Now, wisdom and knowledge, give thou unto me, that I may go out before this people, and may come in, - for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

And God said unto Solomon, Because this was near thy heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, or the life of them that hate thee, nor even, many days, hast thou asked, - but hast asked for thyself, wisdom and knowledge, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king,

wisdom and knowledge, are granted unto thee, - moreover, riches and wealth and honour, will I give thee, such as the kings who were before thee did not possess, neither shall they who come after thee possess the like.

But who is able to build unto him a house? for, the heavens, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain him, - who then am, I, that I should build unto him a house, though only to burn incense before him?

Now, therefore, send me a wise man, to work in gold and in silver and in bronze and in iron, and in purple and crimson and blue, and skilful to execute gravings, - with the wise men who are with me, in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom my father David did provide.

And Huram said, Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth, - who hath given, unto David the king, a wise son, skilled in prudence and understanding, who will build a house for Yahweh, and a house for his kingdom.

So Solomon numbered all the men that were sojourners, who were in the land of Israel, after the numbering, wherewith David his father had numbered them, - and they were found to be - a hundred and fifty-three thousand and six hundred.

And, King Solomon, and all the assembly of Israel who assembled themselves unto him, before the ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor could they be counted, for multitude.

And it came to pass, when the priests, came forth, out of the holy place, - for, all the priests who were present, had hallowed themselves, they had no need to observe the courses;

and, the Levites who were the singers, even all of them pertaining to Asaph, to Heman, to Jeduthun, and to their sons and to their brethren, arrayed in white linen, with cymbals and with harps and lyres, stood eastward of the altar, - and, with them, priests to the number of a hundred-and-twenty, blowing with trumpets,

and he said, Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, who spake with his mouth, unto David my father,-and, with his hand, hath fulfilled, saying:

and said, O Yahweh! God of Israel, Not like unto thee, is there a god, in the heavens, or throughout the earth, - who keepest Covenant and Lovingkindness for thy servants who are walking before thee with all their heart:

who hast kept, for thy servant David my father, that which thou didst promise him, - in that thou didst promise with thy mouth, and, with thy hand, hast fulfilled, as it is this day.

Moreover also, unto the stranger who is not, of thy people Israel, but he shall come in out of a far country - for the sake of thy great Name, and of thy strong hand, and of thine outstretched arm, - and so they shall come in and pray towards this house,

When they sin against thee - for there is no son of earth who sinneth not - and thou shalt be angry with them, and deliver them up before an enemy, - who shall carry them away as their captives into a land - far away or near;

if my people upon whom my Name is called shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will, I myself, hear out of the heavens, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.

And men shall say, Because they forsook Yahweh the God of their fathers, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold of other gods, and bowed down to them, and served them, for this cause, hath he brought upon them, all this calamity.

As for all the people that were left, of the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not, of Israel; -

of their sons who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel had not utterly destroyed, Solomon enrolled them as tributary - unto this day.

But, of the sons of Israel, were there none whom he delivered up as bondmen unto his work, - for, they, were men of war, and his captains and his heroes, and captains over his chariots, and his horsemen.

These, moreover, were the chiefs of his officers whom King Solomon had, two hundred and fifty, - who wielded dominion over the people.

How happy! are thy men, and how happy! are these thy servants, - who are standing before thee continually, and hearing thy wisdom.

Yahweh thy God be blessed, who hath delighted in thee, to set thee upon his throne as king unto Yahweh thy God. Because of the love of thy God unto Israel, to establish them unto times age-abiding, therefore hath he set thee over them, as king, to execute justice and righteousness.

Moreover also, the servants of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought sandal-wood and precious stones.

And it came to pass, when Jeroboam son of Nebat, who was in Egypt-whither he had fled from the face of Solomon the king - heard of it, then returned Jeroboam out of Egypt.

Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had been standing before Solomon his father, while he yet lived, saying, - How do, ye, counsel to return answer unto this people?

But he declined the counsel of the old men, which they gave him, - and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who were standing before him.

And he said unto them, What do, ye, counsel that we should return as answer, unto this people, - who have spoken unto me saying, Lighten thou somewhat the yoke, which thy father put upon us?

Then spake with him the young men who had grown up with him, saying, Thus, shalt thou speak unto the people who have spoken unto thee saying, Thy father, made our yoke heavy, Thou, therefore, lighten somewhat our yoke, - Thus, shalt thou say unto them, My little finger, is thicker than my father's loins;

Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the tribute, and the sons of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. So, King Rehoboam, hasted to mount his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

with twelve hundred chariots, and with sixty thousand horsemen,-and, without number, the people who came with him out of Egypt - Lybians, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians.

And, Shemaiah the prophet, came unto Rehoboam, and the rulers of Judah, who had gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem because of Shishak, - and said unto them, Thus, saith Yahweh, Ye, have left, me, Therefore, I also, have left, you, in the hands of Shishak.

And King Rehoboam made, instead of them, bucklers of bronze, - and committed them unto the hand of the captains of the runners, who kept guard at the entrance of the house of the king.

And there are gathered unto him vain men, sons of the Abandoned One, who emboldened themselves against Rehoboam son of Solomon,-when, Rehoboam, was young and tender of heart, and had not strengthened himself to meet them.

But, as for us, Yahweh, is our God, and we have not forsaken him, - and, the priests who are waiting upon Yahweh, are sons of Aaron, with Levites in the work;

So Asa brought forth silver and gold, out of the treasuries of the house of Yahweh, and the house of the king, - and sent unto Ben-hadad, king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:

For, as touching Yahweh, seeing that , his eyes, are ever running to and fro throughout all the earth, to shew himself strong with them who are perfect toward himself, thou hast made thyself foolish over this, - for, from henceforth, there shall be with thee - wars.

and, under his direction, Amasiah son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto Yahweh, - and, with him, two hundred thousand heroes of valour.

These, were they who were waiting upon the king, - besides those whom the king placed in the fortified cities, throughout all Judah.

So he went down, at the end of some years, unto Ahab, to Samaria, Ahab therefore sacrificed for him, sheep and oxen, in abundance, also for the people whom he had with him,-and then persuaded him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.

Then said the king of Israel unto Jehoshaphat - There is yet one man, by whom to seek Yahweh, but, I, hate him, for he is never prophesying, concerning me, anything good - but - all his days - evil, the same, is Micaiah, son of Imla. Then said Jehoshaphat, Let not the king say, so!

And, the messenger who went to call Micaiah, spake unto him, saying, Lo! the words of the prophets, with one mouth, are good for the king, - be thy word then, I pray thee, like one of theirs, so wilt thou speak good.

Then said Yahweh, Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth-gilead? And one spake, saying after this manner, and another, saying after that manner.

And there came out to meet him, Jehu son of Hanani, the seer, who said unto King Jehoshaphat, Unto the lawless, was it right to give help? and, on them who hate Yahweh, to bestow thy love? For this cause, therefore, is there wrath against thee, from before Yahweh;

and said unto the judges, See what, ye, are doing, inasmuch as, not for man, must ye judge, but for Yahweh, - who will be with you, in the word of justice.

Any dispute that shall come in unto you from among your brethren who are dwelling in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment and statutes and regulations, then shall ye warn them, that they may not become guilty against Yahweh, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren, - Thus, shall ye act, and not incur guilt.

and said, O Yahweh, God of our fathers, art not, thou, God in the heavens? and art, thou, not ruling throughout all the kingdoms of the nations? and, in thy hand, are there not strength and might? and is there any who, against thee, can stand?

Art not, thou, our God, who didst dispossess the inhabitants of this land, from before thy people Israel, - and didst give it unto the seed of Abraham who loved thee, unto times age-abiding?

Now, therefore, lo! the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom thou didst not suffer Israel to invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, - but they turned away from them and destroyed them not,

And, when they began to sing and to praise, Yahweh had set liers-in-wait against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who were coming against Judah, and they were smitten.

but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be unchaste, after the unchastities of the house of Ahab, - moreover also, thine own brethren of the house of thy father who were better than thou, hast thou slain,

And Yahweh stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and the Arabians, who were under the direction of the Ethiopians;

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king, in his stead, for, all the elder sons, had the band of men slain who came in with the Arabians into the camp, - so Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned.

But, from God, came the downfall of Azariah, through his coming to Joram, - and because, through his coming, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu son of Nimshi, whom Yahweh had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

And he sought Ahaziah, and they captured him, he, having hid himself in Samaria, and they brought him unto Jehu, and he put him to death, and they buried him, because, said they, he is, the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Yahweh with all his heart, - and, no one of the house of Ahaziah, had ability for the kingdom.

But Jehoshabeath, daughter of the king, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the sons of the king who were being slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber, - so Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram - wife of Jehoiada the priest, for, she, was the sister of Ahaziah - hid him from the face of Athaliah so that she slew him not.

then let no one enter the house of Yahweh, save only the priests, and they who are in attendance of the Levites, they, may enter, for, holy, they are,-but, all the people, shall keep the watch of Yahweh.

So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they took every man his men, who were coming in on the sabbath, with them who were going out on the sabbath, - for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

Now, when Athaliah heard the noise of the people who were running, and those who were praising the king, - then came she unto the people in the house of Yahweh;

And Jehoiada put the oversight of the house of Yahweh into the hand of the priests and the Levites, whom David set by courses over the house of Yahweh, that they might offer up the ascending-sacrifices of Yahweh, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with song, - under the direction of David.

And he caused gatekeepers to stand, at the gates of the house of Yahweh, - that no one who was unclean should, on any account, enter.

And it came to pass, when the kingdom was confirmed unto him, that he slew his servants who had smitten the king his father;

And Amaziah gathered Judah together, and appointed them by their ancestral houses, as rulers of thousands and as rulers of hundreds, for all Judah and Benjamin, - and he numbered them, from twenty years old and upwards, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, who could grasp spear and shield.

And it came to pass that he set himself to seek God, in the days of Zechariah, who gave understanding in the seeing of God, - and, throughout the days of his seeking Yahweh, God, prospered him.

And God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabians who dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Meunim.

and they took their stand against Uzziah the king, and said unto him-It is not, for thee, O Uzziah, to burn incense unto Yahweh, but, for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are hallowed, to burn incense. Go forth out of the sanctuary, for thou hast acted unfaithfully, and, not to thee, for an honour, shall it be from Yahweh Elohim.

and, he, burned incense, in the valley of the son of Hinnom,-and burnt his sons, in the fire, according to the abominable ways of the nations, whom Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.

Wherefore Yahweh his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria, who smote him, and carried away captive from him a large body of captives, and brought them into Damascus, - yea, even into the hand of the king of Israel, was he delivered, who smote him with a great smiting.

Now, therefore, hearken unto me, and restore the captives whom ye have taken captive from among your brethren, - for, the glow of the anger of Yahweh, is over you.

Then rose up certain of the chiefs of the sons of Ephraim - Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai, - against them who were coming in from the army;

Then rose up the men who have been expressed by name - and took the captives, and, all who were naked among them, clothed they out of the spoil, and arrayed them and sandalled them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and conducted them with asses for every one that was exhausted, and brought them to Jericho the city of palm-trees, near unto their brethren, - and then returned to Samaria.

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus who had smitten him, and said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria are helping them, unto them, will I sacrifice, that they may help me. But, they, served to seduce him and all Israel.

and they gathered together their brethren, who hallowed themselves, and came in according to the command of the king, in the things of Yahweh, - to purify the house of Yahweh.

And, when the offering was complete, the king knelt down and all who were present with him, and bowed themselves in prostration.

And be not ye like your fathers, or like your brethren, who acted unfaithfully with Yahweh, God of your fathers, - who therefore delivered them up for an astonishment, as, ye yourselves, can see.

For there were many in the convocation, who had not hallowed themselves, - but, the Levites, were over the slaughtering of the passover-lambs, for every one who was, not pure, to hallow him unto Yahweh.

every one who hath prepared, his heart, to seek God, even Yahweh, God of his fathers, - though not according to the purification of the sanctuary!

And so the sons of Israel who were found in Jerusalem kept the festival of unleavened cakes seven days, with great rejoicing, - and the Levites and the priests, were offering praise unto Yahweh day by day, with loud instruments, unto Yahweh.

And Hezekiah spake unto the heart of all the Levites who were giving good instruction respecting Yahweh, - and they did eat the appointed feast seven days, sacrificing the peace-offerings, and offering praise unto Yahweh, God of their fathers.

So all the convocation of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and all the convocation that came in out of Israel, rejoiced, - also the sojourners who were coming in out of the land of Israel, and the dwellers in Judah.

Now, when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went forth unto the cities of Judah, and brake in pieces the pillars - and cut down the Sacred Stems - and threw down the high places and the altars, out of all Judah and Benjamin - and throughout Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had made an end, - then all the sons of Israel returned every man to his own possession, unto their own cities.

And he bade the people who were dwelling in Jerusalem give the portion of the priests and the Levites, - to the end they might persevere in the law of Yahweh.

And, as for the sons of Israel and Judah who were dwelling in the cities of Judah, even they, a tithe of oxen, and sheep, and a tithe of hallowed things, which had been hallowed unto Yahweh their God, did bring in and pile up - heaps, heaps.

also unto the sons of Aaron the priests in the fields of the pasture land of their cities, in every several city, men who were expressed by name, - to give portions to every male among the priests, and to all registered among the Levites.

Is it not, the same Hezekiah, who hath removed his high places, and his altars, - and hath given word to Judah and Jerusalem, saying, Before one altar, shall ye bow yourselves down, and, thereupon, shall ye burn incense?

Who, among all the gods of these nations whom my fathers devoted to destruction, hath ever been able to deliver his people out of my hand, - that your god should be able to deliver you out of my hand?

Letters, also wrote he, to scoff at Yahweh God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, Like the gods of the nations of the countries, who delivered not their people out of my hand, so, shall the god of Hezekiah not deliver his people out of my hand.

Then cried they out, with a loud voice, in the Jews' language, unto the people of Jerusalem who were upon the wall, to affright them, and to terrify them, - to the end they might capture the city.

So Yahweh sent a messenger, who cut off every hero of valour, and chief ruler and captain, in the camp of the king of Assyria, - and he returned with shame of face to his own land, and, when he entered the house of his god, then, the issue of his own body - there, caused him to fall by the sword.

Yet verily, with regard to the ambassadors of the rulers of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire concerning the wonderful token which came to pass in the land, God left him, - to prove him, to take note of all that was in his heart.

And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh,-according to the abominable ways of the nations, whom Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.

But, the rest of the story of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the story of the seers who spake unto him in the name of Yahweh God of Israel, there they are, in the story of the kings of Israel:

And they threw down before him, the altars of the Baalim, and, the sun-pillars which were on high above them, he hewed down, - and, the Sacred Stems and the carved images and the molten images, brake he in pieces and ground to dust, and tossed over the face of the graves, of them who had been sacrificing unto them.

So they went in unto Hilkiah the high priest, and delivered the silver that had been brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the entrance-hall had collected from the hand of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin, - and returned to Jerusalem.

Now, the men, were working faithfully in the work, and over them as overseers, were - Jahath and Obadiah, Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to preside, - and Levites, all who had understanding in instruments of song;

also over the burden-bearers, and such as took the lead, for everyone who was working in any manner of service, - and, of the Levites, were scribes and officers and doorkeepers.

So Hilkiah and they whom the king had named went into Huldah the prophetess, wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah keeper of the wardrobe, she, having her dwelling in Jerusalem, in the new city, - and they spake unto her accordingly.

And she said unto them, Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, - Say ye unto the man who hath sent you unto me:

But, unto the king of Judah, who hath sent you to enquire of Yahweh, thus, shall ye say unto him, - Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard:

and said to the Levites who gave instruction to all Israel as to the things which were hallowed unto Yahweh, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon son of David king of Israel did build, it is not yours as a burden on the shoulder, - Now, serve ye Yahweh your God, and his people Israel;