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a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine 'acts, 7 and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: 'thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which 8 I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. 9 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to Io do judgement and justice. And

she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. II And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees and pre12 cious stones. And the king made of the almug trees *pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for the singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen, unto this day. 13 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that 5 which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned, and

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that I heard in mine own land of thine 1acts, and of thy wisdom. 6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: thou exceedest the fame that I heard. 7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, 8 and hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them ✓ for ever, therefore made he thee

king over them, to do judgement 9 and justice. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba 10 gave to king Solomon. And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which. brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones. II And the king made of the algum

trees terraces for the house of the LORD, and for the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singers and there were none such seen before in the land 12 of Judah. And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned,

1 Or, sayings

went to her own land, she and her servants.

14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and 15 six talents of gold, beside that which the chapmen brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mingled people, and of the governors of 16 the country. And king Solomon

made two hundred targets of beaten gold six hundred shekels 17 of gold went to one target. And

he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three 'pound of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of 18 the forest of Lebanon. Moreover

the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the 19 finest gold. There were six steps

to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side

by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays. 20 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any king21 dom. And all king Solomon's

drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in 22 the days of Solomon. For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram : once every three years came the navy of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and 23 peacocks. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth 24 in riches and in wisdom. And

1 Heb. maneh.

2 Or, arms Heb. hands.

13

and went to her own land, she and her servants.

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore 14 and six talents of gold; beside that which the chapmen and merchants brought and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and 15 silver to Solomon. And king

Solomon made two hundred tar

gets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to 16 one target. And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the 17 forest of Lebanon. Moreover

the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure 18 gold. And there were six steps

to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and 'stays on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the stays. 19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any king20 dom. And all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solo21 mon. For the king had ships.

:

that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: once every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 22 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches

1 Or, arms Heb. hands.

all the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

23 and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, armour, and spices, horses, and 25 mules, a rate year by year. And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he bestowed in the chariot cities, and 26 with the king at Jerusalem. And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border 27 of Egypt. And the king made

silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the 28 lowland, for abundance. And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen : and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he bestowed in the chariot cities, and 27 with the king at Jerusalem. And

the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the lowland, for 28 abundance. 1And the horses

which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; and the king's merchants received them in droves, 29 each drove at a price. And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of

1 See 2 Chr. ix. 28.

14

2 Chronicles 1. 14.1

And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king 15 at Jerusalem. And the king made

silver and gold to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the lowland, for 16 abundance. And the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt; the king's merchants received them in droves, 17 each drove at a price. And they fetched up, and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred

1 For the rest of this chapter see pp. 74, 75.

silver, and an horse for an hun-
dred and fifty: and so for all the
kings of the Hittites, and for the
kings of Syria, did they bring
them out 1by their means.

shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.

1 Kings 11. 1.

Now king Solomon loved many strange women, 'together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, 2 Zidonians, and Hittites; of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you: for surely they will turn away your 3 heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and 4 his wives turned away his heart. For 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 the heart of David his father. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the 6 Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and went 7 not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children 8 of Ammon. And so did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

5

9

And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, which had appeared 10 unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the VII LORD commanded. Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the king12 dom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it 13 out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son, for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.

14

And the LORD raised up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the 15 Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom. For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host was gone 16 up to bury the slain, and had smitten every male in Edom; (for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every 17 male in Edom;) that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt; Hadad being yet a little

1 Heb. in their hand.

2 Or, besides

3 Heb. is with thee.

4 The Sept. and Syr. read, destroyed Edom.

18 child. And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran: and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt; which gave him an house, and appointed him 19 victuals, and gave him land. And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him to wife the sister of his own 20 wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. And the sister of Tahpenes bare him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house and Genubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of 21 Pharaoh. And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to 22 Pharaoh, Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country. Then Pharaoh said unto him, But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country? And he answered, Nothing: howbeit let me depart in any wise.

23 And God raised up another adversary unto him, Rezon the son of 24 Eliada, which had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah: and he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a troop, when David slew them of Zobah: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, 25 and reigned in Damascus. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

26

And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, he 27 also lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and 28 'repaired the breach of the city of David his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he gave him charge over all the 29 labour of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; now Ahijah had clad himself with a new 30 garment; and they two were alone in the field. And Ahijah laid hold 31 of the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand 32 of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city 33 which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped. Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom, the god of the children of Ammon; and they have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgements, 34 as did David his father. Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my command35 ments and my statutes: but I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, 36 and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a lamp alway before me in

1 Heb. closed up.

2 Heb. burden.

3 Or, who kept

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