Solomon Turns Away from God
1 Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides the daughter of the king of Egypt he married Hittite women and women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon. 2 He married them even though the Lord had commanded the Israelites not to intermarry with these people, because they would cause the Israelites to give their loyalty to other gods. 3 Solomon married seven hundred princesses and also had three hundred concubines. They made him turn away from God, 4 and by the time he was old they had led him into the worship of foreign gods. He was not faithful to the Lord his God, as his father David had been. 5 He worshiped Astarte, the goddess of Sidon, and Molech, the disgusting god of Ammon. 6 He sinned against the Lord and was not true to him as his father David had been. 7 On the mountain east of Jerusalem he built a place to worship Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, and a place to worship Molech, the disgusting god of Ammon. 8 He also built places of worship where all his foreign wives could burn incense and offer sacrifices to their own gods.
9-10 Even though the Lord, the God of Israel, had appeared to Solomon twice and had commanded him not to worship foreign gods, Solomon did not obey the Lord but turned away from him. So the Lord was angry with Solomon 11 and said to him, “Because you have deliberately broken your covenant with me and disobeyed my commands, I promise that I will take the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your officials. 12 However, for the sake of your father David I will not do this in your lifetime, but during the reign of your son. 13 And I will not take the whole kingdom away from him; instead, I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have made my own.”
Solomon's Enemies
14 So the Lord caused Hadad, of the royal family of Edom, to turn against Solomon. 15-16 Long before this, when David had conquered Edom, Joab the commander of his army had gone there to bury the dead. He and his men remained in Edom six months, and during that time they killed every male in Edom 17 except Hadad and some of his father's Edomite servants, who escaped to Egypt. (At that time Hadad was just a child.) 18 They left Midian and went to Paran, where some other men joined them. Then they traveled to Egypt and went to the king, who gave Hadad some land and a house and provided him with food. 19 Hadad won the friendship of the king, and the king gave his sister-in-law, the sister of Queen Tahpenes, to Hadad in marriage. 20 She bore him a son, Genubath, who was raised by the queen in the palace, where he lived with the king's sons.
21 When the news reached Hadad in Egypt that David had died and that Joab the commander of the army was dead, Hadad said to the king, “Let me go back to my own country.”
22 “Why?” the king asked. “Have I failed to give you something? Is that why you want to go back home?”
“Just let me go,” Hadad answered the king. And he went back to his country.
As king of Edom, Hadad was an evil, bitter enemy of Israel.
23 God also caused Rezon son of Eliada to turn against Solomon. Rezon had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah, 24 and had become the leader of a gang of outlaws. (This happened after David had defeated Hadadezer and had slaughtered his Syrian allies.) Rezon and his gang went and lived in Damascus, where his followers made him king of Syria. 25 He was an enemy of Israel during the lifetime of Solomon.
God's Promise to Jeroboam
26 Another man who turned against King Solomon was one of his officials, Jeroboam son of Nebat, from Zeredah in Ephraim. His mother was a widow named Zeruah. 27 This is the story of the revolt.
Solomon was filling in the land on the east side of Jerusalem and repairing the city walls. 28 Jeroboam was an able young man, and when Solomon noticed how hard he worked, he put him in charge of all the forced labor in the territory of the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 One day, as Jeroboam was traveling from Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh met him alone on the road in the open country. 30 Ahijah took off the new robe he was wearing, tore it into twelve pieces, 31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, because the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, ‘I am going to take the kingdom away from Solomon, and I will give you ten tribes. 32 Solomon will keep one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be my own from the whole land of Israel. 33 I am going to do this because Solomon has rejected me and has worshiped foreign gods: Astarte, the goddess of Sidon; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of Ammon. Solomon has disobeyed me; he has done wrong and has not kept my laws and commands as his father David did. 34 But I will not take the whole kingdom away from Solomon, and I will keep him in power as long as he lives. This I will do for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose and who obeyed my laws and commands. 35 I will take the kingdom away from Solomon's son and will give you ten tribes, 36 but I will let Solomon's son keep one tribe, so that I will always have a descendant of my servant David ruling in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen as the place where I am worshiped. 37 Jeroboam, I will make you king of Israel, and you will rule over all the territory that you want. 38 If you obey me completely, live by my laws, and win my approval by doing what I command, as my servant David did, I will always be with you. I will make you king of Israel and will make sure that your descendants rule after you, just as I have done for David. 39 Because of Solomon's sin I will punish the descendants of David, but not for all time.’”
40 And so Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he escaped to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon's death.
The Death of Solomon
(2 Chronicles 9.29-31)41 Everything else that Solomon did, his career, and his wisdom, are all recorded in The History of Solomon. 42 He was king in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 43 He died and was buried in David's City, and his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king.
Solomoni unoshandukila Ndzimu
1 Mambo Solomoni kada bakadzi banjinji be njudzi dzipoga, kubaligwa ne nkololokadzi wa Faro mambo we Egipiti, wakalobola bakadzi be Bamoabu ne be Baamoni ne be Baedomu ne be Basidoni ne be Bahiti, 2 bedwa mu njudzi Yahwe dzabakadwa Baiziraela bakati, “Musitongo lobolelana ne njudzi dzipoga, ngoti nge malebeswa bangadwa beshandulila moyo yenyu ku midzimu yabo.” Nenguba kwakajalo Solomoni wakabhatilila mu kubada. 3 Wakabe akalobola bakadzi bali mazana ali kutendeka (700) bali bakololokadzi ba bomambo ne balongwana bali mazana ali matatu (300) ngono bakadzi babe ibaba bakandusa mu zila. 4 Ngoti kwakati Solomoni akwegula bakadzi babe bakashandulila moyo uwe ku midzimu ipoga. Moyo uwe ukasitjabe mu malebeswa kuna Yahwe Ndzimu uwe, se moyo wa tate babe Dafite wakabe uli iko. 5 Ngoti Solomoni wakabe atjitobela Ashitoreti ndzimukadzi we Basidoni na Milikhomu ndzimu unoshimisa we Baamoni. 6 Ndizo Solomoni kathama mbipo mu mesho a Yahwe, kasitjatobele Yahwe nge buzhalo, sekwakabe kuthama tate babe Dafite. 7 Ipapo Solomoni kabakila Khemoshi ndzimu unoshimisa we Moabu na Moleki ndzimu unoshimika we Baamoni bugalo gwakatuthumala, pezhugwi kwe dombo bhezhuba kwe Jerusalema. 8 Kathamila bakadzi babe bose be njudzi dzipoga saikoko, ngono bakapisila midzimu yabo motsha ne zwibhayilo ikoko.
9 Yahwe bakagwadzila moyo Solomoni, ngobe afupatila Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela, ibo bakazwilakidza kunli kabili kose, 10 kakale bakantjemela ngekwe kuthu ikoku, kuti asitobele midzimu ipoga, koga kasihwilile Yahwe muna tjabakandwa. 11 Ndizo Yahwe bakadwa Solomoni bakati, “Se kwabe iwo mpanga uwo, kusalondolodza tjidumano tjangu, ndowopaladza mbuso uwo, autola mukuli, aupa mmwe we balanda babo. 12 Nenguba kwakajalo ngekwa tate babo Dafite, anditowoupaladza mu mazhuba e butjilo gugo, koga ndowoupaladza watjibe mu maboko e nkololo uwo. 13 Ngono anditowopaladza mbuso wose, koga ndowosiyila nkololo uwo ludzi gu ng'ompela, ngekwa Dafite nlanda wangu ne ngekwe Jerusalema nzi nkulu wandakazwishalulila.”
14 Ngono Yahwe bakathama kuti Hadadi we ng'umba ye bushe gwe Edomu amukile Solomoni. 15 Ngoti kwakatongoti Dafite anogwa ne Edomu, kukati Joabu nlauli we babhayani anobiganya bakabulawa mu ngwa, kabulaya balume bose mu Edomu. 16 Joabu ne Baiziraela bose bakagala mu Edomu mimwedzi ili mitathatu, kuswikila babulaya balume bose mu Edomu. 17 Koga Hadadi katizhila ku Egipiti ana bamwe balanda ba tate babe, be Baedomu atji ntjetjana. 18 Bakadwa mu Midiyani bakanoti ku Parani. Bakatolana ne bamwe balume bakanoswika ku Egipiti, kuna Mambo Faro. Faro kapa Hadadi ng'umba, kampa gobe le zojiwa, kabuya kampa shango. 19 Ngono Hadadi kashathisa Faro, ndizo Faro kashakila Hadadi nkadzana uwe nnung'una we nfumakadzi uwe Tahipenesi kanlobola. 20 Ngono nnung'una wa Tahipenesi kazwalila Hadadi mwana we tjilisana kantumila zina linoyi Genubathi. Nfumakadzi Tahipenesi kankudzila mu ng'umba ye bumambo ne bakololo ba Faro.
21 Kwakati Hadadi ehwa ali mu Egipiti kuti Dafite wakatobela botate babe bakafa na Joabu nlauli we babhayani wakafa bo, Hadadi kadwa Faro kati, “Imani ndiyende, ndibgwilile ku shango ya kanyi kwedu.”
22 Koga Faro kadwa Hadadi kati, “Washetani mundili, tjathama kuti ushake bgwilila ku shango ya kanyi kwenyu?” Ngono kadabila Faro eti, “Akuna tjandasheta, koga imani ndiyende.”
23 Ndzimu ukathama kuti Rezoni nkololo wa Eliyada wakabe atizha kuna tetshi uwe Hadadezeri mambo we Zoba naiye abe tjita tja Solomoni. 24 Ngono kakubunganya goko le batoleli kabe ntungamili walo. Ikoku kwakashingikala shule Dafite asinokunda ngwa ya Hadadezeri. Rezoni ne bathu babe bakayenda ku Damasiko bakanogalako, bathu babe bakambiga mambo we Damasiko. 25 Wakabe tjita tje Iziraela mu butjilo gose gwa Solomoni eshima Baiziraela sekwakabe kuthama Hadedezeri ngono kabusa Aramu.
Jeroboamu unogadziwabgwe nge Ndzimu
26 Mmwe we balanda ba Solomoni, Jeroboamu nkololo wa Nebati, N'ifureimu we ku Zereda, ali mwana we tjilikadzi yakabe iyi Zeruwa naiyebo kapandukila mambo. 27 Tjakathama kuti apandukile mambo ndiyetje; Solomoni wakabaka bundo linodang'wa Duluthulu, kazwina mikoba pakabe pakakolomoka mu nzi nkulu wa tate babe Dafite. 28 Nlume uwoyo Jeroboamu wakabe ali nyambi, ngono kukati Solomoni ebona kuti nzhuzha uwoyo unoshinga kwazo, kambiga nlingi we bashingi bose be ng'umba ya Josefa. 29 Kukati mu tjibaka itjetjo Jeroboamu ebhudila kuzhe kwe Jerusalema, kawang'wa nge nlebesambeli Ahija we N'shilo mu zila. Ipapo Ahija wakabe akaambala tjiambalo tjitshwa, bubili gwabo bakabe bali boga mu shango. 30 Ahija kabhata tjiambalo tjitshwa tjaakabe akaambala, katjipalulanya tjikabe mapenga ali gumi lina mabili (12). 31 Nlebesambeli Ahija kadwa Jeroboamu kati, “Uzwitolegwe mapenga ali gumi, ngobe Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, ‘Bona, ndipejo ngopaladza mbuso mu luboko gwa Solomoni, ngono ndowokupa njudzi dzili gumi. 32 Koga ngekwe nlanda wangu Dafite nenge kwe nzi nkulu Jerusalema, nzi nkulu wandakashalula mu njudzi dzose dze Iziraela, Solomoni unowosala nge ludzi gu ng'ompela. 33 Ndowothama saikoku, ngobe Solomoni wakandilasha, ngono kanamata ndzimukadzi Ashitoti we Basidoni, na Khemoshi ndzimu we Moabu na Milikhomu ndzimu we Baamoni. Kasitobele zila dzangu, kuthama tjakalulwama mu mesho angu, kulondolodza milayo sekwa kwakabe kuthama tate babe Dafite. 34 Nenguba kwakajalo, anditowotola mbuso wose mu luboko gwa Solomoni, koga ngekwe nlanda wangu Dafite wandakashalula, wakabe elondolodza milayo yangu, ndowothama kuti abuse mu mazhuba wose e butjilo gugwe. 35 Koga ndowotola mbuso mu luboko gwe nkololo wa Solomoni, ndibe ndikupa njudzi dzili gumi. 36 Ndowopa nkololo wa Solomoni ludzi gu ng'ompela, kuti ndidwilidze tjizekugwana tje nlanda wangu Dafite mbeli kwangu, tjibusa mu Jerusalema, nzi nkulu wandakashalulila kubiga zina langu. 37 Ngono iwe ndowokutola ukabusa pamwe ne pamwe panowobe peyemugwa nge moyo uwo, unowobe mambo we Iziraela. 38 Ngono ha uhwilila zose zwandinokudwa, ubuya utobela zila dzangu, uthama kwakalulwama mu mesho angu, ulondolodza milayo yangu, sekwakathama Dafite nlanda wangu, ndowobe nawe, akubakila nzi una tjilumbi sekwa ndakabakila Dafite, ngono ndowokupa Iziraela. 39 Ngekwe tjibi tja Solomoni, ndowodziyidza zwizekugwana zwa Dafite, koga kusi nge kusingapele.’ ”
40 Ndizo Solomoni kagwisa bulaya Jeroboamu, ngono Jeroboamu katizhila kuna Mambo Shishaki we Egipiti, kagala mu Egipiti kudzina Solomoni efa.
Lufu gwa Solomoni
(2 Zwiyitikalo 9:29-31)41 Mimwe mishingo ya Solomoni na zose zwaakathama ne butjenjedu gugwe, azwizokwagwa mu lukwalo gwe mishingo ya Solomoni kene? 42 Solomoni wakabusa Baiziraela bose makole ali makumi manna (40) ali mu Jerusalema. 43 Ngono Solomoni kafa, katobela botate babe, kabiganyiwa mu nzi nkulu wa tate babe Dafite. Kagagwa thaka mu bushe nge nkololo uwe Rehoboamu.