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safely, every Man under his Vine and under his Fig Tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the Children of the East Country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. And he spake three thousand Proverbs, some of which are contained in the Books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. And he spake of Trees, from the Cedar Tree that is in Lebanon even unto the Hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spake also of Beasts and Fowl, and of Creeping Things, and of Fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all Kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

CHAPTER 69.

SOLOMON BUILDS THE TEMPLE.

AND Solomon began to build the Temple at Jerusalem. And Solomon sent to Hiram, King of Tyre, saying, Command thou that they hew me Cedar Trees out of Lebanon, and my servants shall be with thy servants, for there is not among us any that have skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians. And Hiram said, My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon in flotes by sea to Joppa. So Hiram gave Solomon Cedar and Fir Trees, and Solomon sent to Hiram in return Wheat and Oil, And Solomon employed a very great number of men in the work, threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains. In the four hundred and eightieth

year after the Children of Israel were come out of the Land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign he began to build the House of the Lord.-The Temple was built of stone hewed and made ready before hand, and the Temple was covered with beams and boards of Cedar.

And the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying, Concerning this house thou art building, If thou wilt keep my Commandments, then will I perform my word unto David thy Father, and will not forsake my People Israel. So Solomon built the house in Mount Moriah, at the threshing floor of Araunah, and finished it,and it was magnificent in every ornament, in carve work, and brass and gold. All the walls of the House were carved in Cedar, with Cherubims and Palm Trees, and open Flowers, and the whole was overlaid with Gold; and it was finished in seven years. Solomon also built himself a Palace in Jerusalem.

Then Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel to bring up the Ark of the Lord out of the City of David, which is Zion. And the Priests brought the Ark into the Oracle of the House, to the most Holy Place, even under the Wings of the Golden Cherubims that Solomon had made. There was nothing in the Ark save the two Tables of Stone which Moses put there at Horeb. And it came to pass, when the Priests were come out of the Holy Place, when the Trumpeters and Singers were as one, to make one sound in praising the Lord, that the House was filled with a Cloud, so that the Priests could not stand to minister by reason of the Cloud, for the Glory of the Lord had filled the House of God.

And Solomon stood before the Altar and spread forth his hand toward Heaven, and said, Will God in

very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this House that I have built! Have respect now, O Lord God of Israel, to the Prayer of thy Servant, that thine eyes be open toward this House night and day, and hearken thou to the supplication of thy People when they shall pray toward this place; and hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place, and when thou hearest, forgive. When thy People Israel be smitten down before the enemy, when Heaven is shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place and confess thy name, and turn from thy sin when thou afflicted them; then hear thou in Heaven and forgive the sin of thy servants, and teach them the good way wherein they should walk.

If there be in the Land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, if there be caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the Land of their Cities, whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be ;what prayer and supplication soever be made by any Man, or by all thy People Israel which shall know every Man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands towards this house; then hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give, to every Man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest, (for thou only knowest the heart) that they may fear thee all the days they live in the Land which thou gavest unto their Fathers.

CHAPTER 70.

SOLOMON'S GREATNESS.

AND when Solomon had made an end of praying, he arose from before the Altar, from kneeling on his knees

with his hands spread up to Heaven. Aud he stood and blessed all the Congregation of Israel, saying, The Lord our God be with us as he was with our Fathers, let him not leave us nor forsake us. Then the Fire came down from Heaven and consumed the Burnt Offerings, and the Glory of the Lord filled the House, and the Children of Israel bowed themselves with their faces to the ground, and worshipped the Lord.

And the Lord appeared again to Solomon, by night, and said, I have heard thy prayer, I have hallowed this house, mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent, unto the prayer that is made in this place. And if thou wilt walk before me as David thy Father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, then I will establish the Throne of thy Kingdom upon Israel for ever.

Now Solomon built several Cities, the City of Tadmor, called also Palmyra, which is in the Wilderness, half way between the Mediterranean and the River Euphrates, of which the ruins remain unto this day.And Solomon made a Navy of Ships on the shore of the Red Sea, and Hiram sent in the Navy, his servants, Shipmen that had knowledge of the Sea, with the servants of Solomon. And they came to Ophir and

fetched gold.

And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with Camels that bare spices, and very much gold and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

And Solomon told her all her questions, there was not any thing hid from the King which he told her not. And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's

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wisdom, there was no more spirit in her, and she gave to the King gold, and spices, and precious stones, a very great store. And King Solomon gave to the Queen of Sheba all her desire; so she turned and went to her own country.

And King Solomon imported multitude of Gold and Ivory, and made a great Throne of Ivory, and overlaid it with pure Gold; there were six steps on the Throne with a footstool of Gold, and twelve lions stood there, on the one side and on the other, upou the six steps. All the drinking vessels were of pure Gold, none were of Silver, it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon: every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing Gold and Silver, Ivory, Apes, and Peacocks.-So King Solomon exceeded all the Kings of the Earth for riches and for wisdom. And Solomon gathered together Chariots and Horsemen; he had four thousand stalls for Horses and Chariots, and had Horses out of Egypt, and all lands.

CHAPTER 71.

SOLOMON FORGETS GOD AND DIES.

YET Solomon in all his glory, with all his wisdom; in possession of all that the heart of man could desire, without one affliction or calamity, to try his temper and obedience; with the hand of God visibly extended over him, and the promises of God's blessings before his eyes; could not, by the strength of his own mind and resolution, steadily walk in the paths of God's commandments. For Solomon had many strange wives, and it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods,-and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was

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