--- title: "1 Kings: Summary & All 22 Chapters · Bless" url: https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/ description: "The First Book of Kings (3 Kings in the Douay-Rheims), a royal history in 22 chapters. Bp. Challoner’s summary of all 22 chapters, and the full text free." --- Old Testament # The First Book of Kings The First Book of Kings is the eleventh of the 46 books of the Old Testament: 22 chapters and 817 verses. The Douay-Rheims calls it 3 Kings. [Start reading: 1 Kings 1](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/1/) Chapters 1–22: [1](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/1/) … [22](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/22/) ## About 1 Kings About 1 Kings · Royal history The first book of Kings runs from David's death through Solomon's temple and the kingdom's split into north and south, ending in the days of Elijah. It is anonymous, compiled from royal annals by editors formed on Deuteronomy, and the Douay-Rheims counts it as the third book of Kings. It was written after the catastrophe of exile to answer the question of how it all went wrong, and its measure for every king is simple: what he did with the worship of God. Solomon's glory and Elijah's fire sit side by side with a steady drumbeat of compromise. *1 Kings in Bless* | | | |---|---| | Testament | Old Testament — book 11 of 46, 11 of 73 in the Bible | | Canon | Protocanonical (in every Christian canon) | | Chapters | 22 | | Verses | 817, as Bless numbers them | | In the Douay-Rheims | 3 Kings | | Latin | Clementine Vulgate, every chapter | | Bp. Challoner | Summaries of all 22 chapters · 45 notes | | Catechism | 11 paragraphs cite it | Chapter by chapter ## All 22 chapters, *in brief.* Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text. 1. ### [1 Kings 1](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/1/) 53 verses King David growing old, Abisag a Sunamitess is brought to him. Adonias pretending to reign, Nathan and Bethsabee obtain that Solomon should be declared and anointed king. 2. ### [1 Kings 2](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/2/) 46 verses David, after giving his last charge to Solomon, dieth. Adonias is put to death: Abiathar is banished: Joab and Semei are slain. 3. ### [1 Kings 3](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/3/) 28 verses Solomon marrieth Pharao's daughter. He sacrificeth in Gabaon: in the choice which God gave him he preferreth wisdom. His wise judgment between the two harlots. 4. ### [1 Kings 4](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/4/) 34 verses Solomon's chief officers. His riches and wisdom. 5. ### [1 Kings 5](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/5/) 18 verses Hiram king of Tyre agreeth to furnish timber and workmen for building the temple: the number of workmen and overseers. 6. ### [1 Kings 6](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/6/) 38 verses The building of Solomon's temple. 7. ### [1 Kings 7](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/7/) 51 verses Solomon's palace, his house in the forest, and the queen's house: the work of the two pillars: the sea (or laver) and other vessels. 8. ### [1 Kings 8](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/8/) 66 verses The dedication of the temple: Solomon's prayer and sacrifices. 9. ### [1 Kings 9](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/9/) 28 verses The Lord appeareth again to Solomon: he buildeth cities: he sendeth a fleet to Ophir. 10. ### [1 Kings 10](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/10/) 29 verses The queen of Saba cometh to king Solomon: his riches and glory. 11. ### [1 Kings 11](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/11/) 43 verses Solomon by means of his wives falleth into idolatry: God raiseth him adversaries, Adad, Razon, and Jeroboam: Solomon dieth. 12. ### [1 Kings 12](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/12/) 33 verses Roboam, following the counsel of young men alienateth from him the minds of the people. They make Jeroboam king over ten tribes: he setteth up idolatry. 13. ### [1 Kings 13](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/13/) 34 verses A prophet sent from Juda to Bethel foretelleth the birth of Josias, and the destruction of Jeroboam's altar. Jeroboam's hand offering violence to the prophet withereth, but is restored by the prophet's prayer: the same prophet is deceived by another prophet, and slain by a lion. 14. ### [1 Kings 14](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/14/) 31 verses Ahias prophesieth the destruction of the family of Jeroboam. He dieth, and is succeeded by his son Nadab. The king of Egypt taketh and pillageth Jerusalem. Roboam dieth and his son Abiam succeedeth. 15. ### [1 Kings 15](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/15/) 34 verses The acts of Abiam and of Asa kings of Juda. And of Nadab and Baasa kings of Israel. 16. ### [1 Kings 16](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/16/) 34 verses Jehu prophesieth against Baasa: his son Ela is slain and all his family destroyed by Zambri. Of the reign of Amri father of Achab. 17. ### [1 Kings 17](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/17/) 24 verses Elias shutteth up the heaven from raining. He is fed by ravens, and afterwards by a widow of Sarephta. He raiseth the window's son to life. 18. ### [1 Kings 18](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/18/) 46 verses Elias cometh before Achab. He convinceth the false prophets by bringing fire from heaven: he obtaineth rain by his prayer. 19. ### [1 Kings 19](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/19/) 21 verses Elias, fleeing from Jezabel, is fed by an angel in the desert; and by the strength of that food walketh forty days, till he cometh to Horeb, where he hath a vision of God. 20. ### [1 Kings 20](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/20/) 43 verses The Syrians besiege Samaria: they are twice defeated by Achab: who is reprehended by a prophet for letting Benadad go. 21. ### [1 Kings 21](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/21/) 29 verses Naboth, for denying his vineyard to king Achab, is by Jezabel's commandment, falsely accused and stoned to death. For which crime Elias denounceth to Achab the judgments of God: upon his humbling himself the sentence is mitigated. 22. ### [1 Kings 22](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/22/) 54 verses Achab believing his false prophets, rather than Micheas, is slain in Ramoth Galaad. Ochozias succeedeth him. Good king Josaphat dieth, and his son Joram succeedeth him. Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries Coming up ## Read at *Mass.* From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, 1 Kings is read at the principal Mass on 1 day in the US calendar. The next 8 readings: | Date | Celebration | Reading | Citation | |---|---|---|---| | [Sun, Aug 8, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/08/08/) computed | Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [1 Kings 19:4-8](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/19/) | | [Sun, Nov 7, 2027](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2027/11/07/) computed | Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [1 Kings 17:10-16](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/17/) | | [Thu, Feb 3, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/02/03/) computed | Thursday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/2/) | | [Sat, Feb 5, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/02/05/) computed | St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr | First Reading | [1 Kings 3:4-13](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/3/) | | [Mon, Feb 7, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/02/07/) computed | Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/8/) | | [Tue, Feb 8, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/02/08/) computed | Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/8/) | | [Wed, Feb 9, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/02/09/) computed | Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time | First Reading | [1 Kings 10:1-10](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/10/) | | [Thu, Feb 10, 2028](https://blessbible.app/calendar/2028/02/10/) computed | St. Scholastica, Virgin | First Reading | [1 Kings 11:4-13](https://blessbible.app/bible/1-kings/11/) | Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish. [Previous book The Second Book of Samuel](https://blessbible.app/bible/2-samuel/) [Next book The Second Book of Kings](https://blessbible.app/bible/2-kings/)