 CHAPTER I Now King David was old and stricken in years, and they covered him with clothes, but he couldn't keep warm. Therefore his servant said to him, Let there be sought for my Lord the King a young virgin, and let her stand before the King and cherish him, and let her lie in your bosom, that my Lord the King may keep warm. So they sought for a beautiful young lady throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag the Shonemite, and brought her to the King. The young lady was very beautiful, and she cherished the King, and ministered to him. But the King didn't know her intimately. Then Adonijah the son of Haggath exalted himself, saying, I will be King. Then he prepared him chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him. His father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why have you done so? And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom. He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruia, and with Ubiathar the priest. And they following Adonijah helped him. But Zadok the priest, and Benayah the son of Jehoida, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. Adonijah killed sheep and cattle and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is Beside and Rogel. And he called all his brothers the King's sons, and all the men of Judah the King's servants. But Nathan the prophet, and Benayah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he didn't call. Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Haven't you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggath reigns, and David our Lord doesn't know it? Now therefore come, please let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Go into King David and tell him, Didn't you, my Lord King, swear to your handmade saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne. Why then does Adonijah reign? Behold, while you yet talk there with the King, I also will come in after you, and confirm your words. Bathsheba went into the King into the room. The King was very old, and Abishag the Shinemite was ministering to the King. He bowed and showed respect to the King. The King said, What would you like? She said to him, My Lord, you swore by Yahweh your God to your handmade. Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne. Now behold, Adonijah reigns, and you, my Lord the King, don't know it. He has slain cattle and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the King, and a biathor, the priest, and Joab, the captain of the army, but he hasn't called Solomon your servant. You my Lord the King, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who shall sit on the throne of my Lord the King after him. As it will happen when my Lord the King shall sleep with his fathers, that I, and my son Solomon, shall be counted offenders. Behold, while she yet talked with the King, Nathan the Prophet came in. They told the King, saying, Behold, Nathan the Prophet. When he had come in before the King, he bowed himself before the King with his face to the ground. Nathan said, My Lord King, have you said? Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne. For he has gone down this day and has slain cattle and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the King's sons, and the captains of the army, and a biathor, the priest. Behold, they are eating and drinking before him and say, Long live King Adonijah! But he hasn't called me. Even me, your servant, and Zadok, the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoida, and your servant Solomon. Is this thing done by my Lord the King, and you haven't shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my Lord the King after him? Then King David answered, Call to me, Bethsheba. She came into the King's presence and stood before the King. The King swore and said, As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, most certainly as I swore to you by Yahweh, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place. Most certainly so will I do this day. Then Bethsheba bowed with her face to the earth and showed respect to the King and said, Let my Lord King David live forever. King David said, Call to me, Zadok, the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoida. They came before the King. The King said to them, Take with you the servants of your Lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule and bring him down to Gihan. Let Zadok, the priest, and Nathan the prophet anoint him there, King over Israel. Blow the trumpet and say, Long live King Solomon. Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be King in my place. I have appointed him to be Prince over Israel and over Judah. Benaiah the son of Jehoida answered the King and said, Amen. May Yahweh the God of my Lord the King say so. As Yahweh has been with my Lord the King, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my Lord King David. So Zadok, the priest, and Nathan the prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoida. And the charathites and the pelithites went down and caused Solomon to ride on King David's mule and brought him to Gihan. Zadok, the priest, took the horn of oil out of the tent and anointed Solomon. They blew the trumpet and all the people said, Long live King Solomon. All the people came up after him and the people piped with pipes and rejoiced with great joy so that the earth shook with their sound. Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet he said, Why is this noise of the city being in an uproar? While he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Ubiathar, the priest, came. And Adonijah said, Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news. Jonathan answered Adonijah. Most certainly our Lord King David has made Solomon King. The King has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoida, and the charathites and the pelithites and they have caused him to ride on the King's mule. Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him King in Gihan. They have come up from their rejoicing so that the city rang again. This is the noise that you have heard. Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. Moreover the King's servants came to bless our Lord King David saying, May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and make his throne greater than your throne. And the King bowed himself on the bed. Also thus said the King, Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, my eyes even seeing it. All the guests of Adonijah were afraid and rose up and each man went his way. Adonijah feared because of Solomon and he arose and went and caught hold on the horns of the altar. It was told Solomon saying, Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon for behold he has laid hold on the horns of the altar saying, Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the sword. Solomon said, If he shows himself a worthy man, not a hair of him shall fall to the earth. But if wickedness be found in him, he shall die. So King Solomon sent and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon and Solomon said to him, Go to your house. Chapter 2 Now the days of David drew near that he should die and he commanded Solomon his son saying, I am going the way of all the earth. You be strong therefore and show yourself a man and keep the instruction of Yahweh your God to walk in his ways to keep his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances and his testimonies according to that which is written in the law of Moses that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn yourself. That Yahweh may establish his word which he spoke concerning me saying, If your children take heed to their way to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you, he said, a man on the throne of Israel. Moreover, you know also what Joab, the son of Zoroiah, did to me. Even what he did to the two captains of the armies of Israel to Abner, the son of Nur and to Amesa, the son of Jethar whom he killed and shed the blood of war in peace to put the blood of war on his sash that was about his waist and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to your wisdom and don't let his gray head go down into sheol in peace. But show kindness to the sons of Barzalai, the Gileadite and let them be those who eat at your table for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom, your brother. Behold there is with you Shimei, the son of Jira, the Benjamite of Bihurim who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan and I swore to him by Yahweh saying, I will not put you to death with the sword. Now therefore don't hold him guiltless for you are a wise man and you will know what you ought to do to him and you shall bring his gray head down to sheol with blood. David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem. Solomon sat on the throne of David his father and his kingdom was firmly established. In Adonijah the son of Haggath came to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. She said, Do you come peaceably? He said, Peaceably? He said moreover, I have something to tell you. She said, Sayon? He said, You know that the kingdom was mine and that all Israel set their faces on me that I should reign. Here the kingdom is turned around and has become my brothers, for it was his from Yahweh. Now I ask one petition of you, don't deny me. She said to him, Sayon? He said, Please speak to Solomon the king for he will not tell you know that he give me Abishag, the Shonemite, as wife. Bathsheba said, All right. I will speak for you to the king. Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose up to meet her and bowed himself to her and sat down on his throne and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother and she sat on his right hand. Then she said, I ask one small petition of you, don't deny me. The king said to her, Ask on my mother, for I will not deny you. She said, Let Abishag the Shonemite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife. King Solomon answered his mother, Why do you ask Abishag the Shonemite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also for he is my elder brother, even for him and for Ubi Arthur, the priest, and for Joab, the son of Zeruaia. Then King Solomon swore by Yahweh saying, God do so to me and more also if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life. Now therefore as Yahweh lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and who has made me a house as he promised. Surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day. King Solomon sent by Benaiah the son of Johoedah, and he fell on him so that he died. To Ubi Arthur the priest, the king said, Go to Anatheth to your own fields for you are worthy of death, but I will not at this time put you to death because you bore the ark of the Lord Yahweh before David my father and because you were afflicted in all in which my father was afflicted. So Solomon thrust out Ubi Arthur from being priest to Yahweh, that he may fulfill the word of Yahweh, which he spoke concerning the house of Eli and Shiloh. The news came to Joab, for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he didn't turn after Absalom. Joab fled to the tent of Yahweh and caught hold on the horns of the altar. It was told King Solomon. Joab has fled to the tent of Yahweh and behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Johoedah, saying, Go, fall on him. Benaiah came to the tent of Yahweh and said to him, Thus says the king, Come forth. He said, No, but I will die here. Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. The king said to him, Do as he has said and fall on him and bury him, that you may take away the blood which Joab shed without cause from me and from my father's house. Yahweh will return his blood on his own head because he fell on two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, and my father David didn't know it. Abner, the son of Nour, captain of the army of Israel, and Amesa, the son of Jethar, captain of the army of Judah. So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his seed forever, but to David and to his seed and to his house and to his throne. There shall be peace forever from Yahweh. Then Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went up and fell on him and killed him, and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. The king put Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, in his place over the army, and the king put Zedot, the priest, in the place of Biahthar. The king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and don't go out from there anywhere, for on the day you go out and pass over the brook, Kidrun, know for certain that you shall surely die. Your blood shall be on your own head. Shimei said to the king, The saying is good, as my lord the king has said, So will your servant do. Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days. It happened at the end of three years that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Akish, son of Mayaka, king of Gath. They told Shimei saying, Behold, your servants are in Gath. Shimei arose and saddled his donkey and went to Gath to Akish, to seek his servants, and Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. It was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come again. The king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, Didn't I adjure you by Yahweh and warn you, saying, Know for certain that on the day you go out and walk abroad anywhere, you shall surely die? You said to me, The saying that I have heard is good. Why then have you not kept the oath of Yahweh and the commandment that I have instructed you with? The king said moreover to Shimei, You know all the wickedness which your heart is privy to, that you did to David my father. Therefore Yahweh shall return your wickedness on your own head, but King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before Yahweh forever. So the king commanded Benayah, the son of Jehoida, and he went out and fell on him so that he died. The kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. CHAPTER III Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Yahweh, and the wall of Jerusalem all around. Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Yahweh until those days. Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father. Only he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burned offerings on that altar. In Gibeon Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, Ask what I shall give you. Solomon said, You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, according as he walked before you in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with you. You have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now Yahweh, my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father. I am but a little child. I don't know how to go out or come in. Your servant is in the midst of your people which you have chosen, a great people that can't be numbered nor counted from multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this, your great people? The speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing, God said to him. Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice. Behold, I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart, so that there has been none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like you. I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like you all your days. If you will walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. Solomon awoke and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of Covenant of Yahweh, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. The one woman said, oh my Lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. I delivered a child with her in the house. It happened the third day after I delivered that this woman delivered also. We were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, just us two in the house. This woman's child died in the night because she lay on it. She arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead. But when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I bore. The other woman said, no, but the living son is my son, and the dead is your son. This said, no, but the dead is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king. Then the king said, the one says, this is my son who lives, and your son is the dead. And the other says, no, but your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one. The king said, get me a sword. They brought a sword before the king. The king said, divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then the woman who's the living child was spoke to the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no way kill it. But the other said, it shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide it. Then the king answered, give her the living child, and in no way kill it. She is its mother. All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice. Chapter four. King Solomon was king over all Israel. These were the princes whom he had. Azariah, the son of Zadok, the priest. Elihorov, and Uhajah, the sons of Shai'sha, scribes. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, the recorder. Mbanaia, the son of Jehoida, was over the army. And Zadok and Ubaithur were priests. And Azariah, the son of Nathan, was over the officers. And Zabud, the son of Nathan, was chief minister, the king's friend. And Aishar was over the household. And Udoniram, the son of Abda, was over the men subject to forced labor. Solomon had 12 officers over all Israel, who provided food for the king and his household. Each man had to make provision for a month in the year. These are their names. Ben Her, in the hill country of Ephraim. Ben Dekker, in Makaz, and in Shaiobim, and Beth Shemesh, and Ilan Beth Anun. Ben Hesed, in Arubith, to Himbelongsoco, and all the land of Heifer. Ben Abinaded, in all the height of Dor, he had Tayfath, the daughter of Solomon's wife. Baena, the son of Hilud, in Teena and Megiddo. And all Beth Sheehan, which is beside Zarathen, Benidji's real, from Beth Sheehan to Abel Mehola. As far as beyond, joke meme. Ben Gibber, in Ramoth Gilead, to Himbelong the towns of Jair, the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead. To Himbelong the region of Argob, which is in Baishan, 60 great cities with walls and bronze bars. Ahinadab, the son of Edo, in Mahanahim. Wehemahaz, in Naftali. He also took Basimath, the daughter of Solomon's wife. Baena, the son of Hushai, in Asher and Bailoth. Jehoshaphat, the son of Perua, in Izucar. Shimei, the son of Ila, in Benjamin. Gibber, the son of Yuri, in the land of Gilead. The country of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and of Ag, king of Baishan. And he was the only officer who was in the land. Judah and Israel were many as the sand, which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. Solomon ruled over all of the kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life. Solomon's provision for one day was 30 measures of fine flour and 60 measures of meal, 10 head of fat cattle and 20 head of cattle out of the pastures, and 100 sheep besides hearts in gazelles and robux and fattened fowl. For he had dominion over all on this side, the river, from Tifsa, even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side of the river. And he had peace on all sides around him. Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Bershiba, all the days of Solomon. Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots and 12,000 horsemen. Those officers provided food for King Solomon, and for all who came to King Solomon's table, every man in his month. They let nothing be lacking. Barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds brought they to the place where the officers were, every man, according to his duty. God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and very great understanding, even as the sand that is on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan, the Israel, and Heman, and Hegel, and Darda, the sons of Mahal. And his fame was in all the nations all around. He spoke 3,000 proverbs and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees from the cedar that is in Lebanon, even to the hysop that springs out of the wall. He spoke also of animals and of birds and of creeping things and of fish. There came up all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon from all kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom. Chapter five, Hiram, King of Tyra, sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father, for Hiram was ever a lover of David. Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, you know how that David, my father, could not build a house for the name of Yahweh, his God, for the wars which were about him on every side until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet. But now Yahweh, my God, has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor evil occurrence. Behold, I purposed to build a house in the name of Yahweh, my God, as Yahweh spoke to David, my father, saying, your son whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name. Now therefore command that they cut me cedar trees out of Lebanon. My servants shall be with your servants, and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you shall say. For you know that there is not any among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sedonians. It happened when Hiram heard the words of Solomon that he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed is Yahweh this day who has given to David a wise son over this great people. Hiram sent to Solomon saying, I have heard the message which you have sent me. I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint me and will cause them to be broken up there, and you shall receive them. You shall accomplish my desire in giving food for my household. So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire. Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 measures of wheat for food to his household and 20 measures of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom as he promised him and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon and they too made a treaty together. King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel and the levy was 30,000 men. He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month by courses, a month they were in Lebanon and two months at home. And Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor. Solomon had 70,000 who bore burdens and 80,000 who were stone cutters in the mountains. Besides Solomon's chief officers who were over the work, 3,300 who bore rule over the people who labored in the work. The king commanded and they cut out great stones, costly stones to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone. Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Giebelites cut them and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house. Chapter six. It happened in the 480th year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt. In the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Yahweh. The house which King Solomon built for Yahweh, its length was 60 cubits and its breadth 20 and its height 30 cubits. The porch before the temple of the house, 20 cubits was its length according to the breadth of the house, 10 cubits was its breadth before the house. For the house he made windows of fixed lattice work, against the wall of the house he built stories all around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the oracle and he made side rooms all around. The Nethermost story was five cubits broad and the middle was six cubits broad and the third was seven cubits broad. For on the outside he made offsets on the wall of the house all around, that the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house. The house when it was in building was built of stone prepared at the quarry and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building. The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story and out of the middle into the third. So he built the house and finished it and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar. He built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high and they rested on the house with timber of cedar. The word of Yahweh came to Solomon saying, concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and execute my ordinances and keep all my commandments to walk in them, then I will establish my word with you which I spoke to David your father. I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel. So Solomon built the house and finished it. He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling. He covered them on the inside with wood and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fur. He built 20 cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling. He built them for it within for an oracle even for the most holy place. In front of the temple sanctuary was 40 cubits. There was cedar on the house within carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar, there was no stone seen. He prepared an oracle in the midst of the house within to set there the arc of the covenant of Yahweh. Within the oracle was 20 cubits in length and 20 cubits in breadth and 20 cubits in its height. And he overlaid it with pure gold and he covered the altar with cedar. So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold and he drew chains of gold across before the oracle and he overlaid it with gold. The whole house he overlaid with gold until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold. In the oracle he made two cherubim of olive wood each 10 cubits high. Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub and five cubits the other wing of the cherub. From the uttermost part of the one wing to the uttermost part of the other were 10 cubits. The other cherub was 10 cubits. Both the cherubim were of one measure and one form. The height of the one cherub was 10 cubits and so it was of the other cherub. He set the cherubim within the inner house and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth so that the wings of the one touched the one wall and the wings of the other cherub touched the other wall and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house. He overlaid the cherubim with gold. He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers inside and outside. The floor of the house he overlaid with gold inside and outside. For the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive wood. The lintel and doorposts were a fifth part of the wall. So he made two doors of olive wood and he carved on them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers and overlaid them with gold and he spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. So also made he for the entrance of the temple doorposts of olive wood out of a fourth part of the wall and two doors of fir wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding and the two leaves of the other door were folding. He carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work. He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone and a course of cedar beams. In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of Yahweh laid in the month Ziv. In the 11th year in the month Bool, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all its parts and according to all its fashion. So was he seven years in building it. End of chapters one through six, recording by Rhonda Federman. Chapter seven through 11 of the first book of Kings from the World English Bible. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Rhonda Federman. The first book of Kings from the World English Bible. Chapter seven through 11. Chapter seven. Solomon was building his own house 13 years and he finished all his house for he built the house of the forest of Lebanon. Its length was 100 qubits and its breadth 50 qubits and its height 30 qubits on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars. It was covered with cedar above over the 45 beams that were on the pillars, 15 in a row. There were beams in three rows and window was over against window in three ranks. All the doors and posts were made square with beams and window was over against window in three ranks. He made the porch of pillars, its length was 50 qubits and its breadth 30 qubits and a porch before them and pillars and a threshold before them. He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge even the porch of judgment and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. His house where he was to dwell, the other court within the porch was of like work. He made also a house for Pharaoh's daughter whom Solomon had taken as wife, like this porch. All these were of costly stones, even of cut stone according to measure, sawed with saws inside and outside, even from the foundation to the coping and so on the outside to the great court. The foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of 10 qubits and stones of eight qubits. Above were costly stones, even cut stone according to measure and cedar wood. The great court around had three courses of cut stone and a course of cedar beams, like as the inner court of the house of Yahweh and the porch of the house. King Solomon sent and fetched Hiram of Tyre. He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naftali and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill to work all works in brass. He came to King Solomon and performed all his work for he fashioned the two pillars of brass, 18 qubits high apiece and the line of 12 qubits encircled either of them about. He made two capitals of molten brass to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of the one capital was five qubits and the height of the other capital was five qubits. There were nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work for the capitals which were on top of the pillars, seven for the one capital and seven for the other. So he made the pillars and there were two rows around on the one network to cover the capitals that were on the top of the pillars and he did so for the other capital. The capitals that were on the top of the pillars and the porch were of lily work, four qubits. There were capitals above also on the two pillars close to the belly, which was beside the network and the pomegranates were 200 and rows around on the other capital. He set up the pillars at the porch of the temple and he set up the right pillar and called its name Jacob and he set up the left pillar and he called its name Boaz. On top of the pillars was lily work. So was the work of the pillars finished. He made the molten sea of 10 qubits from brim to brim, round encompass and its height was five qubits and a line of 30 qubits encircled it. Under its brim around there were buds which encircled it for 10 qubits encircling the sea. The buds were in two rows cast when it was cast. It stood on 12 oxen, three looking toward the north and three looking toward the west and three looking toward the south and three looking toward the east and the sea was set on them above and all their hinder parts were inward. It was a hand breath thick and its brim was worked like the brim of a cup like the flower of a lily. It held 2,000 baths. He made the 10 bases of brass. Four qubits was the length of one base and four qubits its breath and three qubits its height. The work of the bases was like this. They had panels and there were panels between the ledges and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen and cherubim. And on the ledges there was a pedestal above and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work. Every base had four bronze wheels and axles of brass and the four feet of it had supports. Beneath the basin were the supports molten with wreaths at the side of each. The mouth of it within the capital and above was a qubit and its mouth was round after the work of a pedestal a qubit and a half. And also on its mouth were engravings and their panels were four square not round. The four wheels were underneath the panels and the axles of the wheels were in the base and the height of the wheel was a qubit and half a qubit. The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel. Their axles and their rims and their spokes and their naves were all molten. There were four supports at the four corners of each base. Its supports were of the base itself. In the top of the base was there a round compass half a qubit high. And on the top of the base its stays and its panels were of the same. On the plates of its stays and on its panels he engraved cherubim, lions and palm trees according to the space of each with wreaths all around. In this way he made the 10 bases. All of them had one casting, one measure and one form. He made 10 basins of brass. One basin contained 40 baths and every basin was four qubits and on every one of the 10 bases, one basin. He set the bases five on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house. And he set the C on the right side of the house eastward toward the south. Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the basins. So Hiram made an end to doing all the work that he had worked for King Solomon in the house of Yahweh. The two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars and the 400 pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars and the 10 bases and the 10 basins on the bases and the one sea, and the twelve oxen under the sea, and the pots, and the shovels, and the basins—even all these vessels, which Hyrum made for King Solomon in the House of Yahweh, were of burnished brass. The King cast them in the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Sukkoth and Zarathann. Solomon left all the vessels unwaid, because they were exceeding many. The weight of the brass could not be found out. Solomon made all the vessels that were in the House of Yahweh, the golden altar, and the table whereupon the showbread was, of gold. And the lamp stands, five on the right side and five on the left, before the oracle of pure gold, and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs of gold, and the cups and the snuffers and the basins and the spoons and the firepans of pure gold, and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house of the temple of gold. Thus all the work that King Solomon worked in the House of Yahweh was finished. Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated, the silver and the gold, and the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the House of Yahweh. CHAPTER VIII. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the father's households of the children of Israel, to King Solomon and Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion. All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanum, which is the seventh month. All the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. They brought up the ark of Yahweh, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent. Even these the priests and the Levites brought up. King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above. The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the oracle, but they were not seen outside. And there they are to this day. There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horab, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. It came to pass when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Yahweh, so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud. For the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh. Then Solomon said, Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever. The king turned his face about and blessed the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel stood. He said, Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David your father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying, Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house that my name might be there, but I chose David to be over my people Israel. Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. But Yahweh said to David my father, Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son, who shall come forth out of your body, he shall build the house for my name. Yahweh has established his word that he spoke, for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. There I have set a place for the ark, which is the covenant of Yahweh, which he has made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. And he said, Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath. Who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart, who have kept with your servant David my father, that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day. Now therefore may Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father, that which you have promised him, saying, there shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel. If only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me. Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father. But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heavens of heavens can't contain you, how much less this house that I have built. Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and for his supplication. Yahweh, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer, which your servant prays before you this day, that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, my name shall be there. To listen to the prayer, which your servant shall pray toward this place. Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, here in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swear before your altar in this house, then here in heaven and do, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness. When your people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you, if they turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray, and make supplication to you in this house, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers. When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and send rain on your land, which you have given your people for an inheritance. If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight, mildew, locust, or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in a land of their cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hand toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know, for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men, that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers. Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for your name's sake, for they shall hear of your great name, and of your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm, when he shall come and pray toward this house, hear in heaven your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for, that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, to fear you as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name. If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name, then hear in heaven their prayer, and their supplication, and maintain their cause. If they have sinned against you, for there is no man who doesn't sin. And you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near. Yet if they shall repent in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive, saying we have sinned, and we have done perversely, we have dealt wickedly, if they return to you with all their heart, and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name, then hear their prayer, and their supplication in heaven your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them, for they are your people and your inheritance which you brought out of Egypt from the midst of the furnace of iron, that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to you, for you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your inheritance, as you spoke by Moses your servant when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh. It was so that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to Yahweh, he arose from before the altar of Yahweh from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven. He stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice saying, Blessed be Yahweh who has given rest to his people Israel according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by Moses his servant. May Yahweh our God be with us as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us nor forsake us that he may incline our hearts to him to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances which he commanded our fathers. Let these my words with which I have made supplication before Yahweh be near to Yahweh our God day and night that he may maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel as every day shall require that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh he is God there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with Yahweh our God to walk in his statutes and to keep his commandments as at this day. The king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before Yahweh Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings which he offered to Yahweh two and twenty thousand head of cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep so the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of Yahweh the same day the king made the middle of the court holy that was before the house of Yahweh for there he offered the burnt offering and the meal offering and the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar that was before Yahweh was too little to receive the burnt offering and the meal offering and the fat of the peace offerings so Solomon held the feast at that time and all Israel with him a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt before Yahweh our God seven days and seven days even fourteen days on the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king and they went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people chapter nine it happened when Solomon had finished the building of the house of Yahweh and the king's house and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do that Yahweh appeared to Solomon the second time as he had appeared to him at Gideon Yahweh said to him I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before me I have made this house holy which you have built to put my name there forever and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually as for you if you will walk before me as David your father walked an integrity of heart and an uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded you and will keep my statutes and my ordinances then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever according as I promised to David your father saying there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel but if you turn away from following me you or your children and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have said before you but shall go and serve other gods and worship them then I will cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them and this house which I have made holy for my name will I cast out of my sight and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all peoples though this house is so high yet shall everyone who passes it by be astonished and shall hiss and they shall say why has Yahweh done thus to this land and to this house and they shall answer because they forsook Yahweh their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and laid hold of other gods and worship them and serve them therefore Yahweh has brought all this evil on them it happened at the end of 20 years in which Solomon had built the two houses the house of Yahweh and the king's house now Hyrum the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees and with gold according to all his desire that then King Solomon gave Hyrum 20 cities in the land of Galilee Hyrum came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him and they didn't please him he said what cities are these which you have given me my brother he called them the land of Kabul to this day Hyrum sent to the king 120 talents of gold this is the reason of the levy which King Solomon raised to build the house of Yahweh and his own house and Milo and the wall of Jerusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Geyser Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Geyser and burnt it with fire and slain the Canaanites who lived in the city and given it for a portion to his daughter Solomon's wife Solomon built Geyser and Beth Horan the lower and Baeloth and Tamer in the wilderness in the land and all the storage cities that Solomon had and the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion as for all of the people who were left of the Amorites, Hidites, Peresites, the Hivites and the Jebusites who were not of the children of Israel their children who were left after them in the land whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy of them Solomon raised a levy of bond servants to this day but of the children of Israel Solomon made no bond servants but they were the men of war and his servants and his princes and his captains and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen these were the chief officers who were over Solomon's work 550 who bore rule over the people who labored in the work but Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the city of David to her house which Solomon had built for her then he built Milo Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to Yahweh three times a year burning incense with them on the altar that was before Yahweh so he finished the house King Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezeon Gubur which is beside Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Eden Hiram sent in the navy his servants sailors who had knowledge of the sea with the servants of Solomon they came to Ofer and fetched from their gold 420 talents and brought it to King Solomon Chapter 10 when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of Yahweh she came to prove him with hard questions she came to Jerusalem with a very great train with camels that bore spices and very much gold and precious stones and when she had come to Solomon she talked with him of all that was in her heart Solomon told her all her questions there was not anything hidden from the king which he didn't tell her when the Queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built and the food of his table and the sitting of his servants and the attendance of his ministers and their clothing and his cup bearers and his assent by which he went up to the house of Yahweh there was no more spirit in her she said to the king it was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom however I didn't believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it behold the half was not told me your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard happy are your men happy are these your servants who stand continually before you who hear your wisdom blessed is Yahweh your God who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel because Yahweh loved Israel forever therefore made he you king to do justice and righteousness she gave the king 120 talents of gold and of spices very great store and precious stones there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon the navy also of Hyrum that brought gold from Ophir brought in from Ophir great plenty of almoog trees and precious stones the king made of the almoog trees pillars for the house of Yahweh and for the king's house harps also and stringed instruments for the singers there came no such almoog trees nor were seen to this day King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire whatever she asked besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty so she turned and went to her own land she and her servants now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold besides that which the traders brought and the traffic of the merchants and of all the kings of the mixed people and of the governors of the country King Solomon made 200 bucklers of beaten gold 600 shekels of gold went to one buckler he made 300 shields of beaten gold three minas of gold went to one shield and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold there were six steps to the throne and the top of the throne was round behind and there was stays on either side of the place of the seat and two lions standing beside the stays twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps there was nothing like it made in any kingdom all king Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold none were of silver it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon for the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram once in every three years came the navy of Tarshish bringing gold and silver ivory and apes and peacocks so king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which god had put in his heart they brought every man his tribute vessels of silver and vessels of gold and clothing and armor and spices horses and mules a rate year by year Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones and cedars he made to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland for abundance the horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt and the king's merchants received them in droves and each drove at a price a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for one hundred fifty and so for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria they brought them out by their means chapter 11 now king Solomon loved many foreign women together with the daughter of Pharaoh women of the Moabites Amonites Edomites Sedonians and Hittites of the nations concerning which Yahweh said to the children of Israel you shall not go among them neither shall they come among you for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods Solomon joined to these in love he had seven hundred wives princesses and three hundred concubines and his wives turned away his heart for it happened when Solomon was old that his wives turned away his heart after other gods and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his god as was the heart of David his father for Solomon went after Ashtaroth the goddess of the Sedonians and after Milcombe the abomination of the Amonites Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh and didn't go fully after Yahweh as did David his father then Solomon built a high place for Kimash the abomination of Moab on the mountain that is before Jerusalem and for Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon so he did for all his foreign wives who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods Yahweh was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from Yahweh the god of Israel who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing that he should not go after other gods but he didn't keep that which Yahweh commanded therefore Yahweh said to Solomon because this is done by you and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded you I will surely tear the kingdom from you and I will give it to your servant notwithstanding I will not do it in your days for David your father's sake but I will tear it out of the hand of your son however I will not tear away all a kingdom but I will give one tribe to your son for David my servant's sake and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen Yahweh raised up an adversary to Solomon hey dad the Edomite he was of the king's seed in Edom for it happened when David was in Edom and Joab the captain of the army was gone up to bury the slain and had struck every male in Edom for Joab and all Israel remained there six months until he had cut off every male in Edom that hey dad fled he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him to go into Egypt hey dad being yet a little child they arose out of Midian and came to Peron and they took men with them out of Peron and they came to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt who gave him a house and appointed him food and gave him land hey dad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife the sister of Taipanese the queen the sister of Taipanese bore him Gunubath his son who Taipanese weaned in Pharaoh's house and Gunubath was in Pharaoh's house among the sons of Pharaoh when hey dad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the captain of the army was dead hey dad said to Pharaoh let me depart that I may go to my own country then Pharaoh said to him but what have you lacked with me that behold you seek to go to your own country he answered nothing however only let me depart God raised up an adversary to him reason the son of Iliadah who fled from his lord Hadadizr king of Zoba he gathered men to him and became captain over a troop when David killed them of Zoba and they went to Damascus and lived therein and reigned in Damascus he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon besides the mischief of hey dad and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria Jeroboam the son of Nibbat an Ephraimite of Zeridah a servant of Solomon whose mother's name was Zuruah a widow he also lifted up his hand against the king this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king Solomon built Milo and repaired the breach of the city of David his father the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious and he put him in charge of all the labor of the house of Joseph it happened at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem that the prophet Ahesha the Shilonite found him in the way now Ahesha had clad himself with a new garment and they too were alone in the field Ahesha laid hold of the new garment that was on him and tore it in twelve pieces he said to Jeroboam take ten pieces for thus says Yahweh the god of Israel behold I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you but he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake and for Jerusalem's sake the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel because they have forsaken me and have worship Asteroth the goddess of the Sidonians Kimash the god of Moab and Milcom the god of the children of Amon they have not walked in my ways to do that which is right in my eyes and to keep my statutes and my ordinances as David his father did however I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake whom I chose who kept my commandments and my statutes but I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it to you even ten tribes to his son will I give one tribe that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem the city which I have chosen me to put my name there I will take you and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires and shall be king over Israel it shall be if you will listen to all that I command you and will walk in my ways and do that which is right in my eyes to keep my statutes and my commandments as David my servant did that I will be with you and will build you a sure house as I built for David and will give Israel to you I will for this afflict the seed of David but not forever Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam but Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt to Shishak king of Egypt and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon now the rest of the acts of Solomon and all that he did and his wisdom aren't they written in the book of the acts of Solomon the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was 40 years Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place end of chapters 7 through 11 recording by Rhonda Fetterman chapters 12 through 16 of the first book of kings from the world english bible this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Shirley Ellen first book of kings from the world english bible chapters 12 through 16 chapter 12 Rehoboam went to Shechem for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king it happened when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it for he was yet in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and Jeroboam lived in Egypt and they sent and called him that Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam saying your father made our yoke grievous now therefore make you the grievous service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us lighter and we will serve you he said to them depart for three days then come back to me the people departed King Rehoboam took counsel with the old man who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived saying what counsel do you give me to return answer to this people they spoke to him saying if you will be a servant to this people this day and will serve them and answer them and speak good words to them then they will be your servants forever but he forsook the counsel of the old man which they had given him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him who stood before him he said to them what counsel do you give that we may return answer to this people who have spoken to me saying make the yoke that your father put upon us lighter the young man who had grown up with him spoke to him saying thus you shall tell this people who spoke to you saying your father made our yoke heavy but make it lighter to us you shall say to them my little finger is thicker than my father's waist now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke I will add to your yoke my father chastised you with whips but I will chastise you with scorpions so Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day as the king asked saying come to me again the third day the king answered the people roughly and forsook the counsel of the old man which they had given him and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men saying my father made your yoke heavy but I will add to your yoke my father chastised you with whips but I will chastise you with scorpions so the king didn't listen to the people for it was a thing brought about of Yahweh that he might establish his word which Yahweh spoke by Ahidja the Shylonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat when all Israel saw that the king didn't listen to them the people answered the king by saying what portion have we in David neither do we have an inheritance from the son of Jesse to your tents Israel now see to your own house David so Israel departed to their tents but as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah Rehoboam reigned over them then King Rehoboam sent Adoram who was over the man subject to forced labor and all Israel stoned him to death with stones King Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot to flee to Jerusalem so Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day it happened when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was returned that they sent and called him to the congregation and made him king over all Israel there was none who followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin 180,000 chosen men who were warriors to fight against the house of Israel to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon but the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God saying speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people saying thus says Yahweh you shall not go up nor fight against your brothers the children of Israel everyone returned to his house for this thing is of me so they listened to the word of Yahweh and returned and went their way according to the word of Yahweh then Jeroboam built Sheikham in the hill country of Ephraim and lived in it and he went out from there and built penual Jeroboam said in his heart now the kingdom will return to the house of David if this people goes up to offer sacrifices in the house of Yahweh at Jerusalem then the heart of this people will turn again to their Lord even to Rehoboam king of Judah and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah whereupon the king took counsel and made two calves of gold and he said to them it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem look and see your gods Israel which brought you up out of the land of Egypt he set the one in Bethel and the other he put in Dan this thing became a sin for the people went to worship before the one even to Dan he made houses of high places and made priests from among all the people who were not the sons of Levi Jeroboam ordained a feast in the 8th month on the 15th day of the month like the feast that is in Judah and he went up to the altar he did so in Bethel sacrificing to the calves that he had made and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the 15th day in the 8th month even in the month which he had devised of his own heart and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense Chapter 13 Behold there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of Yahweh to Bethel and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense he cried against the altar by the word of Yahweh and said altar, altar, thus says Yahweh behold a son shall be born to the house of David Josiah by name on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you and they will burn man's bones on you he gave a sign the same day saying this is a sign which Yahweh has spoken behold the altar will be split apart and the ashes that are on it will be poured out it happened when the king heard the saying of the man of God which he cried against the altar at Bethel that Jeroboam put out his hand from the altar saying seize him his hand which he put out against him dried up so that he could not draw it back again to himself the altar also was split apart and the ashes poured out from the altar according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of Yahweh the king answered the man of God now entreat the favor of Yahweh your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored me again the man of God entreated Yahweh and the king's hand was restored him again and became as it was before the king said to the man of God come home with me and refresh yourself and I will give you a reward the man of God said to the king even if you gave me half your house I would not go in with you neither would I eat bread nor drink water in this place for so it was commanded me by the word of Yahweh saying you shall eat no bread nor drink water neither return by the way that you came so he went another way and didn't return by the way that he came to Bethel now there lived an old prophet in Bethel and one of his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king their father said to them which way did he go now his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah he said to his sons saddle the donkey for me so they saddled the donkey for him and he wrote on it he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak he said to him are you the man of God who came from Judah he said I am then he said to him come home with me and eat bread he said I may not return with you nor go in with you neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place for it was said to me by the word of Yahweh you shall eat no bread nor drink water there nor turn again to go by the way that you came he said to him I also am a prophet as you are and an angel spoke to me by the word of Yahweh saying bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water he lied to him so he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water it happened as they sat at the table that the word of Yahweh came to the prophet who brought him back and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah saying thus says Yahweh because you have been disobedient to the mouth of Yahweh and have not kept the commandment which Yahweh your God commanded you but came back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you eat no bread and drink no water your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers it happened after he'd eaten the bread and after he had drunk that he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back when he had gone a lion met him by the way and killed him his body was cast in the way and the donkey stood by it the lion also stood by the body behold men passed by and saw the body cast in the way and the lion standing by the body and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard of it he said it is the man of God who was disobedient to the mouth of Yahweh therefore Yahweh has delivered him to the lion which has mauled him and slain him according to the word of Yahweh which he spoke to him he spoke to his son saying saddle the donkey for me they saddled it he went and found his body cast in the way and the donkey and the lion standing by the body the lion had not eaten the body nor mauled the donkey the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back he came to the city of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him he laid his body in his own grave and they mourned over him saying alas my brother it happened after he had buried him that he spoke to his son saying when I am dead then bury me in the tomb in which the man of God is buried lay my bones beside his bones for the saying which he cried by the word of Yahweh against the altar and Bethel and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria will surely happen after this thing Jeroboam didn't return from his evil way but again made priests of the high places from among all the people whoever wanted to he consecrated him that there might be priests of the high places this thing became sinned the house of Jeroboam even to cut it off and to destroy it from off the surface of the earth chapter 14 at that time Abidjah the son of Jeroboam fell sick Jeroboam said to his wife please get up and disguise yourself that you won't be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam go to Shiloh behold there is Ahidjah the prophet who spoke concerning me that I should be king over this people take with you 10 loaves and cakes and a jar of honey and go to him he will tell you what will become of the child Jeroboam's wife did so and arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahidjah now Ahidjah could not see for his eyes were set by reason of his age Yahweh said to Ahidjah behold the wife of Jeroboam comes to inquire of you concerning her son for he is sick thus and thus you shall tell her for it will be when she comes in that she will pretend to be another woman it was so when Ahidjah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door that he said come in you wife of Jeroboam why do you pretend to be another for I am sent to you with heavy news go tell Jeroboam thus says Yahweh the god of Israel because I exalted you from among the people and made you prince over my people Israel and toward the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you and yet you have not been as my servant David who kept my commandments and who followed me with all his heart to do only which was right in my eyes but have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made you other gods and molten images to provoke me to anger and have cast me behind your back therefore behold I will bring evil on the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam everyone who urinates on a wall he who is shut up and he who is left at large in Israel and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam as a man sweeps away dung until it is all gone he who dies of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat and he who dies in the fields shall the birds of the sky eat for Yahweh has spoken it arise therefore and go to your house when your feet enter into the city the child shall die all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave because in him there is found some good thing towards Yahweh the god of Israel in the house of Jeroboam moreover Yahweh will raise him up a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam this is the day what even now for Yahweh will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers and will scatter them beyond the river because they have made their ashram provoking Yahweh to anger he will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam which he has sinned and with which he has made Israel to sin Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah as she came to the threshold of the house the child died all Israel buried him and mourned for him according to the words of Yahweh which he spoke by his servant Aija the prophet the rest of the acts of Jeroboam how he ward and how he reigned behold they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years and he slept with his fathers and Nadab his son reigned in his place Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah Rehoboam was 41 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem the city which Yahweh had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there and his mother's name was Nama the Ammonitus Judah did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed above all that their fathers had done for they also built them high places and pillars and ashram on every high hill and under every green tree and there were also sodomites in the land they did according to all the abominations of the nations which Yahweh drove out before the children of Israel it happened in the fifth year of Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and he took away the treasures of the house of Yahweh and the treasures of the king's house he even took away all and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made king Rehoboam made in their place shields of brass and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard who kept the door of the king's house it was so that as often as the king went into the house of Yahweh the guard bore them and brought them back into the guard room now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam and all that he did aren't they written in the books of the chronicles of the kings of Judah there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David and his mother's name was Nehma the Amonitus Abijam his son reigned in his place chapter 15 now in the 18th year of King Jeroboam the son of Nebat began Abijam to reign over Judah he reigned three years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Makkah the daughter of Abijam he walked in all the sins of his father which he had done before him and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his god as the heart of David his father nevertheless for David's sake Yahweh his god gave him a lamp in Jerusalem to set up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem because David did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh and didn't turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite now there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life the rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam Abijam slept with his fathers and they buried him in the city of David and Asa his son reigned in his place in the 20th year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Asa to reign over Judah he reigned 41 years in Jerusalem and his mother's name was Makkah the daughter of Abishalom Asa did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh as did David his father he put away the sodomites out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made also Makkah his mother he removed from being queen because she had made an abominable image for Asherah and Asa cut down her image and burnt it at the brook Kidron but the high places were not taken away nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with Yahweh all his days he brought into the house of Yahweh the things that his father had dedicated and the things that he himself had dedicated silver and gold and vessels there was war between Asa and Basha king of Israel all their days Basha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Rama that he might not allow anyone to go out or come into Asa king of Judah then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of Yahweh and the treasures of the king's house and delivered them into the hand of his servants and Asa sent them to Ben Haddad the son of Tabromon the son of Hezian king of Syria who lived at Damascus saying there is a treaty between me and you between my father and your father behold I have sent to you a present of silver and gold go break your treaty with Basha king of Israel that he made part for me Ben Haddad listened to king Asa and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel and strike Aishan and Dan and Abel Beth Maka and all the Kenroth with all the land of Neftali it happened when Basha heard of it that he left off building Rama and lived in Tirzah then king Asa made a proclamation to all Judah none was exempted and they carried away the stones of Rama and its timber with which Basha had built and king Asa built therewith Giba of Benjamin and Mizpa now the rest of all the acts of Asa and all his might and all that he did on the cities which he built aren't they written in the books of the chronicles of the kings of Judah but in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet Asa slept with his father's and was buried with his father's in the city of David his father and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah and he reigned over Israel two years he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh and walked in the way of his father and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin Basha the son of Ija of the house of Isaacar conspired against him and Basha struck him at Gibbuthan which belonged to the Philistines for Nadab and all Israel were laying siege to Gibbuthan even in the third year of Asa king of Judah Basha killed him and reigned in his place it happened that as soon as he was king he struck all the house of Jeroboam he didn't leave to Jeroboam any who breathed until he had destroyed him according to the saying of Yahweh which he spoke by his servant Ahijad the Shialenate for the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned and with which he made Israel to sin because of his provocation with which he provoked Yahweh the god of Israel to anger now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did aren't they written in the book of Chronicles of the kings of Israel there was war between Asa and Basha king of Israel all their days in the third year of Asa king of Judah Basha the son of Ija began to reign over all Israel and Teerza for 24 years he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin chapter 16 the word of Yahweh came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Basha saying because I exalted you out of the dust and made you prints over my people Israel and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam and have made my people Israel to sin to provoke me to anger with their sins behold I will utterly sweep away Basha and his house and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat the dogs will eat Basha's descendants who die in the city and he who dies of his in the field the birds of the sky will eat now the rest of the acts of Basha and what he did and his might aren't they written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel Basha slept with his father's and was buried in Teerza and Eli his son reigned in his place moreover by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of Yahweh against Basha and against his house both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of Yahweh to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands in being like the house of Jeroboam and because he struck him in the 26th year of Asa king of Judah Eli the son of Basha began to reign over Israel in Teerza for two years his servant Zimri captain of half his chariots conspired against him now he was in Teerza drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza who was over the household in Teerza and Zimri went in and struck him and killed him in the 27th year of Asa king of Judah and reigned in his place it happened when he began to reign as soon as he sat on his throne that he struck all the house of Basha he didn't leave him a single one who urinates on a wall neither of his relatives nor of his friends thus Zimri destroyed all the house of Basha according to the word of Yahweh which he spoke against Basha by Jehu the prophet for all the sins of Basha and the sins of Ella the son which they sinned and with which they made Israel to sin to provoke Yahweh the god of Israel to anger with their vanities now the rest of the acts of Eli and all that he did aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel in the 27th year of Asa king of Judah Zimri reigned seven days in Teerza now the people were encamped against Gibbathon which belong to the Philistines the people who were encamped heard say Zimri has conspired and has also struck the king therefore all Israel made Omri the captain of the army king over Israel that day in the camp Omri went up from Gibbathon and all Israel with him and they besieged Teerza it happened when Zimri saw that the city was taken that he went into the castle of the king's house and burnt the king's house over him with fire and died for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh in walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did to make Israel to sin now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he committed aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel then where the people of Israel divided into two parts half of the people followed tibny the son of Genneth to make him king and half followed Omri but the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed tibny the son of Genneth so tibny died and Omri reigned in the 31st year of Asa king of Judah Omri began to reign over Israel for 12 years he reigned six years in Teerza he bought the hill Samaria of Shimmer for two talents of silver and he built on the hill and called the name of the city which he built after the name of Shimmer the owner of the hill Samaria Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh and dealt wickedly above all who were before him for he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sins with which he made Israel to sin to provoke Yahweh the god of Israel to anger with their vanities now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did and his might that he showed aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel so Omri slept with his fathers and was buried in Samaria and Ahab his son reigned in his place in the 38th year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria 22 years Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh above all that were before him it happened as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbal king of the Sedonians and went and served ball and worshiped him he reared up an altar for ball in the house of ball which he had built in Samaria Ahab made the Asherah and Ahab did yet more to provoke Yahweh the god of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him in his days heal the Bethelite built Jericho he laid its foundation with the loss of Abraham his firstborn and set up its gates with the loss of his youngest son Segeb according to the word of Yahweh which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun end of chapters 12 through 16