy.
18 They set out from Midian and came to Paran. Taking men with them from Paran, they went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who provided him with a house, arranged food for him and gave him land.
19 Hadad won such favor with Pharaoh that he gave him his own wife's sister in marriage, the sister of Queen Tahpenes.
20 Tahpenes' sister bore him his son Genubath, and Tahpenes weaned him within Pharaoh's house. Genubath lived in Pharaoh's house with Pharaoh's sons.
21 While in Egypt, Hadad heard that David had lain down with his fathers and that Joab the army commander had died. So Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Send me off, so that I may go to my own land."
22 Pharaoh asked him, "What do you lack here with me, that you are now wanting to go to your own land?" "Nothing," he said, "but you must let me go."
23 God raised up another adversary against him, Rezon son of Eliada, who had run away from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah.
24 He collected men about him and became captain of a marauding band when David slaughtered the men of Zobah. They went to Damascus, lived there and ruled in Damascus.
25 He was Israel's adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble Hadad caused; he detested Israel and was king over Syria.
26 Also Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zeredah and a servant of Solomon, rebelled against the king. His mother was Zeruah, a widow.
27 This is how he came to rebel against the king. Solomon was building the Millo, closing up the gap in the city of his father David.
28 Jeroboam was a capable and valiant man, and when Solomon saw how the young man got work done, he put him over all the labor force of the house of Joseph.
29 About that time Jeroboam left Jerusalem, and Ahijah the Shilonite, the prophet, came upon him on the road. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak, and the two were by themselves in the open country.
30 Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he had on and ripped it into twelve pieces.
31 He told Jeroboam, "Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand and give ten tribes to you.
32 One tribe will remain his, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I chose from all Israel's tribes.
33 For they have abandoned me and bowed down to Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, to Chemosh the god of Moab and to Milcom the god of the children of Ammon. They have not walked in my ways or done what is right in my sight, keeping my statutes and rules, as his father David did.
34 Even so, I will not take the whole kingdom from his hand; I will let him remain ruler throughout his life, for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose and who kept my commandments and statutes.
35 From his son's hand, though, I will take the kingship and give it to you: ten tribes.
36 To his son I will give one tribe, so that my servant David may have a lamp before me in Jerusalem for all time, the city I chose for myself to set my name there.
37 You I will take, and you will reign over everything your soul longs for; you will be king over Israel.
38 If you listen to all I command you, walk in my ways and do what is right in my sight, keeping my statutes and commandments as my servant David did, I will be with you. I will build you a lasting house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.
39 For this I will humble David's offspring, though not for all time.'"
40 Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but Jeroboam fled at once to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and stayed in Egypt until Solomon died.
41 As for the rest of the deeds of Solomon, all he did and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?
42 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.
43 Then Solomon lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and his son Rehoboam became king in his place.