1 Kings

World English Bible

1 Kings has 22 chapters. Read 1 Kings in the World English Bible, chapter by chapter, free and without an account.

1 Kings begins with Solomon succeeding David and building the temple in Jerusalem. His wisdom and wealth are followed by an account of his turn toward other gods. After his death, the kingdom divides under Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The book follows rulers in Judah and Israel, with Elijah’s ministry and his confrontations with Ahab occupying much of its later chapters.

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In Christian Bibles, 1 Kings is one of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. In the Jewish Tanakh it belongs to the Nevi’im, the Prophets. See it on the shelf.

Bathsheba and Nathan speaking with elderly David while Adonijah holds a rival feast

1 Kings 1: God’s chosen succession prevails over self-appointed ambition.

Elderly David placing a steadying hand on Solomon before royal advisers

1 Kings 2: a new reign is secured through counsel, justice, and difficult judgment.

Solomon praying for wisdom and later listening carefully to two mothers

1 Kings 3: humble wisdom values discernment above wealth or power.

Solomon receiving regional officials as provisions arrive in peaceful Jerusalem

1 Kings 4: wise administration brings order, abundance, and peace.

Solomon and Hiram’s envoys overseeing cedar rafts and temple stones

1 Kings 5: shared purpose prepares costly materials for sacred work.

Craftsmen building the temple with dressed stone, cedar, and carved doors

1 Kings 6: patient craftsmanship creates a dwelling dedicated to God.

Hiram and bronze workers casting pillars, basins, and the great sea

1 Kings 7: skilled artistry equips both royal service and sacred worship.

Priests carrying the ark into the cloud-filled temple as Solomon kneels before Israel

1 Kings 8: dedication joins God’s presence with humble, far-reaching prayer.

Solomon overlooking the completed temple and palace with distant shrines in shadow

1 Kings 9: great achievement remains accountable to covenant faithfulness.

The Queen of Sheba presenting questions and gifts before Solomon’s court

1 Kings 10: wisdom draws the nations, but splendor tests the heart.

Ahijah tearing a cloak before Jeroboam while aging Solomon sits among foreign shrines

1 Kings 11: divided devotion fractures even the strongest kingdom.

Rehoboam gesturing toward young advisers while northern representatives walk away

1 Kings 12: proud leadership rejects wise counsel and divides a people.

A prophet confronting Jeroboam as the altar cracks and ashes spill

1 Kings 13: God’s word confronts corrupt worship and demands obedience.

Jeroboam’s disguised wife entering as the blind prophet Ahijah recognizes her

1 Kings 14: disguise cannot hide a household’s unfaithfulness from God.

King Asa directing the removal of idols while priests restore the altar

1 Kings 15: reform can renew worship even amid an imperfect legacy.

Omri building fortified Samaria while Ahab and Jezebel stand at a Baal altar

1 Kings 16: political strength cannot compensate for deepening spiritual corruption.

Elijah speaking with the widow of Zarephath as she holds flour and oil beside her son

1 Kings 17: trust discovers God’s provision in places of severe scarcity.

Elijah beside a water-soaked altar consumed by fire as rain gathers over the sea

1 Kings 18: decisive faith exposes false worship and restores rain.

An angel offering bread and water to exhausted Elijah beneath a wilderness tree

1 Kings 19: gentle care renews exhausted servants for unfinished work.

A prophet advising King Ahab as Israel’s small force faces a vast Aramean army

1 Kings 20: undeserved victory still calls a compromised king to obedience.

Elijah confronting a troubled Ahab among the vines of Naboth’s stolen vineyard

1 Kings 21: prophetic truth confronts power that steals from the innocent.

Micaiah standing alone before Ahab, Jehoshaphat, and many flattering prophets

1 Kings 22: courageous truth stands firm against flattering consensus.