1. King Solomon loved many foreign women, including the daughter of Pharaoh and women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and the Hittites.
2. In the past the Lord had said to the Israelites, “You must not marry people from other nations. If you do, they will cause you to follow their gods.” But Solomon fell in love with these women.
3. He had 700 wives who were the daughters of leaders from other nations. He also had 300 slave women who were like wives to him. His wives caused him to turn away from God.
4. When Solomon was old, his wives caused him to follow other gods, so he did not follow the Lord completely as his father David did.
5. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of Sidon, and Milcom, the horrible god of the Ammonites.
6. So Solomon did what the Lord said was wrong. He did not follow the Lord completely as his father David did.
7. On the mountain next to Jerusalem, Solomon built a place for worshiping Chemosh, that horrible idol of the Moabites. On the same mountain, Solomon built a place for worshiping Molech, that horrible idol of the Ammonites.
8. Solomon did the same thing for all of his other foreign wives who burned incense and gave sacrifices to their gods.