Solomon Turns from God

Optional Titles:Solomon Asks God for Wisdom.Solomon Disobeys God.Solomon’s foolishness and death.

When Solomon asked God for wisdom, this so pleased God, that he [God] also gave to him [Solomon] great wealth [riches / money] and honor.God warned Solomon, “Do not marry foreign women [from other countries]”, but Solomon married many foreign women.

Solomon married 700 women who were foreign kings’ daughters, and he had 300 other women [concubines].In Jerusalem [City], Solomon built places where his wives worshipped other [foreign] gods, even making sacrifices to them.

When Solomon grew [was] old, he too began worshipping foreign gods. He worshipped the goddess Ashtoreth from Sidon [country] and the god Molech [Molok] from Ammon [country]. In this way, Solomon became unfaithful to the Lord.

This made God angry with Solomon, so God said to him, “Because you have disobeyed me, one of your servants will become ruler over part of your kingdom [Israel].”

One day, while workers were repairing the stone wall around Jerusalem, Solomon put a man named Jeroboam in charge over many other workers. Jeroboam was a skilled [capable] man who worked hard.

One day, as Jeroboam was walking near Jerusalem, he met a prophet named Ahijah. [Ahijah spoke to Jeroboam.] As Jeroboam watched him, Ahijah took off his [own] new coat and tore it in twelve pieces.

Ahijah ordered Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD, ‘I will soon tear the kingdom from Solomon, and I will give to you ten [Israelite] tribes.”

Ahijah explained, “The Lord will not do so while Solomon remains alive, because God made a promise to Solomon’s father David. After Solomon dies, his son will rule over one tribe [Judah], so that a son [descendant] of David may remain king in Jerusalem.”

Ahijah explained more [to Jeroboam], “The Lord says, ‘I have rejected [turned against] Solomon, because Solomon has rejected me by worshipping other gods.’”

When Solomon heard about this, he tried to kill Jeroboam. However, Jeroboam escaped by going [running] to [the country of] Egypt where he stayed until Solomon died.

Solomon [had] ruled forty years in Jerusalem as King over Israel’s twelve tribes. When he died, they buried [entombed] him at Jerusalem, and his son Rehoboam became Israel’s new king.

While Jeroboam was still in Egypt, he heard [say], “King Solomon has died,” so he left Egypt, returning to [the land of] Israel.