Solomon's Further Activities

81 And it cometh to pass, at the end of twenty years, that Solomon hath built the house of Jehovah, and his own house. 2 As to the cities that Huram hath given to Solomon, Solomon hath built them, and there he causeth the sons of Israel to dwell. 3 And Solomon goeth to Hamath-Zobah, and layeth hold upon it; 4 and he buildeth Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the cities of store that he hath built in Hamath. 5 And he buildeth Beth-Horon the upper, and Beth-Horon the lower—cities of defence, with walls, two-leaved doors, and bar— 6 and Baalath, and all the cities of store that Solomon had, and all the cities of the chariot, and the cities of the horsemen, and all the desire of Solomon that he desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 7 All the people who are left of the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, who are not of Israel— 8 of their sons who have been left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel consumed not—doth Solomon lift up a tribute unto this day. 9 And none of the sons of Israel hath Solomon made servants for his work, but they 'are' men of war, and heads of his captains, and heads of his charioteers, and of his horsemen; 10 and these 'are' heads of the officers whom king Solomon hath, two hundred and fifty who are rulers among the people. 11 And the daughter of Pharaoh hath Solomon brought up from the city of David to the house that he built for her, for he said, 'My wife doth not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, for they are holy unto whom hath come the ark of Jehovah.'

12 Then hath Solomon caused to ascend burnt-offerings to Jehovah on the altar of Jehovah that he built before the porch, 13 even by the matter of a day in its day, to cause to ascend according to the command of Moses, on sabbaths, and on new moons, and on appointed seasons, three times in a year—in the feast of unleavened things, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths. 14 And he establisheth, according to the ordinance of David his father, the courses of the priests over their service, and of the Levites over their charges, to praise and to minister over-against the priests, according to the matter of a day in its day, and the gatekeepers in their courses at gate and gate, for so 'is' the command of David the man of God. 15 And they have not turned aside 'from' the command of the king concerning the priests and the Levites, in reference to any matter, and to the treasures. 16 And all the work of Solomon is prepared till the day of the foundation of the house of Jehovah, and till its completion; perfect is the house of Jehovah. 17 Then hath Solomon gone to Ezion-Geber, and unto Elath, on the border of the sea, in the land of Edom; 18 and Huram sendeth to him, by the hand of his servants, ships and servants knowing the sea, and they go with servants of Solomon to Ophir, and take thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and bring in unto king Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon

91 And the queen of Sheba hath heard of the fame of Solomon, and cometh in to try Solomon with acute sayings, to Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels bearing spices and gold in abundance, and precious stone; and she cometh in unto Solomon, and speaketh with him all that hath been with her heart, 2 and Solomon declareth to her all her matters, and there hath not been hid a thing from Solomon that he hath not declared to her. 3 And the queen of Sheba seeth the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he hath built, 4 and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the standing of his ministers, and their clothing, and his stewards, and their clothing, an his burnt-offering that he offered up in the house of Jehovah, and there hath not been any more spirit in her. 5 And she saith unto the king, 'True 'is' the word that I heard in my land concerning thy matters and concerning thy wisdom, 6 and I have given no credence to their words, till that I have come, and mine eyes see, and lo, there hath not been declared to me the half of the abundance of thy wisdom—thou hast added unto the report that I heard. 7 'O the happiness of thy men, and the happiness of thy servants—these—who are standing before thee continually, and hearing thy wisdom. 8 Let Jehovah thy God be blessed who hath delighted in thee, to put thee on His throne for king for Jehovah thy God; in the love of thy God to Israel, to establish it to the age, He hath put thee over them for king, to do judgment and righteousness.' 9 And she giveth to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stone; and there hath not been any such spice as the queen of Sheba hath given to king Solomon. 10 And also, servants of Huram, and servants of Solomon, who brought in gold from Ophir, have brought in algum-trees and precious stone. 11 And the king maketh the algum-trees staircases for the house of Jehovah, and for the house of the king, and harps and psalteries for singers; and there have been none seen like these before in the land of Judah. 12 And king Solomon hath given to the queen of Sheba all her desire that she asked, apart from that which she had brought unto the king, and she turneth and goeth to her land, she and her servants.

Solomon's Riches and Fame

13 And the weight of the gold that is coming to Solomon in one year is six hundred and sixty and six talents of gold, 14 apart from 'what' the tourists, and the merchants, are bringing in; and all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land, are bringing in gold and silver to Solomon. 15 And king Solomon maketh two hundred targets of alloyed gold, six hundred 'shekels' of alloyed gold he causeth to go up on the one target; 16 and three hundred shields of alloyed gold, three hundred 'shekels' of gold he causeth to go up on the one shield, and the king putteth them in the house of the forest of Lebanon. 17 And the king maketh a great throne of ivory, and overlayeth it with pure gold; 18 and six steps 'are' to the throne, and a footstool of gold, to the throne they are fastened, and hands 'are' on this 'side' and on that on the place of the sitting, and two lions are standing near the hands, 19 and twelve lions are standing there on the six steps on this 'side', and on that: it hath not been made so for any kingdom. 20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon 'are' of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon 'are' of refined gold—silver is not reckoned in the days of Solomon for anything; 21 for ships of the king are going to Tarshish, with servants of Huram: once in three years come do the ships of Tarshish bearing gold, and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 22 And king Solomon becometh greater than any of the kings of the earth for riches and wisdom; 23 and all the kings of the earth are seeking the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom that God hath put in his heart, 24 and they are bringing in each his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year. 25 And there are to Solomon four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, and he placed them in cities of the chariot, and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 And he is ruling over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt. 27 And the king maketh the silver in Jerusalem as stones, and the cedars he hath made as sycamores, that 'are' in the low country, for abundance, 28 and they are bringing out horses from Egypt to Solomon, and from all the lands.

The Death of Solomon

29 And the rest of the matters of Solomon, the first and the last, are they not written beside the matters of Nathan the prophet, and beside the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and with the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat? 30 And Solomon reigneth in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years, 31 and Solomon lieth with his fathers, and they bury him in the city of David his father, and reign doth Rehoboam his son in his stead.

Israel's Revolt

101 And Rehoboam goeth to Shechem, for 'to' Shechem have all Israel come to cause him to reign. 2 And it cometh to pass, at Jeroboam son of Nebat's—who 'is' in Egypt because he hath fled from the face of Solomon the king—hearing, that Jeroboam turneth back out of Egypt; 3 and they send and call for him, and Jeroboam cometh in, and all Israel, and speak unto Rehoboam, saying, 4 'Thy father made our yoke sharp, and now, make light 'somewhat' of the sharp service of thy father, and of his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we serve thee.' 5 And he saith unto them, 'Yet three days—then return ye unto me;' and the people go. 6 And king Rehoboam consulteth with the aged men who have been standing before Solomon his father in his being alive, saying, 'How are ye counselling to answer this people?' 7 And they speak unto him, saying, 'If thou dost become good to this people, and hast been pleased with them, and spoken unto them good words, then they have been to thee servants all the days.' 8 And he forsaketh the counsel of the aged men that they counselled him, and consulteth with the lads who have grown up with him, those standing before him, 9 and he saith unto them, 'What are ye counselling, and we answer this people that have spoken unto me, saying, Make light 'somewhat' of the yoke that thy father put upon us?' 10 And the lads who have grown up with him, speak with him, saying, 'Thus dost thou say to the people who have spoken unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and thou, make light 'somewhat' of our yoke; thus dost thou say unto them, My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father; 11 and now, my father laid on you a heavy yoke, and I—I add unto your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, and I—with scorpions.'

12 And Jeroboam cometh in, and all the people, unto Rehoboam on the third day, as the king spake, saying, 'Return unto me on the third day.' 13 And the king answereth them sharply, and king Rehoboam forsaketh the counsel of the aged men, 14 and speaketh unto them according to the counsel of the lads, saying, 'My father made your yoke heavy, and I—I add unto it; my father chastised you with whips, and I—with scorpions.' 15 And the king hath not hearkened unto the people, for the revolution hath been from God, for the sake of Jehovah's establishing His word that He spake by the hand of Abijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam son of Nebat. 16 And all Israel have seen that the king hath not hearkened to them, and the people send back 'to' the king, saying, 'What portion have we in David? yea, there is no inheritance in a son of Jesse; each to thy tents, O Israel; now, see thy house—David,' and all Israel go to their tents. 17 As to the sons of Israel who are dwelling in the cities of Judah—Rehoboam reigneth over them. 18 And king Rehoboam sendeth Hadoram, who 'is' over the tribute, and the sons of Israel cast at him stones, and he dieth; and king Rehoboam hath strengthened himself to go up into a chariot to flee to Jerusalem; 19 and Israel transgress against the house of David unto this day.