<t /><p class="bodytext">At that time the people of Israel were divided in their loyalties. Half the people supported Tibni son of Ginath and wanted to make him king; the other half supported Omri.

Omri&#8217;s supporters were stronger than those who supported Tibni son of Ginath. Tibni died; Omri became king.p>

He collaborated<n id="1" /> with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported<n id="2" /> him.<n id="3" />

Solomon worshiped<n id="1" /> the Sidonian goddess Astarte and the detestable Ammonite god Milcom.<n id="2" />

Solomon did evil in the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s sight;<n id="1" /> he did not remain loyal to<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc>, like his father David had.

<p class="bodytext">When the prophet from Judah finished his meal,<n id="1" /> the old prophet saddled his visitor&#8217;s donkey for him.<n id="2" />

(Now his father had never corrected<n id="1" /> him<n id="2" /> by saying, &#8220;Why do you do such things?&#8221; He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom.<n id="3" />)

She replied to him, &#8220;My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the <sc>Lordsc> your God, &#8216;Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.&#8217;

Nathan said, &#8220;My master, O king, did you announce, &#8216;Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne&#8217;?

and had warned him about this very thing, so that he would not follow other gods.<n id="1" /> But he did not obey<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s command.

and took off after the prophet,<n id="1" /> whom he found sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, &#8220;Are you the prophet<n id="2" /> from Judah?&#8221; He answered, &#8220;Yes, I am.&#8221;

You have sinned more than all who came before you. You went and angered me by making other gods, formed out of metal; you have completely disregarded me.<n id="1" />

So I am ready to burn up<n id="1" /> Baasha and his family, and make your family<n id="2" /> like the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat.

Elijah<n id="1" /> replied, &#8220;I have not brought disaster<n id="2" /> on Israel. But you and your father&#8217;s dynasty have, by abandoning the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s commandments and following the Baals.

He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols,<n id="1" /> just like the Amorites<n id="2" /> whom the <sc>Lordsc> had driven out from before the Israelites.)p>

Visit<n id="1" /> King David and say to him, &#8216;My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise<n id="2" /> your servant, &#8220;Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne&#8221;? So why has Adonijah become king?&#8217;

I will keep<n id="1" /> today the oath I swore to you by the <sc>Lordsc> God of Israel: &#8216;Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.&#8217;&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported<n id="1" /> Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he<n id="2" /> ran to the tent of the <sc>Lordsc> and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.<n id="3" />

They came from nations about which the <sc>Lordsc> had warned the Israelites, &#8220;You must not establish friendly relations with them!<n id="1" /> If you do, they will surely shift your allegiance to their gods.&#8221;<n id="2" /> But Solomon was irresistibly attracted to them.<n id="3" />p>

When Solomon became old, his wives shifted his allegiance to<n id="1" /> other gods; he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the <sc>Lordsc> his God, as his father David had been.<n id="2" />