1 Kings 11

All 43 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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1. 1King Solomon loved many foreign women — not only Pharaoh's daughter, but also women from the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites.
2. 2The LORD had told the people of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with these nations, and they shall not intermarry with you, because they will surely turn your hearts toward their gods." Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.
3. 3He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.
4. 4As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart toward other gods, and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of his father David had been.
5. 5Solomon followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.
6. 6Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not follow the LORD completely, unlike his father David.
7. 7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, on the hill east of Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the Ammonites.
8. 8He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
9. 9The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel — the God who had appeared to him twice.
10. 10God had specifically commanded him not to follow other gods, but he did not keep what the LORD commanded.
11. 11So the LORD told Solomon, "Because you have done this and have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant."
12. 12However, I won't do it during your lifetime, for the sake of your father David. Instead, I will tear it from your son's hands.
13. 13Even then, I won't take the entire kingdom away. I will leave your son one tribe — for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen."
14. 14The LORD raised up an enemy against Solomon: Hadad the Edomite, who was from the royal family of Edom.
15. 15When David was in Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, went up to bury the slain after he had struck down every male in Edom.
16. 16(Joab and the entire Israelite army had stayed in Edom for 6 months, until they had killed every male there.)
17. 17Hadad fled to Egypt with some of his father's Edomite servants while he was still a young boy.
18. 18They left Midian and traveled to Paran, where they gathered more men. Then they continued on to Egypt and presented themselves to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Pharaoh gave Hadad a house, provided him with food, and granted him land.
19. 19Hadad won such favor with Pharaoh that the king gave him his own sister-in-law as a wife — the sister of Queen Tahpenes.
20. 20Tahpenes' sister gave birth to Hadad's son Genubath, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house. Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among Pharaoh's sons.
21. 21When Hadad heard in Egypt that David had died and that Joab, the army commander, was dead, he said to Pharaoh, "Let me leave so I can return to my own country."
22. 22Pharaoh asked him, "What have you been lacking here that makes you want to go home?" Hadad replied, "Nothing — but please, just let me go."
23. 23God also raised up another enemy against Solomon: Rezon son of Eliada, who had deserted his master Hadadezer, king of Zobah.
24. 24After David destroyed the forces of Zobah, Rezon gathered a band of men around himself and became their leader. They settled in Damascus and took control of the city.
25. 25Rezon was hostile to Israel throughout Solomon's entire reign, adding to the trouble Hadad was already causing. He despised Israel and ruled over Syria.
26. 26Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite from Zereda, was a servant of Solomon. His mother, a widow, was named Zeruah. He also lifted up his hand against the king.
27. 27And this was the reason he raised his hand against the king: Solomon built the Millo and repaired the breaches in the city of David his father.
28. 28Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor and industrious. When Solomon saw how hardworking he was, he made him ruler over all the responsibilities of the house of Joseph.
29. 29Around that time, Jeroboam left Jerusalem, and the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh met him on the road. Ahijah was wearing a brand-new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open countryside.
30. 30Ahijah grabbed the new cloak he was wearing and ripped it into 12 pieces.
31. 31Then he told Jeroboam, "Take 10 of these pieces for yourself. This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hands, and I will give 10 tribes to you.
32. 32(Solomon will keep one tribe — for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I chose from among all the tribes of Israel.)
33. 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 Ammonites. They have not walked in my ways, done what is right in my eyes, or kept my statutes and judgments, as David his father did.
34. 34Still, I will not take the entire kingdom from his hand. I will make him prince for the rest of his life for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes.
35. 35But I will take the kingdom from his son and give 10 tribes to you.
36. 36I will leave his son one tribe, so that my servant David will always have a lamp burning before me in Jerusalem — the city I chose as the place for my name.
37. 37I will take you, and you will rule as you desire, and you will be king over Israel.
38. 38If you listen to everything I command you, follow my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my laws and commands — just as my servant David did — then I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty, just as I built one for David, and I will give Israel to you.
39. 39Because of this, I will afflict David's descendants, but not forever.
40. 40Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam fled to Egypt, to Shishak, king of Egypt, and stayed there until Solomon died.
41. 41Everything else about Solomon's reign — all his accomplishments and his wisdom — is recorded in the book of the acts of Solomon.
42. 42Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all of Israel for 40 years.
43. 43And Solomon died and was buried in the city of David his father. His son Rehoboam reigned in his place.