Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, 6 Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast showed 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 7 his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know 8 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 9 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? 10, 11 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 4 to discern judgment; 12 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 13 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 5 shall not be any 14 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 15 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. 16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood 17 before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in 18 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 19 we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night; because she 20 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 21 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 22 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, 23 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 24 other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the 25 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 26 to the other. Then spake the woman, whose the living child was, unto the king, for her bowels 6 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, Let it be neither mine 27 nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living 28 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 7 in him, to do judgment. 4 SO king Solomon was king over all Israel. And these were the princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the 8 priest, Elihoreph and Ahiah, 3 the sons of Shisha, 9 scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the 10 recorder. 4 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and Abia5 thar were the priests: and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: 6 and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend: and Ahishar was over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the 11 tribute. 7 And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided victuals for 1 Or, bounty. 8 Heb. many days. 4 Heb. to hear. 5 Or, hath not been. 7 Heb. in the midst of 8 Or, the chief officer. 9 Or, secretaries. 10 Or, remembrancer. 11 Or, lery. the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision. 8,9 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: 2 the son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth10 hanan: the son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the 11 land of Hepher: 4 the son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had 12 Taphath the daughter of Solomon to wife: Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to Abel-meholah, even unto the place that is 13 beyond Jokneam: the son of Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and 14, 15 brasen bars: Ahinadab the son of Iddo had 6 Mahanaim: Ahimaaz was in 16 Naphtali; he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife: Baanah the 17 son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth: Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in 18, 19 Issachar: Shimei the son of Elah, 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. 20 Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, 21 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. 22 And Solomon's 7 provision for one day was thirty 8 measures of fine flour, 23 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 24 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 25 had peace on all sides round about him. And Judah and Israel dwelt 9 safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. 26 And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve 27 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 28 lacked nothing. Barley also and straw for the horses and 10 dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge. 29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and 30 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 31 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 32 all nations round about. And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs 33 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 34 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. 5 AND 1 Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram 2,3 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 4 LORD put them under the soles of his feet. But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. 5 And, behold, I 12 purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will 6 set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name. Now 1 Or, Ben-hur. 4 Or, Ben-abinadab. 7 Heb. bread. 2 Or, Ben-dekar. 5 Or, Ben-geber. 8 Heb. cors. 3 Or, Ben-hesed. 6 Or, to Mahanaim. 9 Heb. confidently. 10 Or, mules, or, swift beasts. 12 Heb. say. 7 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 Sidonians. 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 8 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 9 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 3 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. 13 10 So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire. 11 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 12 by year. And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together. And king Solomon raised a 5 levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty 14 thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Ado15 niram was over the levy. And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that 16 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 17 hundred, which ruled over the people that wrought in the work. And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to 18 lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the 6 stonesquarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house. 6 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 7 began to build the house of the LORD. 2 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 3 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 4 cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. And for the house he made 58 windows of narrow lights. And 9 against the wall of the house he built 10 chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the 6 temple and of the oracle: and he made 11 chambers round about: the nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made 12 narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls 7 of the house. And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer 8 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 13 side of the house and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle 9 into the third. So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house 10 14 with beams and boards of cedar. And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar. 11, 12 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, Concerning 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 13 perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father; and I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. 14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it. 15 And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house, and the walls of the ceiling: and he covered them on the 16 inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir. And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even 17 for the most holy place. And the house, that is, the temple before it, was 18 forty cubits long. And the cedar of the house within was carved with 2 knops 19 and 3 open flowers : all was cedar; there was no stone seen. And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the 20 LORD. And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it 21 with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar. So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he made a partition by the chains 22 of gold before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold. And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house: also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold. 23 And within the oracle he made two cherubim of 56 olive tree, each ten cubits 24 high. And 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 unto the uttermost 25 part of the other were ten cubits. And the other cherub was ten cubits: both 26 the cherubim were of one measure and one size. The height of the one cherub 27 was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub. And he set the cherubim within the inner house: and 7 they stretched forth the wings of the cherubim, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the 28 midst of the house. And he overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29 And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of 30 cherubim and palm trees and 8 open flowers, within and without. And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without. 31 And for the entering of the oracle he made doors of olive tree: the lintel and 32 side posts were 9 a fifth part of the wall. The 10 two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubim, and 33 upon the palm trees. So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive 34 tree, 12 a fourth part of the wall. And the two doors were of fir tree: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were 25 folding. And he carved thereon cherubim and palm trees and open flowers: 36 and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work. And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams. 37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the 38 month Zif: and in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished 13 throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it. 2 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty 3 cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars. And it was covered with cedar above upon the 14 beams, that lay on forty-five pillars, 4 fifteen in a row. And there were windows in three rows, and 15 light was against 5 light in three ranks. And all the 16 doors and posts were square, with the 6 windows: and light was against light in three ranks. And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was 17 before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were 718 before them. Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, 1 Or, from the floor of the house, unto the walls, &c., and so ver. 16. 2 Or, gourds. 3 Heb. openings of flowers. 4 Heb shut up. 5 Or, oily. 6 Heb. trees of oil. 7 Or, the cherubim stretched 8 Heb. openings of flowers. 13 Or, with all the appurte nances thereof, and with all the ordinances thereof. 14 Heb. ribs. 15 Heb. sight against sight. 16 Or, spaces and pillars were square in prospect. 17 Or, according to them. 18 Or, according to them. even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of 8 the floor to the other. And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. 9 Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch. All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, 10 and so on the outside toward the great court. And the foundation was of costly 11 stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits. And 12 above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars. And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house. 13, 14 15 And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre. He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work. For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did 16 compass either of them about. And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five 17 cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits: and nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of 18 the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter. And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the 19 other chapiter. And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of 20 lily work in the porch, four cubits. And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other 21 chapiter. And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left 22 pillar, and called the name thereof 6 Boaz. And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished. 23 And he made a molten sea, ten cubits 7 from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits and a line of thirty 24 cubits did compass it round about. And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the 25 knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast. It stood upon twelve 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 26 set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths. 27 And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and 28 four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it. And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were 29 between the ledges: and on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and 30 beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side 31 of every addition. And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, 32 foursquare, not round. And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was 33 a cubit and half a cubit. And the work of the wheels was like the work of a 1 Heb. from floor to floor. 2 2 Chron. iv. 11. Huram: see ver. 40, 5 That is, He shall establish. 6 That is, In it is strength. 7 Heb. from his brim to his brim. |