In 1 Kings 11, Solomon’s story takes a sad turn, his foreign wives turn his heart away from God, and he begins building altars to idols. As a result, God raises up enemies against Solomon, including Jeroboam. God promises to split Solomon’s kingdom after his death and give Israel to Jeroboam. The end of the chapter records Solomon’s death at the end of his 40 year reign.

The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon and admires his wisdom and wealth in the first half of 1 Kings 10. The second half of the chapter describes Solomon’s incredible prosperity, his ivory throne, his annual gold income, and his expeditions to foreign lands to bring back treasures.

God appears to Solomon and gives him instructions for leading the nation of Israel. If Israel obeyed God, they would be blessed among the nations. If Israel failed to obey God, God would allow their temple to be torn down and their nation to fail. The second part of 1 Kings 9 documents some of the notable accomplishments of Solomon during his early to middle reign.

When the construction of the Temple was completed in Jerusalem, Solomon gathered all the leaders of Israel and Judah in the city to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the Temple. The majority of 1 Kings 8 is a record of Solomon’s prayer and blessing as he stood before the Temple. The chapter concludes with the king hosting a 7-day feast to commemorate the event.

Solomon built his palace in Jerusalem, several adjoining government buildings, and a house for his wife, the daughter of Pharaoh. The second half of 1 Kings 7 documents the magnificent bronze items built for Temple worship, including the huge metal water basin and the two giant pillars which sat in front of the Temple. The last few verses tell us about the gold furnishings which Solomon made for the interior of the Temple.

1 Kings 6 documents the construction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. The building project took 7.5 years to complete, and the final design is described in chapter 6. The length, height, width, interior, and exterior of the Temple are detailed by the writer. It was a magnificent structure which was meant to honor God.

In 1 Kings 5, Solomon makes preparations for building the Temple in Jerusalem. He calls on Hiram, his father’s ally, to help him cut cypress and cedar timbers from the forests of Lebanon. In exchange, Solomon agreed to pay the king of Tyre with huge quantities of wheat and oil, over 1,000,000 gallons annually.

1 Kings 4 records the names of the civil and religious officers who were in place during Solomon’s reign. The second part of the chapter documents the prosperity of the nation of Israel and Judah during this time, and tells of the incredible wisdom of Solomon, which made him famous throughout the world.

1 Kings 3 begins by documenting Solomon’s alliance with Egypt, which resulted in him marrying an Egyptian princess. But the major theme in the chapter is Solomon’s wisdom. God granted Solomon extraordinary wisdom after appearing to him in a dream at Gibeon. Solomon put that wisdom into practice when he was forced to decide a case between two prostitutes, each claiming to be the true mother of a disputed child.

1 Kings 2 begins with a short record of the death of David. Afterwards, Solomon takes the throne and quickly establishes himself as a strong king. He kills his brother Adonijah, and then turns his sword against Joab and Shimei. He refrains from killing Abiathar the priest but banishes him from Jerusalem.

In 1 Kings 1 is a transition chapter in the Bible story. David, the long-time king of Israel, is about to die. Adonijah, David’s son, seizes the opportunity to declare himself king, but Solomon, Bathsheba, and Nathan the prophet intervene. With David’s help, they anoint Solomon king, causing Adonijah’s allies to abandon him.

1 Chronicles 29 is the last chapter in the Book of 1 Chronicles. After assembling all the officials of Israel in Jerusalem, David took up a freewill offering for the Temple project. David praised God and asked Him to guide Solomon as king. Solomon was anointed king a second time and assumed the throne in David’s place. The end of the chapter records the death of David after his 40-year reign over the people of God.

In 1 Chronicles 28, David assembled all his government officials in Jerusalem. He encouraged them to follow his son, Solomon, as their future king, and to support him as he undertook the building of the Temple in Jerusalem. David encouraged Solomon to lead the people according to God’s laws, and he gave him God’s instructions for how the Temple was to be built.

1 Chronicles 27 documents various officers, military and civil, who were appointed to lead the people of Israel. The first section documents the 12 military divisions, 1 for each month. The second section of the chapter lists the heads of the tribes of Israel. The third and final section is a list of David’s civil officers and the men who managed his property.

1 Chronicles 26 describes the gatekeepers at the Temple, the Temple treasurers, and the officers and judges who were assigned to help govern the nation of Israel.  There were 1,700 men assigned as judges and officers on the west side of the Jordan River, and 2,700 men assigned to the tribes on the east side of the river.

In 1 Chronicles 25, David selected 3 men to manage the musical worship at the Temple, their names were Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. These three men were to manage the 288 musicians who would work in shifts at the Temple in Jerusalem upon its completion.

In the 24th chapter of 1 Chronicles, David divided up the priests into groups to serve at the Temple. Having assigned groups and an assigned schedule ensured there were always priests at the Temple to help complete the daily worship that was commanded in God’s law.

In 1 Chronicles 23, David and Solomon took a census of the Levites who were 30 years old and older. The total number came to 38,000. These Levites were divided by family and assigned special jobs in the temple, which was set to be built in Jerusalem. The Levites played a supporting role to the priests. The priests were descendants of Aaron who oversaw the sacrificial offerings.

In 1 Chronicles 22, David makes preparations for his son, Solomon, to build a temple to the Lord in Jerusalem. He begins stockpiling wood, bronze, silver, and gold to be used in the construction project. He commissions Solomon to begin the project, and to lead the people according to the laws of God as their next king.

1 Chronicles 21 is about a census David carried out that displeased the Lord. God gave David a choice between 3 punishments, and David chose to have the land of Israel struck with a plague for 3 days. The disease killed 70,000 people. God took away the disease after David bought the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) and bult an altar there.