13 In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor,(A) so that no man in any kingdom will be your equal during your entire life.(B)

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13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not(A) asked for—both wealth and honor(B)—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal(C) among kings.

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Solomon’s Unfaithfulness to God

11 King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter:(A) Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women(B) from the nations that the Lord had told the Israelites about, “Do not intermarry with them, and they must not intermarry with you, because they will turn you away from Me to their gods.”(C) Solomon was deeply attached to these women and loved them. He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 concubines,(D) and they turned his heart away from the Lord.(E)

When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been.(F) Solomon followed Ashtoreth,(G) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom,(H) the detestable idol of the Ammonites.(I) Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not completely follow Yahweh.

At that time, Solomon built a high place(J) for Chemosh,(K) the detestable idol of Moab, and for Milcom,[a](L) the detestable idol of the Ammonites, on the hill across from Jerusalem.(M) He did the same for all his foreign wives, who were burning incense and offering sacrifices to their gods.

The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.(N) 10 He had commanded him about this, so that he would not follow other gods, but Solomon did not do what the Lord had commanded.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 11:7 Lit Molech

Solomon’s Wives

11 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women(A) besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites,(B) Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry(C) with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines,(D) and his wives led him astray.(E) As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods,(F) and his heart was not fully devoted(G) to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth(H) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek(I) the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil(J) in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

On a hill east(K) of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh(L) the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek(M) the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared(N) to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods,(O) Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.(P)

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