Chapter 1

1 Now, King David had grown very old, and even when they wrapped him in [heavy] clothes he couldn’t get warm. 2 So his servants said, ‘Have them search for a young virgin girl for the king, to wait on him, treat him well, and lie with him… that will keep him warm.’

3 So they searched for a pretty young woman throughout the borders of Israel; and they found AbiSag the Somanite, and they brought her to the king. 4 Now, the young woman was extremely beautiful, and she treated the king very well and served him, but he never [had sex] with her.

5 Well, AdoniJah (the son of [David’s wife] AgGith) tried to elevate himself, saying, ‘I will be the king.’ And he prepared himself [by collecting] chariots and horses, and having fifty men run ahead of him. 6 And [David] never discouraged him or asked, ‘Why are you doing this?’

Now, AdoniJah was a very handsome man (his mother had given birth to him after AbSalom). 7 Then he met with JoAb (the son of ZeruJah ) and AbiAthar the Priest, and they became his supporters. 8 However, neither the Priest Sadoc, nor BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada), nor the Prophet Nathan, nor Semei, nor Resi, nor any of David’s mighty men, supported AdoniJah.

9 Then AdoniJah went to the Rock of ZoeLethi (near RogEl) to sacrifice sheep, calves, and lambs. And he called all his brothers, the king’s servants, and all the adult men of Judah; 10 but he didn’t invite the Prophet Nathan, or BanaYas, or any of the mighty men, or his brother Solomon.

11 So, Nathan spoke to BathSheba (Solomon’s mother) and said, ‘Have you heard that AgGith’s son AdoniJah has started ruling, but our lord David doesn’t know about it yet? 12 So, I beg you to allow me to give you some council that will save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Hurry and go to King David, then say to him, O my lord the king, didn’t you swear to me (your handmaid) that my son Solomon would reign after you and sit on your throne? And if so, then why is AdoniJah reigning?

14 ‘Then, while you’re still speaking there with the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm what you’re saying.’

15 So, BathSheba went before the king in his chamber.

Now, the king was very old, and AbiSag (the Somanite) was there serving him. 16 Then BathSheba bowed low before the king; and the king asked, ‘What do you want?’

17 And she replied, ‘My lord, didn’t you swear to your handmaid by Jehovah your God, saying, Your son Solomon will reign after me and will sit on my throne? 18 But look! AdoniJah has started to rule, and you, my lord the king, don’t even know about it! 19 Why, he has already sacrificed many calves, lambs, and sheep, and he has invited all of the king’s sons, AbiAthar the Priest, and JoAb the commander-in-chief of your army. However, he didn’t invite your servant Solomon. 20 So now, my lord the king, all Israel is watching and waiting for you to tell them who will sit on your throne after you. 21 And as it presently stands, after my lord the king goes to sleep with his fathers, my son Solomon and I will be [in great jeopardy].’

22 And {Look!}, while she was still talking to the king, the Prophet Nathan arrived, which was reported to the king with the words, 23 ‘Look, the Prophet Nathan is here.’

So, he came into the king’s presence and bowed to him with his face to the ground. 24 And Nathan said, ‘My lord; O king; did you say that AdoniJah will reign after you and sit on your throne? 25 For, today he has gone to sacrifice many calves, lambs, and sheep, and he has invited all your sons, the chiefs of the army, and AbiAthar the priest. Why, look! They’re eating and drinking before him now, and saying, Long live King AdoniJah! 26 But he didn’t invite me (your servant), or the Priest Sadoc, or BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada), or your servant Solomon. 27 Has this matter been authorized by my lord the king, and have you failed to tell your servant who will succeed you on the throne?’

28 Then King David said, ‘Call BathSheba back in.’

So, she came in and stood before the king. 29 Then the king swore [an oath to her] saying, ‘As Jehovah lives (who saved my life from all danger), 30 and as I swore to you by Jehovah the God of Israel, saying, Your son Solomon will reign after me and sit on my throne after me, I’m saying the same thing today.’

31 Then BathSheba bowed low with her face to the ground, and said, ‘May my lord King David live through the ages.’

32 Next, King David said, ‘Call Sadoc the Priest, Nathan the Prophet, and BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada) to me.’

So, they came in and stood before the king, 33 and the king said to them: ‘Take my servants with you, and mount my son Solomon on my personal mule, then take him to Gion. 34 There Sadoc the Priest and Nathan the Prophet should anoint him to be the king over Israel. Then blow the trumpets and shout, May King Solomon live! 35 For, he will sit on my throne and be the ruler in place of me…  I’m giving the order that he will now be the leader over Israel and Judah!’

36 And BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada) answered the king and said, ‘May it be! May Jehovah, the God of my lord the king, make it so. 37 And as Jehovah was with my lord the king, let him be with Solomon; and may He raise his throne even higher than the throne of my lord King David.’

38 So, Sadoc the Priest, Nathan the Prophet, BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada), and the Cherethites and Phelethites went and mounted Solomon on King David’s mule, and led him away to Gion. 39 Then Sadoc took the horn of oil from the Sacred Tent, anointed Solomon with it, and blew the trumpets. Then all the people started shouting, ‘[Long] live King Solomon!’ 40 And so many people came to him dancing and singing in their joy, that the earth shook with the sound of their voices.

41 Well, when AdoniJah and all his guests heard the commotion, they stopped eating. And when JoAb heard the trumpet’s blowing, he asked, ‘Why is the whole city in such an uproar?’

42 Then, while he was still speaking {Look!}, JoNathan (the son of AbiAthar the Priest) came in. And AdoniJah said, ‘Come on in! Since you’re such a mighty man, you must be bringing good news!’

43 And JoNathan replied, ‘It’s true! For, our lord King David has made Solomon the king! 44 He sent Sadoc the Priest, Nathan the Prophet, BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada), and the Cherethites and Phelethites, and they mounted him on the king’s mule, 45 then they anointed him in Gion. So, the sounds that you’re hearing from the city are the sounds of rejoicing! 46 For, Solomon is now seated on the throne of the kingdom, 47 and the king’s servants are going in to praise our lord King David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and his throne greater than your throne.

‘And now the king is worshiping [God] from his bed. 48 For the king is saying: May Jehovah the God of Israel be praised, because today He has appointed one of my seed to sit on my throne while my eyes can still see it.’

49 Well, all the guests of AdoniJah were shocked, and they all just left.

50 Now, AdoniJah was afraid because of Solomon, so he got up and went outside, and then he grabbed hold of the horns on the altar. 51 And when it was reported to Solomon that AdoniJah was afraid of him and that he was holding the horns of the altar and saying, ‘Let Solomon swear to me today that he won’t kill his servant with his sword,’ 52 Solomon said, ‘If he’s a valiant man, not a single hair will fall to the ground; but if he’s evil, he will die. 53 So, King Solomon sent and had him brought back from the altar. Then he bowed low before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, ‘Go back home.’

Chapter 2

1 Well, the time for David’s death drew near, and he spoke to his son Solomon and said, ‘I’m going the way of all the earth. 2 But you be strong and show that you’re a man. 3 Follow the instructions of Jehovah your God, walk in His ways, and follow the Commandments, rules, and decisions that are written in the Law of Moses, so you’ll understand what you should do in all the things that I’ve told you. 4 Then Jehovah will prove the thing that He promised: If your children will pay attention to the way that they should walk before Me in truth and with all their hearts, there will never fail to be a man who sits on the throne of Israel.

5 ‘Now, you know all the things that JoAb (the son of ZeruJah) did to me and to the two generals of the army of Israel… to Abner (the son of Ner), and to Amasa (the son of JeTher)… he murdered them and shed their blood as in war, although we were at peace… he wrapped his waist and the sandals on his feet in innocent blood. 6 So, deal with him as your wisdom directs, and don’t allow him to take his grey hair to his grave in peace.

7 ‘But I want you to deal kindly with the sons of Barzelli the Gileadite… they should eat at your table, because they came to my aid when I had to run from your brother AbSalom.

8 ‘And {Look!} there is Semei (the son of Gera – a BenJamite of BaUrim) who is still among us. Yet, he brought a great curse on me when he came down to the Jordan to meet me as I was returning to Jerusalem. Then I swore to him by Jehovah that I wouldn’t use the sword to put him to death. 9 However, he isn’t free of guilt. Now, you’re a wise man, and you know what you must do to him… you must take his grey hair to the grave covered in blood.’

10 So, David went to sleep with his ancestors, and he was buried in the city of David. 11 David had reigned over Israel for forty years… seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

12 So, Solomon sat upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom became very great.

13 Then AdoniJah (the son of AgGith) went to see BathSheba (the mother of Solomon) and bowed before her. And she asked: ‘Have you come in peace?’

And he replied, ‘Yes, in peace. 14 I have some business with you.’

And she said, ‘Then speak.’

15 And he said, ‘You know that the kingdom was mine, because all Israel turned to me as their king. But the kingdom was taken from me and it became my brother’s, because it was given to him by Jehovah. 16 Now, I just want to ask one thing of you… and don’t ignore me.’

Then BathSheba said, ‘Keep talking.’

17 And he said to her, ‘I beg you to speak to King Solomon, because he won’t ignore you. Ask him to give me AbiSag the Somanite as a wife.’

18 And BathSheba said, ‘Well, I’ll speak to the king for you.’

19 So, BathSheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about AdoniJah. And the king rose to meet her, kissed her, then sat down on his throne, and he had a throne placed there for the mother of the king, so she sat down at his right hand. 20 And she said to him, ‘I would like to make one little request… and please don’t ignore me.’

And the king said, ‘Ask, my mother, and I won’t ignore you.’

21 And she said, ‘Please, give AbiSag the Somanite to your brother AdoniJah as his wife.’

22 Well, King Solomon asked: ‘Why are you asking me to give AbiSag to AdoniJah? You could ask me to give him the kingdom also, because he’s my elder brother… and his friends are the Priest AbiAthar and my commander-in-chief, JoAb (the son of ZeruJah ).’

23 And then King Solomon swore an oath by Jehovah. He said, ‘May God curse me and add to it if AdoniJah hasn’t spoken these words against his own life. 24 And now as Jehovah lives – He who established me, set me on the throne of my father David, and made me a house, as Jehovah said – today AdoniJah will be put to death!’

25 So King Solomon sent out BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada) to kill him, and AdoniJah died that day.

26 Then the king said to AbiAthar the Priest, ‘Now, go back to your farm in AnaThoth quickly, because you also deserve death today. However, I’m not going to kill you, because you carried Jehovah’s Chest of the Sacred Agreement before my father, and because you also shared in all the sufferings of my father.’

27 So, Solomon removed AbiAthar as the Priest of Jehovah, to fulfill the words that Jehovah spoke concerning the house of Heli in Salem.

28 Well, the news of this reached JoAb (the son of ZeruJah ), and because he had supported AdoniJah (not Solomon), he ran to the Tent of Jehovah and grabbed hold of the horns on the altar. 29 And when Solomon was told, ‘JoAb has fled to the Tent of Jehovah, and look, he’s hanging onto the horns of the altar,’ he sent [a message] to JoAb, asking, ‘What’s wrong with you? Why have you fled to the altar?’

And JoAb replied, ‘Because I was afraid of you, I fled to Jehovah for refuge.’

Then Solomon sent BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada), telling him, ‘Go and kill him, and then bury him.’

30 Well, when BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada) reached JoAb at the Tent of Jehovah, he said to him, ‘The king commands you to come out of there!’

And JoAb said, ‘I’m not coming out, for I’d rather die here!’

And BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada) returned to the king and told him what JoAb said. 31 So the king told him: ‘Then go and do what he told you to do… kill him, then bury him! That way you’ll remove the blood that he shed for no reason from me and from the house of my father. 32 For, Jehovah has brought the blood of his unrighteousness upon his own head, because he attacked two men who were more righteous and better than himself, killing them with his sword. Yet, my father David was unaware that he would kill Abner (the son of Ner), the commander-in-chief of Israel, and AmesSa (the son of Jether), the commander-in-chief of Judah. 33 And now their blood is on his head and on the head of his seed through the ages. But to David, his seed, his house, and his throne, may there be peace from Jehovah through the ages.

34 So BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada) went back and killed him, and then he buried him in his house in the desert.

35 Thereafter, the king appointed BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada) to be the commander-in-chief of his army, and his kingship became firm in Jerusalem. And as for Sadoc the Priest; the king appointed him the High Priest in place of AbiAthar.

So, Solomon (the son of David) reigned over Israel and Judah from Jerusalem, and Jehovah gave Solomon as much wisdom, understanding, and greatness of heart as there is sand at the seashore. For, the wisdom of Solomon was greater than that of all the ancient peoples, and it was far greater than the wise men of Egypt.

36 Then the king called Semei and said to him: ‘You may build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there… but don’t leave it, 37 because I want you to know that on the day you cross the Valley of Cedars (Kidron), you’re going to die, and your blood will be on your own head.’

38 And Semei said to the king: ‘What you’ve said is good, O my lord the king, and that’s what your servant will do.’ Then the king made him swear an oath to this.

So, Semei lived in Jerusalem for three years. 39 But after the three years, two of Semei’s slaves ran away (to Anchus, the son of MaAcha, the king of Geth). And when Semei was told that his slaves were in Geth, 40 he saddled his burros and went to Anchus in Geth to bring his slaves back. 41 But when Solomon was told that Semei had left Jerusalem and gone to Geth to bring back his slaves, 42 the king sent for Semei and said to him, ‘Didn’t you swear by Jehovah, and didn’t I warn you that if you left Jerusalem, whether to the right or the left, that you will surely die? 43 So, why haven’t you kept your oath to Jehovah and followed the instructions that I gave you?’

44 Then the king told Semei, ‘In your heart you know of all the bad things you’ve done, and of the bad things that you did to my father David. So now, Jehovah is bringing your badness down upon your own head… 45 and King Solomon will be blest, and the throne of David will be established before Jehovah through the ages.’

46 Then Solomon commanded BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada) to take him out and kill him.

Chapter 3

1 Well, under Solomon the kingdom was united.

Then Solomon contracted a marriage with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He took the daughter of Pharaoh and brought her to the city of David. However, before that, he completed the building of his palace, the Temple of Jehovah, and the wall around Jerusalem.

2 Now, before the Temple was built, the people were burning incense [to Jehovah] in the high places. 3 And since Solomon loved Jehovah (following the orders of his father David), he also offered his sacrifices and burnt incense there.

4 Well, Solomon got up and went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, because that was the highest place. And he sacrificed a thousand whole-burnt offerings upon the altar there; 5 and then Jehovah appeared to Solomon while he was sleeping that night. And Jehovah said, ‘Solomon, ask for anything you might wish for yourself.’

6 And Solomon said, ‘You’ve shown great mercy to your servant David, my father, and he walked with You in truth, justice, and a pure heart. Then You guarded him and showed him great mercy by allowing his son to sit on his throne, which has happened today. 7 And now, O Jehovah my God; You have appointed Your servant in place of my father David, yet I’m just a boy who doesn’t even know when to enter and when to leave. 8 Yet, Your servant [rules] in the midst of this mighty [nation] whom You have chosen, and which is so large it can’t be counted. 9 So, give your servant a heart to listen and to make [wise] decisions for Your people in justice, and to recognize the difference between what is good and what is bad. For, who can bear the weight of such judgment?

10 And this thing that Solomon asked for was pleasing to Jehovah, 11 so He replied: ‘Because you have asked this thing from Me, and you didn’t ask for a long life, or for wealth, or for the lives of your enemies – and all you asked for yourself is the understanding to judge righteously – 12 {Look!} I have done what you asked. {Look!} I’m giving you an intelligent and wise heart… there has never been anyone before you, nor will there ever be anyone who will rise up after you that will be like you. 13 And then, even what you didn’t ask for I’ve given you… including wealth and glory, for there has never been a king like you. 14 And if you do things My way, and obey My Commandments and instructions, as did your father David, then I will also grant you a long life.’

15 Well, when Solomon woke up, he remembered the dream. Then he got up and returned to Jerusalem, and there he went and stood before the Altar, which was in front of the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah in Zion. Then he sacrificed whole-burnt offerings and peace offerings, and he held a great banquet for himself and for all his servants.

16 Thereafter, two women who were prostitutes came and stood before the king for a [judgment]. 17 And one of the women said, ‘Hear me, my lord! This woman and I both live in the same house, and we both gave birth to [babies] there. 18 For, it was three days after I gave birth that this woman also gave birth in the same place, and no one else was around… there was just the two of us in the house. 19 Well, this woman’s son died during the night when she rolled over on him. 20 So, she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my arms, and put him to her breast. Then she took her son that died and laid him at my breast. 21 And when I got up in the morning to nurse my son, I saw the one that had died, but I studied him and realized that this wasn’t my son that I had given birth to.’

22 Well, the other woman shouted, ‘That isn’t true! My son is the one that’s living, and yours is the son that’s dead.’

23 Then the king said to them: ‘You’re saying that the living son is yours, and the dead one is hers. And she says that’s not true; hers is the living son and yours is the one that’s dead.’ 24 So the king said: ‘Bring me a sword!’ And they brought him a sword. 25 Then he said: ‘Cut this living, nursing child in half, and give half to this one, and the other half to that one!’

26 Well, the real mother of the living son spoke to the king, because she was disturbed to the womb about what was about to happen to her son. She said: ‘Hear me, O lord! Give the child to her… don’t kill it!’

But the other [woman] said, ‘May it be neither mine nor hers… cut it in half!’

27 Then the king said, ‘I’m giving the child to the woman who said, Give it to her, don’t kill it, because she’s his mother.’

28 Well, all Israel soon came to hear of this decision of the king, and they were afraid when they were in his presence, for they knew that the intelligence of God was in him, and that justice would prevail.

Chapter 4

1 When King Solomon was reigning in Israel, 2 these are the men who were with him and who were in charge:

· AzariJah (the son of Zadok the Priest);

· 3 EliAm and AhiJah (the sons of Saba) were his Scribes;

· JehoShaphat (the son AchiLud) was the recorder;

· 4 BenaiJah (the son of JehoYada) was the commander-in-chief of the army;

· Zadok and AbiAthar were the Priests;

· 5 AzariJah (the son of Nathan) directed his staff;

· ZaboUth (the son of Nathan) was the king’s right-hand man;

· 6 Acisar was his manager;

· EliAb (the son of Saph) was over the family;

· AdoniRam (the son of Afdon) was in charge of the tributes.

7 So, Solomon assigned twelve men over all Israel to handle matters for him and his house.

8 Then there were others who were assigned to [bring the things that Solomon required] for just one month each year, and these are their names:

· The son of Or had the mountains of Ephraim;

· 9 The son of Dakar had Machemas, Salabin, BethSamus AiLon, and BethAnan;

· 10 The son of Esdi had ArabOth, SochOth, and all the land of Opher;

· 11 The son of AminAdab (who was married to Solomon’s daughter) had all of NephthaDor and TephAth;

· 12 BaAna (the son of AchiLouth) had IthAnak, MagidDo, and the whole house of San near Sesathan and below Esrae, from BethSan to SebelMaula, to MaEber and Lucam;

· 13 The son of Gaber from Gilead was over a piece of measured land around EreGaba (which is in Bashan) that included sixty great walled cities that were [protected by] brass bars;

· 14 AchiNadab (the son of SadDo) had MaAnaim;

· 15 AchimaAs (who was married to Solomon’s daughter BasEmath) was over [the land of] Naphtali;

· 16 BaAnah (the son HushAi) was in charge of BaalOth and [the land of] Asher;

· 17 JehoShaphat (the son ParuAh) had [the land of] IsSachar;

· 18 Shemei (the son of ElAh) had [the land of] BenJamin;

· 19 Gaber (the son Adai) had the land of Gilead, [the land of] Seon (the king of Heshbon), [the land of] Og (the king of Bashan), and [the land of] Naseb (in the land of Judah).

20 Now, Judah and Israel had grown so large that [their people] were as the sands of the sea in number, and they all ate, drank, and rejoiced, 21 for Solomon was the ruler in all their kingdoms from the river in the land of the Philistines to the borders of Egypt. They also brought Solomon many gifts, and they served him throughout all the days of his life.

22 Now, these are the things that Solomon required at his table each day:

· Two-hundred bushels of fine flour,

· Four-hundred bushels of beaten flour,

· 23 Ten choice calves,

· Twenty grass-fed oxen,

· A hundred sheep,

· And well-fed male and female antelope.

24 Solomon was also the ruler of all the land on the [east] side of the [Jordan], and there was peace throughout the whole country. 25 [So, during all the days of Solomon, the people] in Judah and Israel (from Dan to BeerSheba) harvested their own grapevines and [lived] under their own fig trees.

26 Now, Solomon had forty-thousand breeding horses (for his chariots) and twelve-thousand horsemen. 27 And those who he put in charge brought the things that were required to the king’s table (each one in his own month)… they did just as they were told and didn’t change a word. 28 They brought barley and straw for the horses, and they took the chariots wherever the king needed them or arranged for them to be.

29 Well, Jehovah gave intelligence and great wisdom to Solomon, and it kept growing in his heart like the sands of the sea. 30 So, Solomon’s intelligence grew greater than that of all the men of ancient times, and of all the intelligent ones of Egypt. 31 His understanding was greater than all men; he was wiser than GaitThan the Zarite, and AiNan, Chalkal, and Darda (the sons of Mal).

32 Solomon spoke three-thousand parables and [wrote] five-thousand songs. 33 He spoke about the cedars of Lebanon, of the hyssop, and of [plants that grow] through walls. He spoke about cattle, flying creatures, things that crawl, and about things that live in water…34 and people everywhere would come to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Kings from all over the earth, when they heard of his wisdom, would bring him gifts.

Chapter 5

1 Then Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent his servants to anoint Solomon in place of his father David, because Hiram loved David for as long as he lived.

2 And Solomon sent [a message] to Hiram, saying, 3 ‘You know that my father David was unable to build a [Temple] to the Name of Jehovah my God, because of fighting the wars that were going on around him, and until Jehovah put his enemies under the soles of his feet. 4 And now Jehovah my God has provided rest for me all around [my land], for there are no more plotters or wicked people near me. 5 So, now I’m talking about building a [Temple] to the Name of Jehovah my God, for as He told my father David, Your son who I will put on your throne after you will build the [Temple] to My Name.

6 ‘Now, have your men cut some timber for me from the trees in Lebanon, and I’ll pay whatever you ask for their wages. And {Look!} I’ll also send my servants to go with your servants. After all, no one understands timber cutting better than the Sidonians.’

7 And when Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was overjoyed and said, ‘May the God who gave David an intelligent son to rule over this great people be praised today.’

8 So he sent [a message] to Solomon replying: ‘I’ve heard of everything that you asked of me, and I will send all the pine and cedar lumber that you requested. 9 My servants will cut them in Lebanon, carry them to the sea, and haul them on barges to wherever you tell me. I’ll drop them off, and you can carry them on from there. All I ask in return is that you send some loaves of bread for my house.’

10 So, Hiram gave Solomon all the cedars and pines that he wanted. 11 And Solomon sent Hiram one-hundred-and-thirty-thousand bushels of wheat, and a hundred-and-twenty-thousand gallons of beaten olive oil for his house in return. In fact, he sent that amount to Hiram every year.

12 Well, Jehovah gave Solomon the wisdom he had asked for, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, for they had made a treaty between them. 13 And the king sent (as a tribute from all Israel) thirty-thousand men. 14 He would send ten-thousand of them to Lebanon each month in rotation, and they would spend a month in Lebanon, then two months at home. And AdoniRam was in charge of this tribute.

15 Now, Solomon had seventy-thousand laborers and eighty-thousand stonecutters [working] in the mountains. 16 And (in addition to those who Solomon placed in charge of his construction project) he had three-thousand six-hundred supervisors on the job. 17 Then the king instructed them to set in place huge valuable stone blocks as the foundations for the building. 18 And the sons of Solomon and Hiram then laid them in place, while they cut the blocks and the timbers, which took three years.

Chapter 6

1 Well, it was in the four hundred and fortieth year after the sons Israel left Egypt (in the fourth year and second month of Solomon’s reign over Israel) that the foundation of the Temple of Jehovah was laid. 2 It was seventy feet long, thirty-five feet wide, and forty-feet tall. 3 It had a columned front entryway that was as tall as the Temple, and it was seventeen-feet wide. Then he went on to complete its construction.

4 There was also a hidden window in the Temple that leaned inward, 5 and there was an eve along the top of the wall 6 that ran all the way around the building to the entryway. There were also [three stories] of rooms inside the Temple. The room at the top was about eight-feet wide, the one in middle was about ten-feet wide, and the one at the bottom was about eleven-feet wide.

7 Solomon also built a walkway around the outside of the temple that wasn’t joined to its walls. The Temple was built with rough-chiseled stone, and the sound of hammers, axes, and other metal tools wasn’t heard during its construction. 8 There was a vestibule that stood under a protrusion on the right side of the building, and there was a winding stairway in the middle, that led to the third story.

9 After the [exterior] was built, Solomon had the [interior walls] covered with cedar [panels]. 10 He also built the interior chamber in the middle of the Temple, which stood nine-feet high, and it was covered in cedar [panels].

11 Then Jehovah sent word to Solomon, saying, 12 ‘Regarding this [Temple] that you’re building; if you follow My instructions and decisions, and obey all My Commandments, what I said to your father David will prove true… 13 I will camp in the midst of the sons Israel, and I won’t abandon My people Israel.’

14 So then, Solomon went on to finish the Temple. 15 He paneled all its interior walls, floors, and beams with cedar. It was vaulted with timbers on the inside, and the walls were ribbed with pine. 16 So inside, the measurement from the floor to the ceiling beams was thirty-six feet. And inside the entryway, he built the Holy of Holies. 17 For, the front of the Temple rose seventy-five feet high at the entrance.

18 Now, the interior cedar panels were all carved with decorations of gourds and spread leaves, and none of the stonework could be seen from the inside. 19 Inside the entryway, in the center of the Temple, a place was made to hold the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah. 20 It was thirty-five feet long, thirty-five feet wide, and thirty-five feet tall, and it was totally enclosed and covered in gold.

21 He also made an Altar in front of the entrance and covered it with gold. 22 In fact, by the time of its completion, the whole building was covered with gold. 23 He also made two wooden cherubs of Cyprus that he placed on either side of the entrance. They each stood eighteen-feet high, 24 each of their wings were nine-feet long, and the distance from wing-tip to wing-tip was eighteen feet. 25 Both of the cherubs were the same size. 26 He also had two eighteen-foot cherubs built that were placed in the innermost part of the Temple. 27 They too had spread wings that touched each other and ran to the walls on either side of the building’s interior. 28 Then the cherubs were covered in gold, 29 and the walls around the Temple were engraved with cherubs and palms… both the innermost and outer portions. 30 And he even covered the floors of the whole building with gold… both the innermost portions and the outer portions.

31 The front entrance was made of juniper wood, and there were five doorways. 32 Two doors were made of pines that were carved with cherubs and palms. There were also some panels that could be removed to enlarge the entrance. And everything was covered with gold, including the engraved cherubs and palms.

33 The Temple vestibule had juniper doorposts and four columns. 34 Both of the doors were made of pine, and they were hinged into a bi-fold configuration. 35 They also had panels that were carved with cherubs and palm leaves, and then they were entirely covered in gold.

36 Next, [Solomon] built the inner courtyard. It had three rows of uncut stones, and it was surrounded by cedar posts. 37 Then he had a veil made for the courtyard that separated it from the columned porch, which stood in front of the Temple.

38 So, in the eleventh year, in the month of Baal (the eighth month), the Temple was finally completed per [Solomon’s] instructions and design.

Chapter 7

1 Then during the next thirteen years, Solomon built his own palace, 2 which [he called] ‘The House of the Forest of Lebanon.’ It was a hundred-and-seventy feet long, eighty-five feet wide, fifty-feet tall, and it had four rows of cedar columns that ran up to cedar rafters. 3 The whole building was decorated with latticework on the upper parts of the columns, and there were forty-five columns per row. 4 There were three windows on each of three sides, 5 and they and the three doorways were all arched.

6 It also had a columned front porch that was eighty-five feet long and fifty-feet wide, that was joined to a covering, which was supported by columns and thick beams on the front side. 7 This was where his throne was located where he judged from, and there was a columned porch over his judgment seat. 8 Then there was a courtyard in front of the place where he sat, which could be expanded whenever there was a need to do so.

He also built a house for the daughter of Pharaoh, whom he had taken as his wife, which looked like his columned porch. 9 All of this was constructed of valuable stones, which had been chiseled at intervals on the inside, and ran from the foundation to the moldings, and to the large courtyard on the outside.

10 The foundation that he laid was also made of large, valuable stones, each of which measured seventeen feet by fourteen feet, 11 and the roof was made of valuable stones and cedar beams.

12 The large courtyard was circled by three rows of uncut stones and a row of carved cedar posts.

Well, after Solomon completed his palace, 13 he sent and called for Hiram out of Tyre, 14 who was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and whose father was a Tyranian man. For, he was gifted when it came to working brass (and at other crafts), and he was filled with knowledge on how to do all sorts of metalwork. He was brought to King Solomon, because he was able to do everything that needed to be done.

15 He then smelted and cast two columns for the Temple porch that were each thirty-feet tall and twenty-four feet in circumference. They were grooved to a depth of four fingers, 16 and he molded two brass capitals for the tops of the columns that were each eight-feet tall. 17 Then he made brass decorations for each capital 18 that consisted of rows of hanging pomegranates, 19 and the top of each column was shaped like a lily.

Then he finished off the columns for the porch with a ridge that ran between the capitals. It was six-and-a-half feet wide, 20 and it was covered with two-hundred rows of pomegranates. 21 He then erected these columns at the columned porch of the Temple, and he named one column JaKin, and the other Boaz. 22 Thereafter, he covered [the rest of] the columns with [copper] lilies. And with that, he finished his work on the columns.

23 Next, he cast the [Sacred] Sea. It was round and seventeen-feet wide from rim to rim. It was eight-feet high and about fifty-feet in circumference. 24 The base beneath it was seventeen-feet wide, and it was made of two rows of supports that were cast in a foundry furnace. 25 The Sea itself was supported by twelve metal oxen, three of which faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east. The Sea was supported on top of them, 26 and of course, all their posteriors faced inside. The middle of the Sea was shaped like a palm, but its rim was like that of a cup, with lily buds around the top. It had a capacity of about eleven-hundred gallons.

27 Then [Hiram] made ten brass carts. They were each eight-feet long, six-and-a-half feet wide, and twenty-inches tall. 28 The carts were made of panels that were joined into frames. 29 And the panels [were carved with] lions, oxen, and cherubs. In fact, lions, oxen, and cherubs covered all parts of the carts, including the bases. 30 Each of the carts had four brass wheels, and all their fastenings were made of brass. Then, coming from the base were four supports that held washtubs, which were twenty-inches long. 31 [The tub supports] were round (two-and-a-half feet wide at the top), and they were covered with carvings. However, the four supports were rectangular, not round.

32 The brass wheels were mounted at the base of the supports, and the wheels each had spokes, standing two-and-a-half feet tall. 33 In fact, they looked like chariot wheels. Then all the spokes were joined to cast axels.

34 There were supports that stuck out at the corners of each of the cart’s bases as handles, 35 which were mounted along the top of each base. They were ten-inches around and stood high for handholds. 36 All the connecting parts [were carved] with cherubs, lions, and palms that were standing next to each other, on the front, on the inside, and all around. 37 He made all ten carts exactly alike and to the same dimensions.

38 Then he made the ten brass washtubs. They each held two-hundred-and-thirty gallons [of water], and they were eight-feet long. Then each of the washtubs were mounted on the carts. 39 Five were placed on the Temple’s right side, and the other five on its left side. Then the [Sacred] Sea was placed to the right of the Temple, on its southeast corner.

40 Next, Hiram made the cooking pots, the tongs, and the bowls. 41 And soon he had completed making all the things for King Solomon at the Temple of Jehovah – the two columns; the twisted decorations that were put on the capitals of the two columns; the carvings for the tops of the columns; 42 and the pomegranates (four hundred of which were used as decorations). Two rows of [the pomegranates]  were put on each column, and the rest were used as decorations 43 for the carts, the metal washtubs that were mounted on them, and their axels, rims, and spokes, for 44 the Sea and its twelve oxen that supported it, 45 and for the cooking pots, tongs, and bowls. He [personally] made all these things for King Solomon and for the Temple of Jehovah.

All together, he [decorated] forty-eight columns for the palace of the king and for the Temple of Jehovah. And everything that Hiram made for the king was entirely of brass. 46 He did all his casting near the Jordan River, underground, in a place that was located between SucCoth and ZarEthan. 47 Solomon already had all the materials stored away, since he had received so much brass.

48 Then Solomon went on to make the rest of the items for the Temple of Jehovah… the golden Altar, the gold table for the showbread, 49 the solid-gold lamp stands that were placed at the entrance (five on the right side and five on the left side), with their gold bowls, lamps, and oil funnels; 50 plus the gold thresholds, fasteners, bowls, saucers, and incense pans. And the doorway to the innermost part of the Temple (the Holy of Holies) and the doors to the entrance of the Temple itself were made of gold. 51 So, Solomon finally finished his ‘house’ for Jehovah. And he carried in all the holy things of David his father, as well as all his own holy things, including silver, gold, and other things for the treasury of the Temple of Jehovah.

Chapter 8

1 Then King Solomon held a meeting with all the elders of Israel there on [Mount] Zion, to talk about bringing the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah out of the city of David (which was on Mount Zion). 2 This was in the month of Athanim (the seventh month), and because it was a holiday, all the elders of Israel were already there.

3 Then the Priests picked up the Chest 4 from the Tent of Proofs, along with all the holy items that were there, 5 and the king and all Israel stood before the Chest and sacrificed multitudes of oxen and sheep.

6 Then the Priests carried the Chest and put it into its place near the entrance of the Temple… in the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubs 7 (for the cherubs had open, spread wings that covered the Chest and the other holy things that were on its cover). 8 And the only parts that stuck out of the Holy [of Holies] were the sacred staves, but even they couldn’t be seen from outside [the Temple]. 9 Of course, there was nothing in the Chest except the two stone tablets of the Sacred Agreement that Jehovah made with the sons of Israel after they left the land of Egypt, and which were put there by Moses at the Dry Place (Horeb).

10 And then, as the Priests were coming out of the Holy Place, a mist filled the whole building. 11 So the Priests were unable to stand and officiate before the mist, because the glory of Jehovah filled the whole Temple.

12 Then Solomon said: ‘Jehovah, You spoke of camping in dimness. 13 And now I’ve built a [Temple] to Your Name, and prepared a Holy Place for You. So, this is Your chair and a place for You to camp through the ages.’

14 Then he turned around, and all Israel started praising the king, for the whole gathering of Israel was standing there. 15 And [the king] said, ‘Praise Jehovah, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth about my father David, and who filled his hands, saying, From the day that I led My people Israel out of Egypt, I have never chosen a city [for Myself] in one of the chiefdoms of Israel, where a [Temple] would be built to My Name. 16 But now I’ve chosen Jerusalem as a place to put My Name, and I’ve chosen David to lead My people Israel. 17 And that’s why the heart of my father David was moved to build a [Temple] to the Name of Jehovah, the God of Israel.

18 ‘Then, Jehovah said to my father David: Because your heart was moved to build a [Temple] to My Name, you’ve done a good thing, because it came from your heart! 19 However, you may not build the [Temple] yourself… it will be built by a son who comes from you. He will build the [Temple] to My Name.’

20 ‘So, Jehovah caused these things that He said to happen. I replaced my father David and sat down on the throne of Israel, just as Jehovah said, and now I’ve built the [Temple] to the Name of Jehovah the God of Israel. 21 And I’ve created a place for the Chest that contains the Sacred Agreement that Jehovah made with our ancestors, when He led them out of the land of Egypt.’

22 Then Solomon stood before the Altar of Jehovah, there in front of the whole gathering of Israel, and he raised his arms toward heaven 23 and said, ‘O Jehovah, God of Israel, there are no gods in heaven above or on the earth below that are like You. For, You have kept Your Agreement and shown mercy to Your servant (the one who has walked before You with his whole heart), Your servant David, my father. 24 You spoke to him with Your mouth, and with Your hands You’ve fulfilled what [You promised to him] today. 25 And now, O Jehovah, God of Israel, keep [the promise] that You made with my father David when You said, There will always be a man who sits before Me on the throne of Israel, as long as your children keep following Me as you have followed Me.’

26 ‘So now, O Jehovah, God of Israel; may the words that You said to my father David prove to be true. 27 But will You really live on the earth with men, when the heavens of the heavens can’t contain You? How can this [Temple] that I built to Your Name expect to do so?

28 ‘Please listen to my prayer, O Jehovah, God of Israel… hear the prayer that Your servant is praying before You today! 29 May Your eyes watch over this [Temple] both day and night, for it’s the place where You said that You would put Your Name.

‘From Your home in the heavens, please listen to the prayers that Your servants will pray in this place both day and night, 30 and provide the things that Your servant and all Your people Israel will ask for when they pray here… answer them and provide! 31 And if they should sin against their neighbors and take an oath to curse them, and then come and openly declare such a thing before Your Altar in this [Temple], 32 may You listen from the heavens and act… judge Your people Israel! Declare the lawless one lawlessness, and bring his [evil] ways upon his own head, but give justice to the righteous… treat the righteous with righteousness!

33 ‘And when Your people Israel sin against You, may they fail before their enemies until they return and acknowledge Your Name, and then pray and beg before You in this [Temple]. 34 Then please listen to them from the heavens and forgive the sins of Your people Israel, and return them to this land that You gave to their ancestors.

35 ‘And when You hold back the sky and don’t allow rain to fall because of their sins against You, and then they come to pray in this place and acknowledge Your Name and turn away from their sins after You’ve humbled them; 36 please listen from the heavens and forgive the sins of Your servants… Your people Israel. Show them a better way to act, and then provide rain for this land that You’ve given Your people as their inheritance.

37 ‘And if there should be a famine, a plague, a fire, an infestation of locusts, or a blight [on the crops]; or if an enemy should come against one of our cities (no matter what the event or misery), may all the prayers and supplications of every man be heard, so that You will come to know the pain in their hearts. 38 And whenever a man spreads out his arms in this 39 home that has been prepared for You, may You hear him from the heavens, forgive him, and act. Give each man what he deserves by the way he acts, for only You know what’s in their hearts. You alone know what’s in the hearts of all the sons of men. 40 So, they should fear You all the days of their lives that they spend on this land that You’ve given to our ancestors.

41 ‘And as for the aliens who are not from Your people; 42 when they come to this place that has been prepared as Your home to pray, 43 please listen to them from heaven and do everything that they ask, so all the people on the earth will know Your Name and come to fear You… just as Your people Israel should know that Your Name has been called upon this [Temple] that I built.

44 ‘And if Your people go to war against their enemies, following Your directions, and if they pray in the Name of Jehovah in this city that You’ve chosen and in this [Temple] that I’ve built to Your Name, 45 then please listen to their prayers and supplications from heaven, and bring them justice.

46 ‘And when they sin against You (for there is no man who doesn’t sin) and You hand them over to their enemies who take them away as captives into a land that is nearby or far away; 47 and if, in the land where they are, they turn back and start begging for Your [help], saying, We have sinned; We have done wrong; We have acted lawlessly; 48 and they turn back to You with all their hearts and souls, there in the land of their enemies who took them there, and pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their ancestors, and to the city that You’ve chosen, and to the [Temple] that I built to Your Name; 49 then please listen from heaven and from the home that has been prepared for You. 50 Forgive the wrong that they did when they sinned against You, and the wicked ways in which they disregarded You, and give compassion to the ones who took them as captives, so they will have pity for them. 51 For, they are Your people and Your inheritance. You led them out of the land of Egypt… from the midst of that iron-foundry furnace.

52 ‘May Your eyes and Your ears [always] be open to the cries of Your servants and to the pleas of Your people Israel. Please listen to them, no matter what they call to You for, 53 because You have drawn them and set them apart for Yourself as an inheritance from among all the peoples of the earth, and You spoke to them through Your servant Moses when You led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, O Lord Jehovah.’

Then Solomon spoke concerning the Temple, after he had completed its construction. ‘When He made the sun in the sky, Jehovah said: I will live in a dimly-lit place, so build a new [Temple] for Me to dwell in… and may it be a beautiful place for your sakes. {Look!} Isn’t that what’s written as a song in the scroll?’

54 And after Solomon finished his prayer and his requests to Jehovah, he stood up before the Altar of Jehovah (because he had been kneeling before it), then he raised his arms toward heaven 55 and he blest the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying, 56 ‘Praise Jehovah, for He has brought rest to His people Israel today, just as He promised (among all the many things that He said). For, not a word of the many things He said through His servants has failed to come true.

57 ‘May Jehovah our God be with us, as He has been with our ancestors. May He not abandon us or turn from us. 58 May He move our hearts toward Him, so we will follow in all His ways, and keep the Commandments and orders that He gave to our ancestors. 59 And may the things that I’ve begged for, here before Jehovah our God, come true today. May they be heard by Jehovah our God day and night, and may He always do the right thing for His servant and for His people Israel, day in and day out, 60 so that all the people on the earth will come to know that Jehovah is God, and there is no other. 61 And may our hearts become perfect to Jehovah our God, and may we follow His orders and keep His Commandments in sacredness, as we are doing today.’

62 Then the king and all the sons of Israel offered sacrifices before Jehovah. 63 King Solomon offered twenty-two-thousand oxen and a hundred-and-twenty-thousand sheep as a peace offering to Jehovah. Then the king inaugurated the [Temple] of Jehovah before all the sons of Israel.

64 And on that holy day, the king stood in the middle of the courtyard (in front of the Temple of Jehovah) and prepared whole-burnt offerings as sacrifices, and he offered the fat of the peace offerings there, because the brass Altar that was before Jehovah was just too small, so it couldn’t handle all the whole burnt-offerings, gift offerings, and peace-offering sacrifices.

65 Then Solomon held a holiday feast that day, and all Israel attended. It was a huge gathering, for people had come from as far as Hamath and the [Nile] River to stand before Jehovah God at the [Temple] that [Solomon] built. They ate, drank, and rejoiced before Jehovah God for seven days. 66 And on the eighth day, [Solomon] sent the people away, and they offered ages of blessings to the king as they left. So, they all returned to their [homes] rejoicing over all the good things that Jehovah had done for His servant David and for His people Israel.

Chapter 9

1 After Solomon finished building the Temple of Jehovah, his own palace, and all the other things that he wanted to do, 2 Jehovah appeared to him a second time (as He had appeared in Gibeon). 3 And [God] said to him, ‘I heard what you said in your prayer, and of the things you asked and begged Me for, and I’ve done everything that you asked for in your prayer… I’ve made this [Temple] (which you built to [honor] My Name) holy through the ages, and I will [always] watch over it and keep it in My heart. 4 And if you will continue to follow Me uprightly and with sacredness in your heart, as did your father David, and do everything that I told him by following My orders and Commandments, 5 I will raise the throne of your kingdom over Israel through the ages, as I promised your father. For I told him, There will always be a man [descended from you] who leads Israel.

6 ‘However, if you or your descendants turn away from Me and fail to keep My Commandments and orders that Moses put before you, and then go and serve other gods and bow before them, 7 I will remove Israel from the land that I’ve given them, and I will turn My face away from this [Temple] that I’ve made holy to My Name. Then Israel will become extinct and a topic of discussion among all the people. 8 And everyone who passes by this lofty [Temple] will be amazed and whistle, asking, Why did Jehovah do such a thing to this land and to this [Temple]? 9 And they will be told, Because they abandoned their God – the God of their ancestors, Jehovah – who led them out of the house of slavery in Egypt. Then they took hold of alien gods, and bowed before them and served them. This is why Jehovah brought all these bad things upon them.’

10 Well, this happened some twenty years after Solomon built the two houses – the [Temple] of Jehovah and the [palace] of the king.

11 Hiram, the king of Tyre, had helped Solomon by providing the cedar and pine boards, [some of] the gold, and everything else [that Solomon asked for]. So, King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

12 Well, when Hiram traveled from Tyre to Galilee to look at the cities that Solomon had given him, he wasn’t pleased with them. 13 So, he asked, ‘What kind of cities have you given your brother?’ And from then on, he just referred to them as ‘the borders.’

14 Now, Hiram had sent Solomon four-and-a-half tons of gold 15 that he had plundered, to build the Temple of Jehovah, the king’s palace, the wall around Jerusalem (to fortify the city of David), as well as the cities of Megiddo and Gezer.

16 It was Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) who first took Gezer. He burned it and killed all the Canaanites who lived in the city, and then he gave it to Solomon as a dowry for his daughter, when she married Solomon.

17 Then Solomon rebuilt Gezer, 18 as well as Lower BethHoron, BaalAth, and Tadmor (which is in the desert). 19 He also built many other fortified cities, as well as forts for his chariots and cavalry, and he had many other construction projects in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout all the land that he ruled.

20 However, the Hittites, Amorites, Pherezites, Canaanites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Gergesites (all those who weren’t sons of Israel) 21 and their children remained in the land, because the sons of Israel weren’t able to wipe them out. So, Solomon has made them pay a tribute down to this day. 22 And many of these non-Israelites served Solomon as soldiers and as lieutenants over his chariots and cavalry. 23 Many were also put in charge over Solomon’s construction projects (some five-hundred-and-fifty of them) and they were over the people who were doing the work.

24 Now, the daughter of Pharaoh left the city of David and she went to live in the house that Solomon had built for her. Then he built MilLo.

25 Well, three times each year, Solomon sacrificed whole-burnt offerings and peace offerings on the Altar that he built to Jehovah. He also burned incense on it, there before Jehovah, until he finished the Temple.

26 Then King Solomon built a ship in Geber (which is next to the seaport of ElAth on the border of Edom). 27 And Hiram sent some of his servants who were mariners and knew the sea, to do the rowing… in order to help the servants of Solomon. 28 Then they [attacked] SopheRam and brought back gold to King Solomon – some sixteen tons of it.

Chapter 10

1 Well, the Queen of Sheba had heard of Solomon’s fame and of the Name Jehovah, so she came to test him with problems.

2 When she came to Jerusalem, she brought a very large contingent [of servants], as well as camels that were carrying spices, a huge amount of gold, and many valuable gems. So, she went to King Solomon and spoke to him about all the things that were in her heart. 3 Then Solomon answered all her questions… he didn’t overlook a thing, but explained everything to her. 4 And when the Queen of Sheba saw how knowledgeable Solomon was, the palace that he had built, 5 all the food that he had, the way his servants were assigned, the jobs that his officials were given, how they were dressed, his wine servers, and the whole-burnt offerings that he sacrificed at the Temple of Jehovah, she was beside herself.

6 Then she said to King Solomon, ‘Everything that I’ve heard about you in my land and about your knowledge is true. 7 I came here because I didn’t believe the things that I was being told; but now I find that it’s all beyond what was reported in my land. 8 Why, your wives and servants are blest to be able to stand before you all the time and listen to your wisdom. 9 And Jehovah your God, who chose you and put you on throne of Israel, must love Israel and [plan to] watch over it through the ages, to set you as king over them and righteously hear and judge their cases.’

10 Then she gave Solomon a ton-and-a-half of gold, a huge amount of spices, and many precious gems. Never before had anyone brought so many spices as those that the Queen of Sheba brought to King Solomon.

11 Then Hiram sent a ship carrying gold from Ophir, as well as cut lumber and valuable stones. 12 The king used the timber as supports for the Temple of Jehovah and the king’s palace, as well as for stringed instruments and lutes for the musicians. Never before had such wood been seen in the land (or anywhere else, for that matter).

13 Then King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba everything she asked for and desired… in addition to all the gifts that King Solomon gave her. So, she returned to her land with all her servants.

14 And the weight of the gold that came to Solomon that year was thirty-two tons, 15 which didn’t include the tributes that people or the merchants brought, or that which was brought by kings on the other side of the Jordan, or from the governors of the land.

16 Then King Solomon had three-hundred spears made from hammered gold, each of which was made from six-hundred gold coins. 17 And he had three-hundred small shields made of hammered gold, each of which was made from three large gold coins. Then the king had them mounted in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.

18 Thereafter, the king had a huge throne made from ivory that was covered with pure gold, 19 and there were six stairs up to the throne. On the upper part of the throne there were calves on the backside. There were also handrails on each side, with [carved] lions standing beside them, 20 twelve on both sides next to the stairs. There was never anything like it in the kingdom before.

21 Then all the [dishes, cups, and bowls] that were used by Solomon were completely made of gold, as were the bathtubs and vases in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. Nothing there was made of silver, because it was too common in the days of Solomon.

22 Solomon also owned a ship that sailed the sea from Tharsis, along with the ships of Hiram. And once every three years, the ship brought gold, silver, and cut gems for the king. 23 So, Solomon became greater than all the other kings of the earth in both riches and in intelligence; 24 and all the kings of the earth came to Solomon to hear the wisdom that Jehovah had put in his heart. 25 And each one brought gifts of silver, gold, clothing, balsam, spices, horses, and mules each year.

26 Solomon also obtained chariots and horsemen. He had a thousand-four-hundred chariots, and twelve-thousand horsemen, which he kept in forts throughout the land and with himself in Jerusalem.

27 The king’s silver was as common as stones in Jerusalem, and his cedars were as common as trees in the plains.

28 Solomon bought his horses from Egypt and Kue, where the king’s merchants took items to barter. 29 He also bought chariots from Egypt, for which he paid six-hundred silver coins each, and a hundred-and-fifty silver coins for each horse. Then he sold them to the kings of the Hittites and Syria, but they had to come to him in order to pick them up.

Chapter 11

1 King Solomon very fond of women, so he took several foreigners as wives, such as the daughter of Pharaoh, as well as Moabites, Ammonites, Idumeans, Sidonians, and Hittites… 2 which Jehovah had forbidden the sons of Israel to do. He told them, ‘You must not [marry] them, and they must not come to you, for they will turn your hearts [toward serving] their idols.’

However, Solomon [was a slave] to love, 3 so before long he had seven-hundred wives and three-hundred concubines, and these foreign wives changed his heart. 4 Soon Solomon’s wives turned his heart to worshiping other gods, so his heart was no longer perfect toward Jehovah his God, as was the heart of his father David. 5 For, Solomon started serving Astarte (the god of the Sidonians), and Milcom (the disgusting thing of the Ammonites). 6 So, Solomon started doing evil things before Jehovah, and he was no longer a follower of Jehovah, as was David his father.

7 Then Solomon built a high place to Camus, the idol of Moab, and to Milcom, the idol of the sons of Ammon, on the mountain across from Jerusalem. 8 And all his foreign wives were doing the same thing… burning incense and sacrificing to their idols. 9 And of course, this made Jehovah very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned from Jehovah the God of Israel, who had appeared before him twice 10 after he had been plainly told not to serve other gods, and to be careful to do everything that Jehovah God told him.

11 So, Jehovah said to Solomon: ‘Because you’ve done these things, and you didn’t follow My Commandments or instructions that I gave you, I will take your kingdom out of your hand, rip it up, and give it to your servant. 12 However, I won’t do this during your lifetime, [out of respect for] David your father. Rather, I will take it from the hands of your son. 13 I won’t take the whole kingdom; I’ll leave your son as chief over part of it, because of David My servant, and because of Jerusalem, the city that I’ve chosen.’

14 So, Jehovah sent an enemy against Solomon, Ader the Idumean (from the kingdom of Idumea). 15 For, when David wiped out Edom, and his General JoAb went to bury the dead, he also cut down the men of Idumea. 16 Then, for the next six months, JoAb stayed in Idumea. And although JoAb had destroyed all the men there, 17 Ader (who was just a small boy then) got away, along with many of his father’s servants, and they went to Egypt. 18 And when the men of Midian attacked Pharan, the [people there] also joined with him when he went to Pharaoh (the king of Egypt).

19 Now, when Ader went to Pharaoh, he was given a house, food, and some land, because he was well liked by Pharaoh. He also gave him his sister-in-law as a wife (the sister of Thekemina the elder), 20 and she gave birth to GaneBath, who [Queen] Thekemina raised in her house as one of the sons of Pharaoh.

21 Now, when Ader got word in Egypt that David had gone to sleep with his ancestors, and that JoAb (the commander of the army) had been killed, Ader said to Pharaoh: ‘Allow me to return to my country.’

22 And Pharaoh asked him, ‘What have I failed to give you, so that you now wish to return to your country?’

And Ader replied, ‘Not one thing! But now, please send me away.’

23 Jehovah had also raised another enemy against [Solomon]; Rezon (the son of EliAdah), who had run away from his master HadadEzer, the king of Zobah. 24 He then gathered an army and became the ruler of a confederation that captured Damascus, where he settled and started ruling, 25 and where he remained an enemy to Israel all the days of Solomon.

Now, this is the bad thing that Ader did against Israel: He started ruling in the land of Edom.

26 Then one of Solomon’s servants, JeroBoam (the son of Nabat the Ephrathite from SariRa), whose mother was widowed, 27 rebelled against King Solomon. This was after King Solomon had built the Akra and 28 after he had completed the outer barrier around the city of his father David.

28 Now, JeroBoam was a mighty man, and when Solomon noticed that this young man was someone who could get things done, he put him in charge of the tributes from the house of Joseph. 29 But one day, as JeroBoam was coming from Jerusalem, he met the Prophet AhiJah the Selonite, who stopped him along the road to talk to him.

Well, AhiJah was wearing a new cape, and they were alone there in the plain. 30 Then AhiJah took off the cape that he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 And he said to JeroBoam, ‘Take ten of these pieces for yourself, because this is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said: {Look!} I’m tearing the kingdom out of the hands of Solomon and giving you ten of its [tribes]. 32 However, two of the [tribes] will remain his, because of My servant David, and on account of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel.

33 ‘[I’m doing this] because [Solomon] has abandoned Me and is now making offerings to Astarte, the disgusting thing of the Sidonians, to Camus, the idol of Moab, and to their king, the loathsome thing of the sons of Ammon. He is no longer walking in My ways or doing the right things before Me as did his father David. 34 I’m not going to remove the kingdom from him entirely, however, but I will oppose him all the days of his life. It was only because of My servant David that I chose him. 35 But now I’m going to take the kingdom from the hands of his son and give ten of the [tribes] to you. 36 I will give his son two [tribes], so that a descendant of My servant David will always stand before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I’ve chosen to put My Name.

37 ‘Now, you may take and rule over whatever your soul desires, and you’ll be the king over Israel. 38 And if you’ll watch over all that I’m putting you in charge of, walk in My ways, always do the right things before Me and follow My orders and Commandments (as My servant David did), then I will build you a house that is as sure as the one that I built for David. 39 I’m giving you Israel, and I will mistreat the seed of David because of these things, but not during the lifetime of JeroBoam.’

40 Thereafter, Solomon looked for ways to kill JeroBoam, but he got up and ran away to Egypt, to SusaKim the king of Egypt, and he stayed there until Solomon died.

41 Now, the rest of the words of Solomon – all the many things [he said] and did, and all his wisdom – {Look!} have been written in the scroll of the sayings of Solomon. 42 So, Solomon reigned over all Israel from Jerusalem for forty years, 43 and then he went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in the city of David his father. 44 So, his son RehoBoam started reigning in his place.

Chapter 12

1 Well, King RehoBoam went to Shechem, because all Israel had gone there to coronate him, 2 and JeroBoam (the son of Nabat) heard about it. However he was still in Egypt, where he had settled after having to run from Solomon. 3 But the people of Israel called for him and JeroBoam came to them. For, the people had spoken to King RehoBoam, and said: 4 ‘Your father oppressed us and kept our necks in a yolk. So now, lighten the load of our service to you. For, your father was a hard taskmaster and he kept us under a heavy load… and then we will serve you!’

5 And he replied, ‘Give me three days [to think about it]!’ So, they left.

6 Then King RehoBoam went to the elders who used to stand before his father Solomon (while he was still living), and said, ‘Give me your advice. Tell me; what should I say to the people?’

7 And they told him, ‘If you wish to serve [as king] to these people today, do as they ask and they will always be your servants.’

8 However, he chose not to listen to the advice that the elders had given him, and he took the advice of some young men who he was raised with, and who he had selected as his advisors. 9 For when he asked them, ‘What do you advise me to say to these people who came to me and told me to lighten the neck-yolk that my father put on them?,’ 10 the young men that had been brought up with him said, ‘Tell those people who said that your father had put a heavy yoke on them and that you should lighten it, My thinnest part is thicker than the hips of my father. 11 And although my father saddled you to a heavy yoke, I will add more weight to it. And although my father disciplined you with whips, I will discipline you with scorpions.’

12 So, when all Israel came before King RehoBoam on the third day (for the king of Israel told them ‘Return to me on the third day,’ 13 the king spoke harshly to them and chose not to follow the advice that the elders had given him. 14 Rather, he said what his young men told him to say: ‘My father oppressed you with a neck yolk, and I will add to it. And my father disciplined you with whips, so I will discipline you with scorpions.’

15 Well, the king just wouldn’t listen to the people, because Jehovah had moved his heart so that what He had said through the Prophet AhiJah the Selonite concerning JeroBoam (the son of Nabat) would come true.

16 Now, all Israel knew that the king wasn’t listening to them. So they replied to him: ‘What do we owe David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. O Israel, run to you tents… now! Let the house of David do its own grazing!’

And with that, all Israel returned to their tents, 17 and RehoBoam only ruled over the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18 For, when the king sent AdoniRam to collect the tribute, all Israel stoned him to death… and King RehoBoam had to get on his chariot and flee to Jerusalem. 19 So from that day on, Israel annulled its allegiance to the house of David.

20 And when [the people of] Israel heard that JeroBoam had returned from Egypt, they called him to come to a meeting and gave him the rulership over Israel. And after that, they never again followed the house of David… only the tribes of Judah and BenJamin did so.

21 Well, after RehoBoam got back to Jerusalem, he held a meeting with the gathering of Judah and the tribe of BenJamin – a hundred-and-twenty-thousand young warriors – to discuss going to war against the house of Israel, in order to return them to the kingdom of RehoBoam, the son of Solomon. 22 However, Jehovah sent word through His servant ShemaiJah, who was told, 23 ‘Speak to RehoBoam (the son of Solomon) the king of Judah, and to the house of Judah, BenJamin, and the rest of the people, and tell them that 24 this is what Jehovah says: You must not go to war against your brothers, the sons of Israel. Return to your homes, because I have caused this to happen.’

So, they paid attention to words of Jehovah, because they didn’t want to oppose what He said.

25 Thereafter, JeroBoam built Shechem in the hills of Ephraim and ruled from there, and then he built PenuEl. 26 Then JeroBoam said in his heart, ‘{Look!} I will [not] return the kingdom to the house of David. 27 And if these people go to offer sacrifices in the [Temple] of Jehovah in Jerusalem, they will soon turn their hearts toward Jehovah and to RehoBoam, the king of Judah. Then they’ll kill me.’

28 So the king held a meeting, and he had two gold heifers made. Then he said to the people: ‘I don’t want you going up to Jerusalem anymore. Look, here are your gods that led you out of the land of Egypt, O Israel!’

29 So, he put one [of the idols] in BethEl, and the other in Dan. 30 And because of this sin, the people started worshiping the one in that he put in Dan, and they no longer went to the Temple of Jehovah.

31 Then the king had temples made on hilltops, and he appointed priests from among all the people (who weren’t of the sons of Levi). 32 JeroBoam also turned the fifteenth day of the eighth month into a holiday (the same as in the land of Judah). Then he went to BethEl… he went up to the altar that he made there to sacrifice heifers; and there in BethEl, he assigned the priests of the high places that he had made.

33 It was on the fifteenth day of the eighth month (which was the holiday that he created in his own heart for the sons of Israel) that he went up to the altar that he made and offered sacrifices there.

Chapter 13

1 And {Look!} a man of God came to BethEl from Judah, with a message from Jehovah. He got up on the sacrificial altar there 2 and called out the words of Jehovah. He said: ‘O altar; O altar; this is what Jehovah has said: {Look!} A son has been born in the house of David, JosiAh is his name, and he will sacrifice the priests of the high places upon you – those who are offering sacrifices upon you – and he will burn their bones upon you.’

3 Then he performed a miracle. He said, ‘This is what Jehovah has said: {Look!} The altar has been ripped, and all the fat that was put on it is being spilled!’ 4 And when King JeroBoam heard what the man of God said upon the altar in BethEl, he reached toward the altar and shouted, ‘Seize him!’ But as he said that, the hand that he stuck out withered, and he wasn’t able to draw it back. 5 Then the altar miraculously cracked and spilled all the fat that had been placed there, just as the man of God told them that Jehovah had said.

6 Then King JeroBoam said to the man of God: ‘Go before the face of Jehovah your God and beg Him to return my hand to me!’

So the man of God [spoke to] the face of Jehovah, and the king’s hand returned to him and became as it was before. 7 Then the king said to the man of God: ‘Come with me to my palace and dine with me, and I’ll give you a gift.’

8 But the man of God said to the king, ‘Even if you were to give me half of everything that’s [in] your palace, I wouldn’t go with you. Nor would I eat food or drink water in this place. 9 For, this is what Jehovah told me: Don’t eat bread, don’t drink water, and don’t return by the same way you came.’

10 Then he left BethEl and turned toward home by another route.

11 Well, there was a prophet who lived in BethEl who was an older man. And when his sons came to him and told him everything that the man of God had done that day in BethEl, and of the words that he had spoken to the king, the face of their father changed. 12 And he asked them, ‘Which way did he go?’

So, his sons pointed out the way that the man of God was traveling toward Judah, 13 and he said to his sons, ‘Saddle my burro for me!’

14 So they saddled his burro and he mounted it, then he went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak tree. And he asked, ‘Are you the man of God who came from Judah?’

And he replied, ‘I am.’

15 And [the prophet] said, ‘Come with me and have something to eat.’

16 But [the man of God] replied, ‘There’s no way that I can come with you; nor may I eat bread or drink water in this place. 17 For, Jehovah told me, You must not eat any bread or drink any water there; and you must not return by the same way you came.’

18 However he replied, ‘But I’m a prophet like you, and a messenger [of God] told me these words from Jehovah… he said, Take him back to your house and give him some food and water!’ (However, he was lying).

19 So, [the man of God] went back with him and he ate bread and drank water there in [the prophet’s] house. 20 But as they were sitting down at the table, the word of Jehovah came to the prophet who did the inviting, 21 so he said to the man of God who had come from Judah, ‘This is what Jehovah has said: Because you disobeyed the instructions of Jehovah and you didn’t do as you were commanded by Jehovah your God 22 (by returning to eat bread and drink water in this place where He told you not to eat any bread or drink any water), there’s no way that your body will be buried with your ancestors.’

23 And that’s what happened. For, after he ate bread, drank water, and saddled his burro for the return, 24 he was found along the road, killed by a lion. His body was just lying there in the road with the burro standing next to it, and there was the lion nearby. 25 Well, when some men came along the road and found the body starting to decay, they pushed it off the road, and the lion returned to it.

Then they went back and reported the matter in the city where the elderly prophet lived. 26 And when the prophet heard what had happened to the man of God along the road, he said, ‘This is what happens to those who rebel against the word of Jehovah. For, it was Jehovah who sent the lion… it attacked him and killed him, just as Jehovah foretold.’

27 Then he spoke to his sons and said, ‘Saddle my burro for me!’

So they saddled it, 28 and he went and found the body that had been tossed alongside the road… and the burro… and there was the lion standing by the body. However, the lion hadn’t eaten the body of the man of God, nor had it attacked his burro. 29 So the prophet picked up the body, placed it on his burro, and carried it back to his city to bury him. 30 Then he put the body in his own tomb, and [the people] beat their chests over him, saying, ‘Woe, O brother!’

31 And after beating their chests over him, the prophet said to his sons, ‘When I die, I want you to bury me in this tomb where we’ve put this man of God. Put me next to his bones, so that my bones will be preserved along with his bones.