February 12, 2026

4When Solomon was old his wives had turned his heart to follow other gods, and his heart was not entirely with the LORD, his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5Solomon followed Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. 6Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and he did not follow the LORD unreservedly as David his father had done. 7Solomon then built a high place to Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, and to Molech, the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain opposite Jerusalem. 8He did the same for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 9The LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice 10and commanded him not to do this very thing, not to follow other gods. But he did not observe what the LORD commanded. 11So the LORD said to Solomon: Since this is what you want, and you have not kept my covenant and the statutes which I enjoined on you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. 12But I will not do this during your lifetime, for the sake of David your father; I will tear it away from your son’s hand. 13Nor will I tear away the whole kingdom. I will give your son one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen. Threats to Solomon’s Kingdom.

3Blessed those who do what is right, whose deeds are always just. 4Remember me, LORD, as you favor your people; come to me with your saving help, 35But mingled with the nations and imitated their ways. 36They served their idols and were ensnared by them. 37They sacrificed to demons their own sons and daughters, 40So the LORD grew angry with his people, abhorred his own heritage.

21Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls.

24The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith. From that place he went off to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. 25Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. 26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” 28She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” 29Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.