1 Kings, 11

1. King Solomon loved many foreign women: not only Pharaoh's daughter but Moabites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites,

1. Now King Solomon loved many foreign women: the daughter of Pharaoh, and Moabite, Ammonite, E'domite, Sido'nian, and Hittite women,

2. from those peoples of whom Yahweh had said to the Israelites, 'You are not to go among them nor they among you, or they will be sure to sway your hearts to their own gods.' But Solomon was deeply attached to them.

2. from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, "You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods"; Solomon clung to these in love.

3. He had seven hundred wives of royal rank and three hundred concubines.

3. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.

4. When Solomon grew old his wives swayed his heart to other gods; and his heart was not wholly with Yahweh his God as his father David's had been.

4. For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5. Solomon became a follower of Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and of Milcom, the Ammonite abomination.

5. For Solomon went after Ash'toreth the goddess of the Sido'nians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

6. He did what was displeasing to Yahweh, and was not a wholehearted follower of Yahweh, as his father David had been.

6. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not wholly follow the LORD, as David his father had done.

7. Then it was that Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, on the mountain to the east of Jerusalem, and to Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.

7. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem.

8. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who offered incense and sacrifice to their gods.

8. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9. Yahweh was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from Yahweh, God of Israel, who had twice appeared to him

9. And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,

10. and had forbidden him to follow other gods; but he did not carry out Yahweh's order.

10. and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD commanded.

11. Yahweh therefore said to Solomon, 'Since you have behaved like this and have not kept my covenant or the laws which I laid down for you, I shall tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.

11. Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this has been your mind and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.

12. For your father David's sake, however, I shall not do this during your lifetime, but shall tear it out of your son's hands.

12. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.

13. Even so, I shall not tear the whole kingdom from him. For the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen, I shall leave your son one tribe.'

13. However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

14. Yahweh raised an enemy against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, of the kingly stock of Edom.

14. And the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the E'domite; he was of the royal house in Edom.

15. After David had crushed Edom, Joab the army commander had gone to bury the dead and had slaughtered the entire male population of Edom

15. For when David was in Edom, and Jo'ab the commander of the army went up to bury the slain, he slew every male in Edom

16. (Joab stayed there with all Israel for six months until he had exterminated the entire male population of Edom),

16. (for Jo'ab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom);

17. but Hadad with a number of Edomites in his father's service had fled to Egypt. Hadad had been only a boy at the time.

17. but Hadad fled to Egypt, together with certain E'domites of his father's servants, Hadad being yet a little child.

18. They set out from Midian, and on reaching Paran, took a number of men from Paran with them and went on to Egypt, to Pharaoh the king of Egypt, who provided him with a house, undertook to maintain him, and assigned him an estate.

18. They set out from Mid'ian and came to Paran, and took men with them from Paran and came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and assigned him an allowance of food, and gave him land.

19. Hadad became a great favourite of Pharaoh who gave him his own wife's sister in marriage, the sister of the Great Lady Tahpenes.

19. And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tah'penes the queen.

20. The sister of Tahpenes bore him his son Genubath whom Tahpenes brought up in Pharaoh's palace, Genubath living in Pharaoh's palace with Pharaoh's own children.

20. And the sister of Tah'penes bore him Genu'bath his son, whom Tah'penes weaned in Pharaoh's house; and Genu'bath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh.

21. But when news reached Hadad in Egypt that David had fallen asleep with his ancestors and that Joab the army commander was dead, he said to Pharaoh, 'Give me leave to go that I may return to my own country.'

21. But when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Jo'ab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me depart, that I may go to my own country."

22. 'What do you lack here with me,' Pharaoh said, 'for you to want to go back to your country?' 'Nothing,' he replied, 'but please let me go.'Hence the harm which Hadad caused: he loathed Israel and ruled Edom.

22. But Pharaoh said to him, "What have you lacked with me that you are now seeking to go to your own country?" And he said to him, "Only let me go."

23. God raised a second enemy against Solomon, Rezon son of Eliada. He had fled from his master, Hadadezer king of Zobah.

23. God also raised up as an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eli'ada, who had fled from his master Hadade'zer king of Zobah.

24. A number of men having rallied to him, he became leader of a marauding band (which was then massacred by David). Rezon captured Damascus and settled there and became king of Damascus.

24. And he gathered men about him and became leader of a marauding band, after the slaughter by David; and they went to Damascus, and dwelt there, and made him king in Damascus.

25. He was hostile to Israel as long as Solomon lived.

25. He was an adversary of Israel all the days of Solomon, doing mischief as Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

26. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zeredah; the name of his mother, a widow, was Zeruah; he was in Solomon's service but revolted against the king.

26. Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, an E'phraimite of Zer'edah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother's name was Zeru'ah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king.

27. This is the account of his revolt. Solomon was building the Millo and closing the breach in the City of David his father.

27. And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of David his father.

28. Now this Jeroboam was a man of great energy; Solomon, noticing how the young man set about his work, put him in charge of all the forced labour of the House of Joseph.

28. The man Jerobo'am was very able, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.

29. One day when Jeroboam had gone out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah of Shiloh accosted him on the road. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak; the two of them were in the open country by themselves.

29. And at that time, when Jerobo'am went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahi'jah the Shi'lonite found him on the road. Now Ahi'jah had clad himself with a new garment; and the two of them were alone in the open country.

30. Ahijah took the new cloak which he was wearing and tore it into twelve strips,

30. Then Ahi'jah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces.

31. saying to Jeroboam: 'Take ten strips for yourself, for Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, "I am going to tear the kingdom from Solomon's hand and give ten tribes to you.

31. And he said to Jerobo'am, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, `Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and will give you ten tribes

32. He will keep 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;

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),

33. for he has forsaken me to worship Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, Milcom the god of the Ammonites; he has not followed my ways by doing what I regard as right, or by keeping my laws and ordinances as his father David did.

33. because he has forsaken me, and worshiped Ash'toreth the goddess of the Sido'nians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and has not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my ordinances, as David his father did.

34. But it is not from his hands that I will take the kingdom, since I have made him a prince for as long as he lives, for the sake of my servant David who kept my commandments and laws.

34. Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of David my servant whom I chose, who kept my commandments and my statutes;

35. I shall, however, take the kingdom from the hand of his son, and I shall give it to you, that is, the ten tribes.

35. but I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it to you, ten tribes.

36. I shall give one tribe to his son, so that my servant David may always have a lamp in my presence in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen as a dwelling-place for my name.

36. Yet to his son I will give one tribe, that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name.

37. You nonetheless I shall appoint to rule over as much as you wish, and you will be king of Israel.

37. And I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires, and you shall be king over Israel.

38. If you listen to all my orders and follow my ways, by doing what I regard as right and by keeping my laws and commandments as my servant David did, then I shall be with you and shall build you as enduring a dynasty as the one which I built for David. I shall give Israel to you,

38. And if you will hearken to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you, and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

39. and I shall humble the descendants of David, but not for ever." '

39. And I will for this afflict the descendants of David, but not for ever.'"

40. Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam but he made off and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and he remained in Egypt until Solomon's death.

40. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jerobo'am; but Jerobo'am arose, and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

41. The rest of the history of Solomon, his entire career, his wisdom, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of Solomon?

41. Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

42. Solomon's reign in Jerusalem over all Israel lasted forty years.

42. And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

43. When Solomon fell asleep with his ancestors, he was buried in the City of David his father; his son Rehoboam succeeded him.

43. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father; and Rehobo'am his son reigned in his stead.