Category: 1 Kings

David in Old Age

1 Now King David wasold, advanced in years; they covered him with clothes, but he could not get warm.

2 So his servants said to him, “Let a young virgin be found for my lord the king and let her attend him and become his nurse; let her lie against your chest, so that my lord the king may feel warm.”

3 So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel, and found Abishag theShunammite, and brought her to the king.

4 The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the kingwas not intimate with her.

5 Then Adonijah the son of [David’s wife] Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I [the eldest living son] will be king.” So [following Absalom’s example] he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

6 His father [David] hadnever rebuked him at any time by asking, “Why have you done this?” Adonijah was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.

7 He had conferred withJoab the son of Zeruiah [David’s half sister] and with Abiathar the priest; and they followed Adonijah and helped him.

8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’smost formidable warriors did not side with Adonijah [in his desire to become king].

9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened steers by the Stone of Zoheleth, which is beside [the well] En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants [to this feast].

10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the most formidable warriors, or his brother Solomon.

Nathan and Bathsheba

11 Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know about it?

12 Come now, please let me advise you and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

13 Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Solomon your son shall certainly be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’

14 Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”

15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Now the king was very oldandweak, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending the king.

16 So Bathsheba bowed down and paid respect to the king. And the king said, “What do you wish?”

17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore by the Lordyour God to your maidservant,saying,‘Solomon your son shall certainly be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.’

18 But now, behold, Adonijah is [acting as] king; and now [as things stand], my lord the king, you do not know it.

19 He has sacrificed oxen and fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army [to a feast], but he did not invite your servant Solomon.

20 Now as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of allIsrael are on you [waiting for you] to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

21 Otherwise it will come about when my lord the king lies down [in death] with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be consideredpolitical enemies.”

22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.

23 The king was told, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came before the king, he bowed before the king with his face to the ground.

24 Then Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?

25 Because he has gone down today [to En-Rogel] and has sacrificed oxen and fattened steers and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest [to this feast]; and [right now] they are eating and drinking in his presence; and they say, ‘Longlive King Adonijah!’

26 But he has not invited me, your servant, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.

27 If this thing has been done by my lord the king, why have you not shown your servants who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

28 King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” And she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

29 Then the king swore an oath and said, “As the Lordlives, who has redeemed my soul from all distress,

30 even as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall certainly be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will indeed do so thisveryday.”

31 Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, and laid herself face down before the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

32 Then King David said, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada to me.” And they came before the king.

33 The king told them, “Take theservants of your lord with you and have Solomon my sonride on my own mule, and bring him down to [the spring at]Gihon [in the Kidron Valley].

34 Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Longlive King Solomon!’

35 Then you shall come up [to Jerusalem] after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and he shall reignas kingin my place; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

36 Benaiah [the overseer of the king’s bodyguards], the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! (So be it!) May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so too.

37 Just as the Lordhas been with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!”

Solomon Anointed King

38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites [the king’s bodyguards] went down [from Jerusalem] and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and brought him to [the spring at] Gihon.

39 Zadok the priest took a horn of [olive] oil from the [sacred] tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet, and all the people said, “Longlive King Solomon!”

40 All the people went up after him, and they were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shookandseemed to burst open with their [joyful] sound.

41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the trumpet sound, he said, “Why is the city in such an uproar?”

42 While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest arrived. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a valiantandtrustworthy man and you bring good news.”

43 But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, “No,on the contrary, our lord King David has made Solomon king!

44 The king has sent him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have had him ride on the king’s [own royal] mule.

45 Also, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there celebrating, so the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard.

46 Besides, Solomon has taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom.

47 Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless (congratulate) our lord King David, saying, ‘Mayyour God make the name of Solomon better (more famous) than your name and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king bowed himself [before God] upon the bed.

48 The king has also said this: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has granted one [of my descendants] to sit on my throne today andallowedmy eyes to see it.’ ”

49 Then all Adonijah’s guests were terrified [of being branded as traitors] and stood upandleft the feast, and each one went on his way.

50 And Adonijah feared Solomon, and he got up and went [to the tabernacle on Mt. Zion] and took hold of the horns of the altar [seeking asylum].

51 Now Solomon was told, “Behold, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon, and behold, he has grasped the horns of the altar [seeking God’s protection], saying, ‘King Solomon must swear to me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’ ”

52 Solomon said, “If he [proves he] is a worthy man, notevenone of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”

53 So King Solomon sent [soldiers], and they brought Adonijah down from the altar [that was in front of the tabernacle]. And he came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

David’s Charge to Solomon

1 When David’s time to die approached, he gave instructions to Solomon his son, saying,

2 “I am going the way of all the earth [as dust to dust]. Be strong and prove yourself a man.

3 Keep the charge of the Lordyour God, [that is, fulfill your obligation to] walk in His ways, keep His statutes, His commandments, His precepts, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may succeed in everything that you do and wherever you turn,

4 so that the Lordmay fulfill Hispromise concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful regarding their way [of life], to walk before Me in truth with all their heartandmind and with all their soul, you shall not fail to have a man (descendant) on the throne of Israel.’

5 Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah [my sister] did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and to Amasa the son of Jether, [both of] whom he murdered;avenging the blood of war in [a time of] peace. And he put the [innocent] blood of war [of Abner and Amasa] on hisbelt that was around hiswaist, and on his sandals on his feet.

6 So act in accordance with your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol (the place of the dead) in peace.

7 But be graciousandkind to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who [have the honor to] eat at your table; for they met me [with kindness] when I fled from your brother Absalom.

8 And look, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim; he is the one who cursed me with a sinister curse the day I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan [on my return], and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’

9 But now do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what to do to him, and you will bring his gray head down to Sheol [covered] with blood.”

Death of David

10 So David lay down with his fathers [in death] and was buried in theCity of David.

11 The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

12 Then Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

13 Now Adonijah the son of [David and] Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. She said, “Do you come in peace?” And he said, “In peace.”

14 Then he said, “I have somethingto sayto you.” And she said, “Speak.”

15 So he said, “You know that the kingdom belonged to me [as the eldest living son] and all Israellooked to meandexpected me to be king. However, the kingdom has passed [from me] and became my brother’s, for it was his from the Lord.

16 So now I am making one request of you; do notrefuse me.” And she said to him, “Speak.”

17 He said, “Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you;askthat he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.”

18 Bathsheba replied, “Very well; I will speak to the king for you.”

Adonijah Executed

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat down on his throne; then he had a throne set for her, the king’s mother, and she sat on his right.

20 Then she said, “I am making one small request of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”

21 So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.”

22 King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “And why are you asking forAbishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask the kingdom for him also—since he is my older brother—[ask it] for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah [his supporters]!”

23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “May God do the same to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not requested this [deplorable] thing against his ownlife.

24 So now, as the Lordlives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house as He promised, Adonijah shall indeed be put to death today.”

25 So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and hestruck Adonijah and he died.

26 Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to Anathoth to your own fields, for youcertainly deserve to die; but I will not put you to death this day, because you carried the ark of the Lord Godbefore my father David, and you suffered everything that my father endured.”

27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar [a descendant of Eli] from being priest to the Lord, fulfilling the word of the Lord, which He had spoken concerning the house (descendants) of Eli in Shiloh.

Joab Executed

28 Now the news reached Joab, for Joab had supportedandfollowed Adonijah, although he had not followed Absalom. So Joab fled to the [sacred] tent of the Lordand took hold of the horns of the altar [to seek asylum].

29 King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lordand was at that moment beside the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go,strike him down.”

30 So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lordand told Joab, “This is what the king commands, ‘Come outof there.’ ” But Joab said, “No, for I will die here.” Then Benaiah brought word to the king again, saying, “This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me.”

31 The king said to him, “Do as he has said.Strike him down and bury him, so that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the innocent blood which Joab shed.

32 The Lordwill return his bloody deeds upon his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and honorable than he and killed them with the sword, without my father David knowing: Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

33 So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and the heads of his descendants forever. But for David, his descendants, his house, and his throne, may there be peace from the Lordforever.”

34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up [to the tabernacle] and struck and killed Joab, and he was buried at his own house in the wilderness [of Judah].

35 The king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s place, and appointed Zadok the priest in place of Abiathar.

Shimei Executed

36 Now the king sentwordand called for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there. Do not go from there toany other place.

37 For on the day you leave and cross over theBrook Kidron, know for certain that you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

38 Shimei said to the king, “The word (ruling) is good. As my lord the king has said, so will your servant do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for many days.

39 But it happened after three years, that two of Shimei’s servants ran away to Achish the son of Maacah, the king ofGath. And Shimei was told, “Behold, your [runaway] servants are in Gath.”

40 So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Gath to [King] Achish to look for his servants. And Shimei went and brought thembackfrom Gath.

41 Now Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned.

42 So the king sentwordand called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lordand solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you leave [Jerusalem] and go anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word (ruling) I have heard is good.’

43 Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord, and the command which I gave you?”

44 The king also said to Shimei, “You are aware in your own heart of all the evil you did to my father David; so the Lordshall return your evil on your own head.

45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lordforever.”

46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck down Shimei, and he died.

So the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.

Solomon’s Rule Consolidated

1 Now Solomon became a son-in-law to Pharaoh king of Egypt [and formed an alliance] bytaking Pharaoh’s daughter [in marriage]. He brought her to theCity of David [where she remained temporarily] until he had finished building his own house (palace) and the house of the Lordand the wall around Jerusalem.

2 But [in the meantime] the people were still sacrificing [to God] on the high places (hilltops) [as the pagans did to their idols], for there was no [permanent] house yet built for theName of the Lord.

3 Now Solomon loved the Lord, walking [at first] in the statutes of David his father, except [for the fact that] he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places [ignoring the law that required all sacrifices to be offered at the tabernacle].

4 The king went to Gibeon [near Jerusalem, where the tabernacle and the bronze altar stood] to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

5 In Gibeon the Lordappeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask [Me] what I shall give you.”

Solomon’s Prayer

6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown Your servant David my father great lovingkindness, because he walked before You in faithfulness and righteousness and with uprightness of heart toward You; and You have kept for him this great lovingkindness, in that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.

7 So now, O Lordmy God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father; and as for me, I am but a little boy [in wisdom and experience]; I do not know how to go out or come in [that is, how to conduct business as a king].

8 Your servant is among Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted.

9 So give Your servant an understanding mindanda hearing heart [with which] to judge Your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judgeandrule this great people of Yours?”

God’s Answer

10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.

11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice,

12 behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart (mind), so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall anyone equal to you arise after you.

13 I have also given you what you have not asked, both wealth and honor, so that there will not be anyone equal to you among the kings, for all your days.

14 If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and My commandments, as your father Daviddid, then I will lengthen your days.”

15 Then Solomon awoke, and he realized that it was a dream. He came [back] to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and he prepared a feast for all his servants.

Solomon Wisely Judges

16 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

17 And the one woman said, “O my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.

18 And on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were [alone] together; no one else was with us in the house, just we two.

19 Now this woman’s son died during the night, because she lay on him [and smothered him].

20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from [his place] beside me while your maidservant was asleep, and laid him on her bosom, and laid her dead son on my bosom.

21 When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead. But when I examined him carefully in the morning, behold, it was not my son,the onewhom I had borne.”

22 Then the other woman said, “No! For my son is the one who is living, and your son is the dead one.” But the first woman said, “No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.” [This is how] they were speaking before the king.

23 Then the king said, “This woman says, ‘This is my son, the one who is alive, and your son is the dead one’; and the other woman says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the one who is alive.’ ”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

25 Then the king said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to the one [woman] and half to the other.”

26 Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply moved over her son, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; cuthim!”

27 Then the king said, “Give the first woman [who is pleading for his life] the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.”

28 When all [the people of] Israel heard about the judgment which the king had made, they [were in awe and reverently] feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was within him to administer justice.

Solomon’s Officials

1 King Solomon was king over all [the people of] Israel.

2 These were his [chief] officials: Azariah theson of Zadok was thehighpriest;

3 Elihoreph and Ahijah the sons of Shisha, were scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder [of important events];

4 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the army; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

5 Azariah the son of Nathan was in charge of the deputies; Zabud the son of Nathan was priest and was the king’s friend [and trusted advisor];

6 Ahishar was in charge of the household (palace); and Adoniram the son of Abda was in charge of the forced labor.

7 Solomon had twelve deputies over all Israel, whosecured provisions for the king and his household; each man had to provide for a month in the year.

8 These were their names: Ben-hur, in the hill country of [the tribe of] Ephraim;

9 Ben-deker in Makaz and Shaalbim and Beth-shemesh and Elon-beth-hanan;

10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth (to him belonged Socoh and all the land of Hepher);

11 Ben-abinadab, in all the hills of Dor (Taphath, Solomon’s daughter, was his wife);

12 Baana the son of Ahilud, in Taanach, Megiddo, and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan below Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah as far as beyond Jokmeam;

13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead (the villages of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead belonged to him, also the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, sixty great cities with walls and bronze bars);

14 Ahinadab the son of Iddo, in Mahanaim;

15 Ahimaaz, in [the tribe of] Naphtali (he also married Basemath, Solomon’s daughter);

16 Baana the son of Hushai, in [the tribe of] Asher and Bealoth;

17 Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in [the tribe of] Issachar;

18 Shimei the son of Ela, in [the tribe of] Benjamin;

19 Geber the son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan; andhe wasthe only officer who was in the land.

Solomon’s Power, Wealth and Wisdom

20 [The people of] Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand that is in abundance by the sea; they were eating and drinking and rejoicing.

21 Now Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute (money) and served Solomon all the days of his life.

22 Solomon’s food [for the royal household] for one day was thirtykors of finely milled flour, sixty kors of wheat flour,

23 ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen, a hundred sheep not counting fallow deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.

24 For he was ruling over everything west of the [Euphrates] River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the [Euphrates] River; and he had peace on all sides around him.

25 Judah and Israel lived in security, every man under his vine and fig tree [in peace and prosperity], from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south], during all the days of Solomon.

26 Solomon also had40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.

27 Those deputies provided food for King Solomon and for all [the staff] who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his month; they let nothing be lacking.

28 They also brought the barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds (warhorses, chargers) to the place where it was needed, each man according to his assignment.

29 Now God gave Solomon [exceptional] wisdom and very great discernment and breadth of mind, like the sand of the seashore.

30 Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the sons of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.

31 For he was wiserthan all [other] men, [wiser] thanEthan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame wasknownin all the surrounding nations.

32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.

33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar which is in Lebanon to the hyssop [vine] that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and fish.

34 People came from all the peoples (nations) to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

Alliance with King Hiram

1 Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David.

2 Then Solomon sentwordto Hiram, saying,

3 “You know that David my father could not build a house (temple) for the Name (Presence) of the Lordhis God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lordput his enemies under his feet.

4 But now that the Lordmy God has given me rest [from war] on every side, there is neither adversary nor misfortune [confronting me].

5 Behold, I intend to build a house (temple) to the Name of the Lordmy God, just as the Lordsaid to my father David: ‘Your son whom I will put on your throne in your place shall build the house for My NameandPresence.’

6 So now, command that they cut cedar trees from Lebanon for me, and my servants will join your servants, and I will give you whatever wages you set for your servants. For you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the men of Sidon.”

7 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lordthis day, who has given David a wise son [to be king] over this great people.”

8 So Hiram sentwordto Solomon, saying, “I have heardthe messagewhich you sent to me; I will do everything you wish concerning the cedar and cypress timber.

9 My servants will bring the logs down from Lebanon to the [Mediterranean] sea, and I will have them made into raftsto goby sea to the place (port) that you direct me; then I will have them broken up there, and you shall carrythemaway. Then you shallreturn the favor by providing food for my household.”

10 So Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and cypress timber he desired,

11 and Solomon gave Hiram 20,000kors of wheat as food for his household, and 20 kors of pure [olive] oil. Solomon gave all these to Hiram each year.

12 The Lordgave Solomon wisdom, just as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

Conscription of Laborers

13 King Solomon levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered 30,000 men.

14 He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts; one month they were in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced laborers.

15 Solomon had 70,000 burden bearers (transporters) and 80,000 stonemasons in the hill country [of Judah],

16 besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief deputies who were in charge of the project and who were in charge of the people doing the work.

17 The king gave orders, and they quarried greatstones, valuable stones, to lay the foundation of the house (temple) with cut stones.

18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the men ofGebal cutandchiseledthe stones,and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house (temple).

The Building of the Temple

1 Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv (April-May) which is the second month, that he began to build the Lord’s house (temple).

2 The length of the house which King Solomon built for the Lordwassixty cubits (90 ft.), its width twenty (30 ft.), and its height thirty cubits (45 ft.).

3 The porch in front of the main room of the house (temple) was twenty cubits long, corresponding to the width of the house, and its depth in front of the house was ten cubits.

4 He also made framed (artistic) window openings for the house.

5 Against the wall of the house he builtextensions around the walls of the house, around both the main room (Holy Place) and theHoly of Holies; and he made side chambers all around.

6 The lowest story was five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for he made offsets (niches)in the wallsall around on the outside of the house so thatthe supporting beamswould not be inserted into the walls of the house.

7 While it was being built, the house was built of stone preparedandfinished (precut) at the quarry, and no hammer, axe, or iron tool of any kind was heard in the house while it was under construction.

8 The entrance to the lowest side chamber was on the right [or south] side of the house; and they would go up winding stairs to the middle [level], and from the middle to the third.

9 So Solomon built the house (temple) and finished it, and roofed the house with beams and boards of cedar.

10 Then he built the extensions [of rooms] against the entire house, each [story] five cubits high; and they were attached to the house with timbers of cedar.

11 Now the word of the Lordcame to Solomon, saying,

12 “Concerningthis house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My precepts and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word (promises) with you which I made to David your father.

13 I will dwell among the sons (descendants) of Israel, and will not abandon My people Israel.”

14 So Solomon built the house (temple) and finished it.

15 He built the walls of the interior of the house [that is, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies] with boards of cedar, from the floor of the house to the rafters of the ceiling. He overlaid the interior with wood, and he overlaid the floor of the house with boards of cypress.

16 He built twenty cubits on the rear of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling; he built its interior as the [inner] sanctuary, the Holy of Holies.

17 The [rest of the] house, that is, the temple in front ofthe Holy of Holies,was forty cubits long.

18 The cedar on the house within had wood carvingsin the shapeof gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was visible.

19 Then he prepared the Holy of Holies within the house in order to put the ark of the covenant of the Lordthere.

20 The Holy of Holies was twenty cubits in length, twenty cubits in width, and twenty cubits in height (a cube), and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid the cedar altar [with gold].

21 Solomon overlaid the interior of the house with pure gold, and he drewchains of gold across the front of the Holy of Holies (inner sanctuary), and he overlaid it with gold.

22 Then he overlaid the entire house with gold, until the whole house was finished. He also overlaid the entire [incense] altar which was by the Holy of Holies with gold.

23 Within the Holy of Holies he made twocherubim (sculptured figures) of olive wood, each ten cubits high.

24 One wing of the cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing wasalsofive cubits long; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other.

25 The [wingspan of the] other cherub was also ten cubits. The measurements and cut (shape) of the two cherubim were the same;

26 the height of the one cherub was ten cubits, as was the other.

27 He put the cherubim [above the ark] inside the innermost room of the house, and their wings were spread out so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall; and their inner wings were touchingeach other in the middle of the house.

28 Solomon also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

29 He carved all the walls of the house all around with carved engravings of cherubim, palm-shaped decorations, and open flowers, [both] the inner and the outersanctuaries.

30 He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, [both] the inner and outersanctuaries.

31 For the entrance of the Holy of Holies he made two [folding] doors of olive wood, the lintel (header above the door) and five-sided doorposts (frames).

32 Sohe madetwo doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm-shaped decorations, and open flowers; and overlaid them with gold; and he hammered out overlays of gold on the cherubim and palm decorations.

33 Also he made for the entrance of the [outer] sanctuary (the Holy Place) four-sided doorposts (frames) of olive wood

34 and two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivotsandwere folding, and the two leaves of the other door also turned on pivots.

35 He carved cherubim, palm-shaped decorations, and open flowerson the doors, and overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the carved work.

36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.

37 In the fourth year [of King Solomon’s reign] the foundation of the Lord’shouse was laid, in the [second] month, Ziv (April-May).

38 In the eleventh year [of King Solomon’s reign] in the month of Bul (October-November), that is, the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and in accordance with all its specifications. So he built it in seven years.

Solomon’s Palace

1 Now Solomon built his own house (palace)in thirteen years, and he finished all of his house [in that time].

2 He also built the House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was a hundredcubits (150 ft.), its width fifty cubits (75 ft.), and its height thirty cubits (45 ft.), upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

3 And it was covered with cedar [as a roof] on the supporting beams that were upon the forty-five pillars, fifteen in each row.

4 There were artistic windowframes in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers.

5 All the doorways and doorposts [and windows] had squared [artistic] frames, and window was opposite window in three tiers.

6 He also made the Hall of Pillars; its length was fifty cubits (75 ft.) and its width thirty cubits (45 ft.). There was a porch in front, and pillars and a threshold in front of them.

7 He made the hall for the throne where he was to judge, the Hall of Judgment; it was paneled with cedar from [one] floor to [another] floor.

8 His house where he was to live, the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.

9 All these were of expensive stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the coping, and from the outside to the great courtyard.

10 The foundation was of expensive stones, large stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits.

11 And above [the foundation] were expensive stones, stones cut according to measure, and cedar.

12 So the great courtyard all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams like the inner courtyard of the house of the Lord, and the porch of the house.

Hiram’s Work in the Temple

13 Now King Solomon sentwordand broughtHiram [a skilled craftsman] from Tyre.

14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a craftsman in bronze. Hiram was filled with wisdom, understanding, and skill for doing any [kind of] work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and did all his [bronze] work.

15 He cast the two pillars of bronze; the one pillar was eighteen cubits high, and a [measuring] line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of both.

16 He also made two capitals (crowns) of cast bronze to put on the tops of the pillars; the height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits.

17 There werenets of network (lattice-work) and twisted threads (wreaths) of chainwork for the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars, seven for one capital and seven for the other.

18 So Hiram made the pillars [in this manner], and two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals which were on the top of the pomegranates; and he did the same for the other capital.

19 The capitals which were upon the top of the pillars in the porch were of lily work (design), four cubits.

20 The capitals were on the two pillars and also above and close to the rounded projection which was beside the network. There were two hundred pomegranates in rows around both capitals.

21 Hiram set up the pillars at the porch of the temple; he set up the right pillar and named it Jachin (may he establish), and he set up the left pillar and named it Boaz (in it is strength).

22 On the tops of the pillars was lily work (design). So the work of the pillars was finished.

23 Now he made the Sea (basin) of castmetal,ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, five cubits high and thirty cubits in circumference.

24 Under its brim were gourds encircling it ten to a cubit, completely surrounding the Sea; the gourds were in two rows, cast in one piece with it.

25 It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three west, three south, and three east; the Seawas seton top of them, and all their rear partspointedinward.

26 It was a hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousandbaths.

27 Then Hiram made ten bronze stands [for smaller basins]; the length of each stand was four cubits, its width was four cubits and its height was three cubits.

28 This was the design of the stands: they had borders between the frames.

29 On the borders between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the frames there was a pedestal above. Beneath the lions and oxen were borders of hanging work.

30 Now each stand had four bronze wheels with bronze axles, and its four feet had supports [for a basin]. Beneath the basin were cast supports with borders at each side.

31 Its opening inside the crown at the topmeasureda cubit, and its opening was round like the design of a pedestal, a cubit and a half. Also on its opening were carvings, and their borders were square, not round.

32 Underneath the borders were four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were on the stand. And the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half.

33 The wheels were made like a chariot wheel: their axles, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were all cast.

34 Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; the supports were part of the stand itself.

35 On the top of the stand there was a circular piece half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its supports and borders were part of it.

36 And on the surface of its supports and its borders Hiram engraved cherubim, lions, and palm-shaped decorations, according to the [available] space for each, with borders all around.

37 He made the ten stands like this: they all had one casting, one measure, and one form.

38 Then he made ten basins of bronze; each basin held forty baths and was four cubits, and there was one basin on each of the ten stands.

39 Then he placed the bases, five on the right [or south] side of the house and five on the left [or north] side; and he set the Sea [of cast metal] on the right side of the house toward the southeast.

40 Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished all the work which he did for King Solomon on the house of the Lord:

41 the two pillars and the [two] bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars;

42 and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the tops of the pillars;

43 the ten stands and the ten basins on the stands;

44 one Sea (basin), and the twelve oxen under the Sea;

45 the pails, the shovels, and the bowls; all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the Lordwere of polished bronze.

46 In the plain of the Jordan [River] the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan.

47 Solomon left all the utensilsunweighed, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

48 Solomon made all the [other] furniture which was in the house of the Lord: the [incense] altar of gold; the table of gold on which was the bread of the Presence;

49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the Holy of Holies (inner sanctuary); with the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold;

50 the cups, snuffers, bowls, spoons, firepans—of pure gold; and the hinges of gold [both] for the doors of the inner house, the Holy of Holies, and for the doors of the house, the main room [the Holy Place].

51 So all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lordwas completed. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the utensils—and he put them in the treasuries of the Lord’shouse.

The Ark Brought into the Temple

1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’householdsof the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion.

2 All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim (September-October), that is, the seventh month.

3 All the elders of Israel came, and the priests carried the ark.

4 They brought up the ark of the Lordand the Tent of Meeting and all the holy utensils that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up.

5 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, so many that they could not be counted or numbered.

6 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lordto its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, into the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim.

7 For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its [carrying] poles from above.

8 The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were visible from the Holy Place that was in front of theHoly of Holies, but they were not visible from the outside; they are there to this day (the date of this writing).

9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb (Sinai), where the Lordmade a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 Now it happened that when the priests had come out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the Lord’shouse,

11 so the priests could not stand [in their positions] to minister because of the cloud, for the gloryandbrilliance of the Lordhad filled the Lord’shouse (temple).

Solomon Addresses the People

12 Then Solomon said,

“The Lordhas said that He would dwell in the thick darkness [of the cloud].

13 I have certainly built You a lofty house,

A place for You to dwell in forever.”

14 Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.

15 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hand, saying,

16 ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I did not choose a [particular] city out of all the tribes of Israelin whichto build a house so that My Name (Presence) would be in it, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’

17 Now it was [determined] in the heart of my father David to build a house (temple) for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

18 But the Lordsaid to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well, in that it was in your heart.

19 Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son, who shall be born to you, it is he who shall build it for My Name [and My Presence].’

20 Now the Lordhas fulfilled His word which He spoke; I have risen in the place of my father David and have taken my seat on the throne of Israel, just as the Lordpromised, and have built the house (temple) for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

21 There I have made a place [in the Holy of Holies] for the ark, in which is the covenant (solemn agreement) of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

The Prayer of Dedication

22 Then Solomon stood [in the courtyard] before the altar of the Lordin the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.

23 He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below, who keeps the covenant and shows lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart;

24 You who have kept what Youpromised to Your servant my father David. You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled Your word with Your hand, as it is this day.

25 Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep for Your servant my father David that which You promised him when You said, ‘You shall not be without a man (descendant) to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way [of life] to walk before Me [according to my laws] as you have done.’

26 Now, O God of Israel, please let Your word which You have spoken to Your servant David my father be confirmed.

27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!

28 Yet graciously consider the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lordmy God, to listen to the [loud] cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today;

29 that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, ‘My Name (Presence) shall be there,’ that You may listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place.

30 Listen to the prayer of Your servant and of Your people Israel which they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven, Your dwelling place; hear and forgive.

31 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath [of innocence] and he comes to take the oath before Your altar in this house (temple),

32 then hear from heaven and act and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked by bringing his guilt on his own head, and justifying the righteous by rewarding him in accordance with his righteousness.

33 “When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, andthenthey turn to You again and praise Your Name and pray and ask for Your favorandcompassion in this house (temple),

34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave their fathers.

35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them,

36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel; indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk (live). And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37 “If there is famine in the land, or if there is pestilence (plague), blight, mildew, migratory locusts, or grasshoppers, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities, whatever afflictionorplague, whatever sickness [there is],

38 whatever prayer or pleading is made by any individual, or by Your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his hands out toward this house;

39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to each according to his ways, whose heart (mind) You know, for You and You alone know the hearts of all the children of men,

40 so that they may fear You [with reverence and awe] all the days that they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

41 “Moreover, concerning aforeigner who is not of Your people Israel, but comes from a far (distant) country for the sake of Your name [to plead with You]

42 (for they will hear of Your great name, Your strong hand [of power], and outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house (temple),

43 hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls upon (prays to) You, so that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You [with reverence and awe], asdoYour people Israel, and that they may know [without any doubt] that this house which I have built is called by Your name.

44 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and they pray to the Lordtoward the city which You have chosen and the house that I have built for Your NameandPresence,

45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their pleading, and maintain their rightanddefend their cause.

46 “When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the enemy’s land, [whether] far away or near;

47 if theytake it to heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and they repent and pray to You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong and we have acted wickedly;’

48 if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and they pray to You toward their land [of Israel] which You gave to their fathers, the city [of Jerusalem] which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your NameandPresence;

49 then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their rightanddefend their cause,

50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions which they have committed against You, and make themobjects ofcompassion before their captors, that they will be merciful to them

51 (for they are Your people and Your heritage, whom You brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace [of slavery and oppression]),

52 that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to themandbe attentive to them whenever they call to You.

53 For You singled them out from all the peoples of the earth as Your heritage, just as You declared through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”

Solomon’s Benediction

54 When Solomon finished offering this entire prayer and supplication to the Lord, he arose from before the Lord’saltar, where he had knelt down with his hands stretched toward heaven.

55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying,

56 “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, in accordance with everything that He promised. Not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He spoke through Moses His servant.

57 May the Lordour God be with us as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us nor abandon us [to our enemies],

58 that He may guide our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways [following Him] and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His precepts which He commanded our fathers.

59 Let these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near to the Lordour God day and night, so that He will maintain the causeandright of His servant and of His people Israel as each day requires,

60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lordis God; there is no one else.

61 Therefore, your hearts are to be wholly devoted to the Lordour God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as [you are doing] today.”

Dedicatory Sacrifices

62 Then the king and all [the people of] Israel with him [repeatedly] offered sacrifice before the Lord.

63 Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord: 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the house (temple) of the Lord.

64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house (temple) of the Lord; for he offered there the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before the Lordwas too small to hold [all] the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So at that time Solomon held thefeast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath [on the northern border of Israel] to theBrook of Egypt [at Israel’s southern border], before the Lordour God, for seven days and sevenmoredays [beyond the prescribed period for the Feast of Booths], fourteen days in all.

66 On the eighth (fifteenth) day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and in good spirits because of all the goodness which the Lordhad shown to David His servant and Israel His people.

God’s Promise and Warning

1 Now it happened when Solomon had finished building the house (temple) of the Lordand the king’s house (palace), and all else which he was pleased to do,

2 that the Lordappeared to Solomon a second time, just as He had appeared to himat Gibeon.

3 The Lordtold him, “I have heard your prayer and supplication which you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built by putting My NameandMy Presence there forever. My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.

4 As for you, if you walk (live your life) before Me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, acting in accordance with everything that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My precepts,

5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised your father David, saying, ‘You shall not be without a man (descendant) on the throne of Israel.’

6 “But if you or your sons turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them,

7 then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and I will cast out of My sight the house which I have consecrated for My NameandPresence. Then Israel will become a proverb (a saying) and a byword (object of ridicule) among all the peoples.

8 This house (temple) will become a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by will be appalled andsneer and say, ‘Why has the Lorddone such a thing to this land and to this house?’

9 And they [who know] will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lordtheir God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and they have chosen other gods and have worshiped and served them; that is the reason the Lordhas brought on them all this adversity.’ ”

Cities Given to Hiram

10 Now at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the temple of the Lordand the palace of the king

11 (Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with as much cedar and cypress timber [from Lebanon] and gold as he desired), at that time King Solomon gave Hiramtwenty cities in the land of Galilee (northern Israel).

12 So Hiram came from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and theydid not please him.

13 He said, “What are these cities [good for] which you have given me, my brother?” So they have been called the land of Cabul (like nothing, unproductive) to this day.

14 And Hiram sent to the king 120 talents of gold.

15 Now this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted to build the house of the Lord, his own house, theMillo (fortification), the wall of Jerusalem, [and the fortress cities of] Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

16 ForPharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer, burned it with fire and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and he had given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

17 So Solomon rebuilt [and fortified] Gezer and Lower Beth-horon,

18 Baalath andTamar in the wilderness, in the landof Judah,

19 and all the storage cities [for surplus provisions] which Solomon had, and the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and whatever it pleased Solomon to buildin Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.

20 As forall the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of the sons (descendants) of Israel,

21 their children who were left after them in the land, whom the Israelites were unable to completely destroy, from them Solomon levied (conscripted) forced laborers, even to this day (the date of this writing).

22 But Solomon did not make slaves of the sons of Israel; for they were men of war (soldiers), his servants, his officers, his captains, his chariot commanders, and his horsemen.

23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people doing the work.

24 As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter came up from the City of David to her house which Solomon had built for her, then he built the Millo (fortification).

25 Three times a year [during themajor annual festivals] Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he had built to the Lord, and he burned incense with them before the Lord. So he finished the house [of the Lord].

26 King Solomon built a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds), in the land of Edom.

27 And Hiram [king of Tyre] sent his servants with the fleet, sailors who knew the sea, along with the servants of Solomon.

28 They came toOphir and took four hundred and twenty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba

1 Now when the queen ofSheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with riddles.

2 So she came to Jerusalem with a very large caravan (entourage), with camels carrying spices, a great quantity of gold, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about everything that was on her mind [to discover the extent of his wisdom].

3 Solomonanswered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he did not explain to her.

4 When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house (palace) which he had built,

5 the food on his table, the seating of his servants (court officials), the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers, hisstairway by which he went up to the house (temple) of the Lord, she was breathlessandawed [by the wonder of it all].

6 Then she told the king, “The report which I heard in my own land about your words and wisdom is true!

7 I did not believe the report until I came and saw it with my own eyes. Behold, the half of it was not told to me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report which I heard.

8 How blessed (fortunate, happy) are your men! How blessed are these your servants who stand continually before you, hearing your wisdom!

9 Blessed be the Lordyour God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lordloved Israel forever, He made you king to execute justice and righteousness.”

10 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very greatquantityof spices and precious stones. Never again did such an abundance of spices come in [to Israel] as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

11 Also the ships of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a greatquantityof almug wood (sandalwood) and precious stones.

12 From the almug wood (sandalwood) the king made pillars for the house of the Lordand for the king’s palace, and also lyres and harps for the singers. Such almug wood did not come in [to Israel]again,nor has it been seen to this day.

13 King Solomon [in turn] gave to the queen of Sheba everything that she wanted, whatever she asked, besides what he gave to herfrom his royal bounty. So she returned to her own country, she and her servants.

Wealth, Splendor and Wisdom

14 Now the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one [particular] year was six hundred and sixty-sixtalents of gold,

15 besidesthe taxesfrom the traders and from the wares of the merchants, and [the tribute money] from all the kings of the Arabs (Bedouins) and the governors of the country.

16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten (hammered) gold;six hundredshekels ofgold went into each shield.

17 He madethree hundredsmallershields of beaten gold;three minas of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon [the king’s armory].

18 Also the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold.

19 The throne had six steps, and a roundtopwas attachedto the throne from the back. On either side of the seat were armrests, and two lions stood beside the armrests.

20 Twelve lions stood there, one on either end of each of the six steps; there was nothing like it made for any other kingdom.

21 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; it was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.

22 For the king had at sea the [large cargo] ships of Tarshish with the ships of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, monkeys, and peacocks.

23 So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in wealth and in wisdom.

24 All the earth was seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his mind.

25 Every man brought a gift [of tribute]: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

26 Now Solomon collected chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

27 The king made silveras commonin Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as thesycamore trees that are in the lowland.

28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and fromKue, and the king’s merchants acquired them from Kue, for a price.

29 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundredshekelsof silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and in the same way they exported them, by the king’s merchants, to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram (Syria).