1 Kings 11
1 But, King Solomon, loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, —women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, Hittites:
King Solomon married many foreign women. First he married the daughter of the king of Egypt. He also married women from the Heth people-group and from the Moab, Ammon, and Edom people-groups, and from Sidon [city].
2 out of the nations concerning whom Yahweh had said unto the sons of Israel—Ye shall not go in unto them, and, they, shall not come in unto you, surely they will turn aside your heart after their gods. Unto these, did Solomon cleave in love.
He married them even though Yahweh had commanded the Israeli people, “Do not marry people from those areas, because if you do that, they will surely persuade you [IDM] to worship the gods that they worship!”
3 So it came to pass that he had seven hundred wives who were princesses, and three hundred concubines, —and, his wives, turned aside, his heart.
Solomon married 700 women who were kings’ daughters. He also had 300 wives who were his slaves/servants. And his wives caused him to turn away [from worshiping God].
4 Yea it came to pass, in the old age of Solomon, that, his wives, turned aside his heart after other gods, —his heart therefore was not sound with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father.
By the time that Solomon became old, they had persuaded him to worship the gods from their countries. He was not completely dedicated/committed to Yahweh his God like his father [SYN] David had been.
5 And Solomon went after Ashtoreth, goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.
Solomon worshiped Astarte, the goddess that the people of Sidon [worshiped], and he worshiped Molech, the disgusting god that the Ammon people-group [worshiped].
6 Thus Solomon did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, —and went not fully after Yahweh, as did David his father.
That’s how Solomon did things that Yahweh said were evil. He did not conduct his life like his father David had done; he did not conduct his life as Yahweh wanted him to.
7 Then, did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, —and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon;
On the hill to the east of Jerusalem he built a place to worship Chemosh, the disgusting god that the Moab people-group [worshiped], and a place to worship Molech, the disgusting god that the Ammon people-group [worshiped].
8 and, thus, did he for all his foreign wives, —who burned incense and offered sacrifices unto their gods.
He also built places where all his foreign wives could burn incense and offer sacrifices to the gods from their own countries.
9 Therefore did Yahweh shew himself angry with Solomon, —because his heart had turned aside from Yahweh God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice;
Even though Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [worshiped], had appeared to Solomon two times, and had commanded him to not worship foreign gods, Solomon refused to obey Yahweh. So Yahweh was angry with Solomon,
10 and had been giving command to him concerning this thing, that he should not go away after other gods, —but he had not taken heed unto that which Yahweh had commanded.
11 Wherefore Yahweh said unto Solomon—Forasmuch as this hath come to pass with thee, and thou hast not heeded my covenant and my statutes, which I charged upon thee, I will, rend, the kingdom away from thee, and will give it unto a servant of thine.
and said to him, “You have chosen to break the agreement that I made with you and to disobey what I commanded you. So I am surely not going to allow you to rule all of your kingdom. I am going to allow one of your officials to rule it.
12 Notwithstanding, in thine own days, will I not do it, for the sake of David thy father, —out of the hand of thy son, will I rend it.
But, because of [what I promised] your father David, I will allow you to rule all your kingdom while you are still [living]. [After you die], I will not allow your son to rule the whole kingdom [MTY].
13 Howbeit, all the kingdom, will I not rend away, one tribe, will I give unto thy son, —for the sake of David my servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.
But I will not take all the kingdom away from him. Instead, I will allow him to rule one tribe [besides the tribe of Judah], because of what I promised to David, who served me [well], and because [I want David’s descendants to rule in] Jerusalem, [where my temple is located].”
14 And Yahweh raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, —of the seed of the king, was he, in Edom.
Yahweh caused Hadad, from the family of the kings in the Edom people-group, to rebel against Solomon.
15 And it came to pass, when David was dealing with Edom, and Joab general of the army went up to bury the slain, —and had smitten every male in Edom, —
What happened was that previously, when David’s [army] had conquered the Edom people-group, his army commander Joab had gone there to [help] bury the [Israeli soldiers] who had been killed [in the battle]. Joab and his army remained in the Edom area for six months, and during that time they killed all the males of that area.
16 for, six months, did Joab remain there, with all Israel, —until he had cut off every male in Edom,
17 that Hadad fled, he and certain men of Edom of the servants of his father, with him, to go into Egypt, —Hadad being a little boy.
Hadad was a young child [at that time], and he had escaped to Egypt, along with some of his father’s servants from the Edom area.
18 So they arose out of Midian, and came into Paran, —and took certain men with them out of Paran, and came into Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and, food, appointed him, and, land, did give unto him.
They [went to the] Midian [region], and then they went to [the desert area at] Paran. Some other men joined them there. Then they all traveled to Egypt and went to see the king of Egypt. The king gave Hadad some land and ordered his servants to give him some food regularly.
19 And Hadad found great favour in the eyes of Pharaoh, —so that he gave him to wife, the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.
The king liked Hadad. As a result he gave him the sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, to be Hadad’s wife.
20 And the sister of Tahpenes bare to him Genubath his son, and Tahpenes weaned him, in the house of Pharaoh, —and so it came about, that Genubath was of the household of Pharaoh, among the sons of Pharaoh.
Later Hadad’s wife gave birth to a son named Genubath. The sister of Tahpenes (raised him/brought him up) in the palace, where he lived with the king’s sons.
21 And, when, Hadad, heard in Egypt, that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab general of the army was dead, Hadad said unto Pharaoh, Let me go, that I may take my journey unto mine own land.
While Hadad was in Egypt, he heard that David had died [EUP], and that Joab, the commander of David’s army, was also dead. So he said to the king of Egypt, “Please allow me to return to my own country.”
22 Then said Pharaoh unto him—But what hast thou been lacking with me, that lo! thou art seeking to take thy journey unto thine own land? And he said—Nothing, howbeit, let me go.
But the king said to him, “Why do you want to go back to your country? Is there something that you lack that you want me to give to you?” Hadad replied, “No, but please just allow me to go.” [So the king allowed him to leave, and he returned to his own country and became the king of Edom].
23 And God raised up against him an adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, —who had fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah, his lord;
God also caused another man named Rezon, the son of Eliada, to rebel against Solomon. Rezon had run away from his master, King Hadadezer of [the] Zobah [area north of Damascus].
24 and he gathered unto him men, and became captain of a band when David slew them [of Zobah], —then went they to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.
Rezon then became the leader of a group of outlaws. That happened after David’s [army had defeated Hadadezer and] had [also] killed all [his soldiers]. Rezon and his men went to Damascus and started to live there, and [the people there] appointed him to be their king.
25 Thus became he an adversary unto Israel, all the days of Solomon, this, is the mischief which Hadad did, —so then, he abhorred Israel, when he reigned over Syria.
All during the time that Solomon was alive, while Rezon was ruling [not only Damascus but all of] Syria, he was an enemy of Israel and caused trouble for Israel like Hadad did.
26 Jeroboam also, son of Nebat, an Ephrathite from Zeredah, whose, mother’s name, was Zeruah, a widow woman, he being servant to Solomon, lifted up a hand against the king.
Another man who rebelled against [IDM] Solomon was one of his officials named Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. He was from Zeredah [town] in [the region where the tribe of] Ephraim [lives]. His mother was a widow named Zeruah.
27 And, this, was the cause that he lifted up a hand against the king, —Solomon, built Millo, he closed up of the of David his father. the breach city
This is what happened. Solomon’s workers were filling in the land/ground on the east side of Jerusalem and repairing the walls [around the city].
28 Now, the man Jeroboam, being an able Solomon observed his servant, that he man, was, one to execute a work, so he gave him oversight of all the charge of the house of Joseph.
Jeroboam was a very capable young man. So, when Solomon saw that he worked very hard, he appointed him to supervise all the men who were forced to work in the areas where the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim live.
29 And it came to pass, at that time, when, Jeroboam, went forth out of Jerusalem, that there met him Ahijah the Shilonite, the prophet, in the way, he having wrapped himself about with a new mantle; and, they two, were by themselves, in the field.
One day when Jeroboam was walking alone along the road outside of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh [city] met him. Ahijah was wearing a new robe,
30 Then Ahijah laid hold of the new mantle, that was upon him, —and rent it into twelve pieces;
which he took off and tore into twelve pieces.
31 and said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten places, —for Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel—Behold me! about to rend the kingdom, out of the hand of Solomon, and I will give unto thee ten tribes:
He said to Jeroboam, “Take ten of these pieces for yourself, because Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], says to you, ‘I am going to tear the kingdom from Solomon, and I am going to enable you to become the ruler of ten of the tribes [of Israel].
32 Howbeit, one tribe, shall he retain, —for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen, out of all the tribes of Israel:
Solomon’s [descendants] will still rule one tribe (OR, two tribes), because of [what I promised] David, a man who served me [very well], and because of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen from all the cities in Israel [to be the city where my people will worship me].
33 Because they have forsaken me, and bowed themselves down to Ashtoreth, goddess of the Zidonians, to Chemosh, god of the Moabites, and to Milcom, god of the sons of Ammon, —and have not walked in my ways, by doing what is right in mine eyes, even my statutes and my regulations, like David his father.
I am going to do this because Solomon has rejected me and has been worshiping Astarte, the goddess that the people of Sidon worship, Chemosh, the god that the Moab people-group worship, and Milcom, the god that the Ammon people-group worship. He has not conducted his life as I wanted him to. He has not obeyed my statutes and laws, like his father David did.
34 Yet will I not take all the kingdom out of his hand, —but will suffer him to be, leader, all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose, —who kept my commandments and my statutes.
‘But I will not take the entire kingdom away from him. I will enable him to rule [Judah] all during the years that he is alive. I will do that because of [what I promised to do for] David, whom I chose [to be the king], and who served me [well], and who always obeyed my commandments and laws.
35 But I will take the kingdom out of the hand of his son, and will give it to thee, even the ten tribes.
But I will take the [other] ten tribes of his kingdom and give them to you [to rule].
36 Nevertheless, go his son, will I give one tribe, —to the end there may remain a lamp unto David my servant always before me, in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen for myself, to put my Name there.
I will allow Solomon’s son to rule one tribe, in order that descendants [MET] of David will always rule in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen to be the place where [my people worship] me [MTY].
37 But, thee, will I take, and thou shalt reign over all that thy soul could desire, —and thou shalt be king over Israel.
I will enable you to become the king of Israel, and you will rule over all the territory that you want to.
38 So shall it be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I shall command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that which is right in mine eyes, by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as did David my servant, then will I be with thee, and will build thee an assured house, as I have built for David, and will give unto thee, Israel.
If you obey all that I command you to do, and conduct your life as I want you to, and if you do what I say is right by obeying my laws and commandments like David did, I will help you. I will make sure that your descendants will rule after you [die], like I [promised to] do for David.
39 Thus will I humiliate the seed of David, because of this; yet not for ever.
Because of [Solomon’s sins], I will punish David’s descendants, but I will not continue to punish them forever.’”
40 When therefore Solomon sought to put, Jeroboam, to death, Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, —and remained in Egypt, until the death of Solomon.
Solomon [found out what Ahijah told Jeroboam], so he tried to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam escaped and went to Egypt. He went to Shishak, the king of Egypt, and stayed with him until after Solomon died.
41 Now, the rest of the story of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are, they, not written in the book of the records of Solomon?
[A record of] all the other things that Solomon did, and all the wise things that he [said and wrote], was written in the Book Telling what Solomon Did.
42 Now, the days which Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all Israel, were forty years.
He was the king in Jerusalem who ruled over all of Israel for 40 years.
43 So then Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father, —and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
Then Solomon died [EUP], and was buried in the [part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’. And his son Rehoboam became the king.
