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Solomon's glory, a divided kingdom, and Elijah's stand.

First Kings opens with Solomon's reign, the building and dedication of the Jerusalem Temple, and his celebrated wisdom, before tracing his decline and the kingdom's split into Israel and Judah. The prophet Elijah's confrontation with Baal worship dominates the second half. Start reading at 1 Kings chapter 1.

First Kings is the eleventh book of the Bible, written around 550 BC by a Deuteronomic author (possibly Jeremiah), spanning 22 chapters and covering roughly 120 years of Israelite history. It opens with King Solomon's accession following David's death, records the construction and dedication of the magnificent Jerusalem Temple, chronicles Solomon's unmatched wisdom and his eventual tragic decline into idolatry, and then traces the catastrophic division of the united kingdom into northern Israel and southern Judah following Solomon's death. The second half focuses on the ongoing rivalry of kings from both kingdoms and the ministry of the prophet Elijah during the reign of the notoriously wicked Ahab and Jezebel. Major themes include the dangers of compromise with idolatry, the role of the prophetic word, true wisdom versus worldly wisdom, and covenant faithfulness. Key chapters include 1 Kings 3 (Solomon's request for wisdom), 1 Kings 8 (dedication of the Temple), and 1 Kings 18 (Elijah on Mount Carmel). Famous verses include 1 Kings 3:9 -- Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people -- and 1 Kings 18:21 -- How long will you waver between two opinions? First Kings KJV Bible study opens up one of scripture's most dramatic eras. Read the Book of 1 Kings online here in full.

Elijah's contest on Mount Carmel in chapter 18 stands among the Bible's most dramatic demonstrations of divine power. First Kings continues the royal history begun in <a href="/bible/acv/1-samuel">1 Samuel</a>, tracing back to the era of <a href="/bible/acv/joshua">Joshua</a>.