thee unto the king. Bath-sheba | the LORD; and, behold, he is by the therefore went unto king Solomon, altar. Then Solomon sent Benaish to speak unto him for Adonijah. the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall And the king rose up to meet her, upon him. And Benaiah came to the and bowed himself unto her, and sat tabernacle of the LORD, and said down on his throne, and caused a unto him, Thus saith the king, Come seat to be set for the king's mother; forth. And he said, Nay; but I will and she sat on his right hand. Then die here. And Benaiah brought the she said, I desire one small petition king word again, saying, Thus said of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. Joab, and thus he answered me. And And the king said unto her, Ask on, the king said unto him, Do as he hath my mother: for I will not say thee said, and fall upon him, and bury nay. And she said, Let Abishag the him; that thou mayest take away the Shunammite be given to Adonijah innocent blood, which Joab shed, thy brother to wife. And king So- from me, and from the house of my lomon answered and said unto his father. And the LORD shall retura mother, And why dost thou ask Abi- his blood upon his own head, who shag the Shunammite for Adonijah? fell upon two men more righteous ask for him the kingdom also; for he and better than he, and slew them is mine elder brother; even for him, with the sword, my father David and for Abiathar the priest, and for not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner Joab the son of Zeruiah. Then king the son of Ner, captain of the host Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, of Israel, and Amasa the son of God do so to me, and more also, if Jether, captain of the host of Ja Adonijah have not spoken this word dah. Their blood shall therefore reagainst his own life. Now therefore, turn upon the head of Joab, and as the LORD liveth, Which hath upon the head of his seed for ever: established me, and set me on the but upon David, and upon his seed, throne of David my father, and Who and upon his house, and upon his hath made me an house, as He pro- throne, shall there be peace for ever mised, Adonijah shall be put to death from the LORD. So Benaiah the son this day. And king Solomon sent of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon by the hand of Benaiah the son of him, and slew him and he was Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that buried in his own house in the wilhe died. And unto Abiathar the derness. And the king put Benaish priest said the king, Get thee to the son of Jehoiada in his room over Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for the host: and Zadok the priest did thou art worthy of death: but I will the king put in the room of Abianot at this time put thee to death, thar. And the king sent and called because thou barest the ark of the for Shimei, and said unto him, Build Lord GOD before David my father, thee an house in Jerusalem, and and because thou hast been afflicted dwell there, and go not forth thence in all wherein my father was afflict- any whither. For it shall be, that on ed. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar the day thou goest out, and passest from being priest unto the LORD; over the brook Kidron, thou shalt that he might fulfil the word of the know for certain that thou shalt LORD, which He spake concerning surely die: thy blood shall be upon the house of Eli in Shiloh. Then tid- thine own head. And Shimei said ings came to Joab: for Joab had turn- unto the king, The saying is good ed after Adonijah, though he turned as my lord the king hath said, s not after Absalom. And Joab fled will thy servant do. And Shima unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and dwelt in Jerusalem many days. And caught hold on the horns of the altar. it came to pass at the end of three And it was told king Solomon that years, that two of the servants of Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of Shimei ran away unto Achish son : of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad aay whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thon saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. A Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took ND Solomon made affinity with 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 the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before Thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee; and Thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, LORD my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; and king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. child: I know not how to go out or come in. And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the liv ing. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king. for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Lett be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And 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 judgment. of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him per mesh, and Elon-beth-hanan: the son tained Sochoh, and all the land of Hepher: the son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife: Baana the son of Ahilud; to princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest, Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Za-him pertained Taanach and Megid dok and Abiathar were the priests: do, and all Beth-shean, which is by and Azariah the son of Nathan was Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth over the officers: and Zabud the son shean to Abel-meholah, even unto of Nathan was principal officer, and the place that is beyond Jokneam: the king's friend: and Ahishar was the son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; over the household: and Adoniram to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Abda was over the tri- the son of Manasseh, which are m bute. And Solomon had twelve of Gilead; to him also pertained the ficers over all Israel, which provided region of Argob, which is in Bashan victuals for the king and his house- threescore great cities with walls hold each man his month in a year and brasen bars: Ahinadab the son made provision. And these are their of Iddo had Mahanaim: Ahimasz names: The son of Hur, in mount was in Naphtali; he also took BasEphraim: the son of Dekar, in Ma- math the daughter of Solomon to kaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-she-wife: Baanah the son of Hushai war in Asher and in Aloth: Jeho- | shaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar: Shimei the son of Élah, in Benjamin: Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only officer which 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. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of APRIL 29. horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing. Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge. And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom. Evening, 1 KINGS V. APRIL 29. ND Hiram king of Tyre sent | LORD spake unto David my father, A be had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David. And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto My name. Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among us any that can skill to hew timber like unto the Sido nians. And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be the LORD this day, Which hath given unto David a wise son over this great people. And Hiram | sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household. So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him and there was peace : AND it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. And for the house he made windows of narrow lights. And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about: the nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven 1 between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together. And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Le banon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains; beside the chief of Solomon's officers which were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work. And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and bewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house. cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house. And the house, when it was in building, was built of ston made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third. So he built the house, and finish ed it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar. And then he built chambers against al the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar. And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, Concern ing this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in My statutes, and execute My judgments, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I perform |