11King Solomon loved many women besides Pharaoh’s daughter. They were from other lands. They were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.

²The Lord had warned Israel about women from other nations. He had said, “You must not get married to them. If you do, you can be sure they will turn your hearts toward their gods.” But Solomon continued to love them anyway. He wouldn’t give them up. ³He had 700 wives who came from royal families. And he had 300 concubines. His wives led him down the wrong path.

⁴As Solomon grew older, his wives turned his heart toward other gods. He didn’t follow the Lord his God with all his heart. So he wasn’t like his father David. ⁵Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth. Ashtoreth was the goddess of the people of Sidon. He also worshiped Molech. Molech was the god of the people of Ammon. The Lord hated that god.

⁶Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He didn’t follow the Lord completely. He didn’t do what his father David had done.

⁷There is a hill east of Jerusalem. Solomon built a high place for worshiping Chemosh there. He built a high place for worshiping Molech there too. Chemosh was the god of Moab. Molech was the god of Ammon. The Lord hated both of those gods.

⁸Solomon also built high places so that all of his wives from other nations could worship their gods. Those women burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

⁹The Lord became angry with Solomon. That’s because his heart had turned away from the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He had appeared to Solomon twice. ¹⁰He had commanded Solomon not to follow other gods. But Solomon didn’t obey him.

Read in Logos