Howbeit, the ark of God, had David brought up from Kiriath-jearim, into the place that David had prepared for it, - for he had pitched for it a tent, in Jerusalem.

Also, the altar of bronze that Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur had made, was there before the habitation of Yahweh, - so Solomon and the convocation sought it.

During that night, God appeared unto Solomon, - and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

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 the horses which Solomon had were, an export, out of Egypt, - and a, company of royal merchants, used to fetch a drove, at a price;

and they built and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot, for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse, for a hundred and fifty,-and, so, for all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria, by their means, brought they them forth.

And send me - timbers of cedar, cypress and sandal-wood, out of the Lebanon, for, I, know that, thy servants, are skilful, to cut the timbers of Lebanon, - and lo! my servants shall be with thy servants:

And lo! for the hewers that cut the timbers, have I given wheat as food for thy servants, twenty thousand measures, and barley, twenty thousand measures, and wine, twenty thousand baths, and oil, twenty thousand baths.

son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, whose father was a man of Tyre, skilled to work in gold and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stones and in timber, in purple, in blue and in fine white linen, and in crimson, and to grave any manner of graving, and to devise any manner of device that may be given to him, with thy wise men, and the wise men of my lord David thy father.

Now, therefore, the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, whereof my lord hath spoken, let him send unto his servants;

and, we, will cut down timbers out of the Lebanon, according to all thy need, and will bring them unto thee in floats, upon the sea to Joppa, - and, thou, shalt fetch them up to Jerusalem.

And he made up from among them - seventy thousand, to bear burdens, and eighty thousand to hew in the mountain, - and three thousand and six hundred, as overseers, to keep the people at work.

And, the porch which was in front of the length, in front of the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and, the height thereof, was a hundred and twenty, - and he overlaid it, within, with pure gold.

And, the greater house, covered he with cypress wood, and overlaid it with fine gold, - and raised thereon palms, and wreathed garlands.

And he made the most holy house, the length whereof, was, according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and, the breadth thereof, twenty cubits, - and he covered it with fine gold, to the number of six hundred talents;

and, the weight of the nails, amounted to fifty shekels of gold, - and, the upper chambers, covered he with gold.

And he made a molten sea, - ten - by the cubit, from the one brim thereof into the other brim thereof, it was round all about, and, five - by the cubit, was the height thereof, and, a line - of thirty by the cubit, did compass it round about.

And, the likeness of oxen, was under it round about on every side, encircling it, ten in a cubit, going round the sea, on every side,-two rows of oxen, made in the casting.

It was standing on 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, the sea, being upon them above, - and, all their hinder parts, inward.

And, the thickness thereof, was a hand-breadth, and, the brim thereof, was like the brim-work of a cup, with blossoms of lilies, - it could hold many baths, three thousand, would it contain.

And he made ten lavers, and set five on the right hand - and five on the left, to bathe therein, what is offered as an ascending-sacrifice, do they rinse therein, - but, the sea, was, that the priests should bathe therein.

the one sea, - and the twelve oxen under it;

So Solomon made all these utensils, in great abundance, - for the weight of the bronze could not be searched out.

Then, Solomon called together the elders of Israel, and all the chiefs of the tribes, the ancestral leaders of the sons of Israel, unto Jerusalem, - to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, the same, is Zion.

And they drew out the staves, and the heads of the staves could be seen out of the ark, in front of the shrine, although they could not be seen on the outside, - and it came to pass that they have remained there - unto this day.

There was, nothing in the ark, save only the two tables, which Moses placed therein in Horeb, - when Yahweh made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came forth out of Egypt.

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,

then came it to pass, when the trumpeters and the singers were, as one, to make one sound to be heard in offering praise and giving thanks unto Yahweh - yea when they did lift on high the voice, with the trumpets and with the cymbals and with the instruments of song, yea in offering praise unto Yahweh - For he is good, For, age-abiding, is his lovingkindness, that, the house, was filled with the cloud of the glory of Yahweh;

From the day I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I made choice of no city, out of all the tribes of Israel, for building a house, where my Name might be, - neither made I choice of any man, to be chief ruler over my people Israel:

And so it came to pass, that it was near the heart of David my father, - to build a house, to the Name of Yahweh, God of Israel.

Then said Yahweh unto David my father, Because it was near thy heart to build a house for my Name, thou didst well that it was near thy heart:

Only, thou thyself, must not build the house, - but, thine own son, that proceedeth out of thy loins - he, shall build the house for my Name.

for Solomon had made a platform of bronze, and had set it in the midst of the enclosure, five cubits, the length thereof, and, five cubits, the breadth thereof, and, three cubits, the height thereof,-and he stood thereon, and knelt upon his knees, in the presence of all the convocation of Israel, and spread forth his hands, heavenward;

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.

wilt thou therefore hearken unto the supplications of thy servant, and thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place, - yea wilt, thou thyself, hear, out of thine own dwelling-place, out of the heavens, and, when thou hearest, then wilt thou forgive?

then wilt, thou thyself, hear out of the heavens, and act, and judge thy servants, bringing back unto the lawless, to set his way upon his own head, - and justifying the righteous, by giving to him, according to his righteousness?

then wilt, thou thyself, hear out of the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, - and bring them back unto the soil, which thou didst give to them and to their fathers?

then wilt, thou thyself, hear out of the heavens and forgive the sin of thy servants, and thy people Israel, that thou mayest direct them into the good way, wherein they should walk, - and give rain, upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people, for an inheritance?

When there shall be, a famine, in the land, when there shall be, a pestilence, - when there shall be, blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar, - when their enemy shall besiege them in the land at their own gates-whatsoever plague or whatsoever sickness;-

then wilt, thou thyself, hear out of the heavens, the settled place of thine abode, and forgive, and grant to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou wilt know, - for, thou thyself alone, knowest the heart of the sons of men:

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,

then wilt, thou thyself, hear out of the heavens, out of the settled place of thine abode, and do according to all for which the stranger shall cry unto thee, - to the end that all the peoples of the earth may know thy Name, so as to revere thee like thy people Israel, and know that, thy Name, hath been given unto this house, which I have built?

then wilt thou hear, out of the heavens, their prayer and their supplication, - and maintain their right.

then wilt thou hear out of the heavens - out of the settled place of thine abode - their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, - and forgive thy people, that wherein they sinned against thee?

Now, when Solomon had made an end of praying, Fire, came down out of the heavens, and consumed the ascending-offering and the sacrifices, - and, the glory of Yahweh, filled the house;

And Solomon made a festival - at that time - for seven days, and all Israel with him, an exceeding great convocation, - from the entering in of Hamath, unto the ravine of Egypt.

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.

then will I root you out from off the soil, which I have given to you, and, this house, which I have hallowed for my Name, will I cast off from before my face, - and will appoint it for a by-word and a mockery, among all the peoples;

and, this house which hath been renowned, all that pass by near it, shall be astonished, - and say, Wherefore hath Yahweh done, thus and thus, to this land, and to this house?

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.

And it came to pass, at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of Yahweh, and his own house,

And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, - and prevailed against it;

And, the daughter of Pharaoh, Solomon brought up, out of the city of David, unto the house which he had built for her, - for he said, A wife of mine must not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, for holy are those places whereinto the ark of Yahweh hath come.

and he caused to stand, according to the regulation of David his father, the courses of the priests over their service and of the Levites over their charges, to offer praise and to minister before the priests, for the duty of each day upon its own day, and the gate-keepers in their courses, at every several gate, - for, such, was the commandment of David the man of God;

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

And the king made of the sandal-wood, stairs unto the house of Yahweh, and unto the house of the king, also lyres and harps, for the singers, - and there were none seen like them before, in the land of Judah.

Now, the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold;

besides what came in from the subjugated, and what the travelling merchants were bringing in, - and, all the kings of Arabia and the pashas of the land, were bringing gold and silver, unto Solomon.

And the king made a great throne of ivory, - and overlaid it with pure gold;

And, all the drinking vessels of King Solomon, were of gold, and, all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon, were of purified gold, - there was no silver, it was esteemed, in the days of Solomon, as nothing.

And they used to bring horses out of Egypt unto Solomon, and out of all lands.

Now, the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer, concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?

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.

And he said unto them, Yet three days, and then return unto me, - and the people departed.

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?

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?

Now, therefore, my father, laid upon you a heavy yoke, but, I, will add to your yoke, - My father, chastised you with whips, but, I, with scorpions,

and spake unto them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father, made your yoke heavy, but, I, will add thereunto, - My father, chastised you with whips, But, I, with scorpions.

And, when, all Israel, saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying - What portion have, we, in David, or inheritance in the son of Jesse? Every man, to your homes, O Israel! Now, see to thine own house, O David! And all Israel departed to their homes.

And, the priests and Levites that were in all Israel, took their stand with him, out of all their boundaries.

And, after them - out of all the tribes of Israel, such as were setting their heart to seek Yahweh God of Israel, came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto Yahweh, God of their fathers.

And, after her, he took Maacah, daughter of Absolom, - and she bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

And Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absolom, above all his wives and his concubines, for, eighteen wives, took he, and sixty concubines, - and begat twenty-eight sons, and sixty daughters.

And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of Yahweh, - and all Israel with him.

And so it came to pass, in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, - because they had dealt treacherously against Yahweh; -

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, when Yahweh saw that they humbled themselves, the word of Yahweh came unto Shemaiah, saying - They have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them, - but will grant them, in a little while, to escape, and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem, by the hand 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 so it was, whensoever the king came into the house of Yahweh, the runners came and bare them, and then returned them into the chamber of the runners.

Now, the story of Rehoboam, first and last, is it not written in the story of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer, for enrolling,-also the wars of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, all the days?

And Abijah began the war with a force of heroes of war, four hundred thousand chosen men, - and, Jeroboam, set in array against him to battle, with eight hundred thousand chosen men, heroes of valour.

Is it not yours to know, that, Yahweh God of Israel gave the kingdom to David, over Israel, unto times age-abiding, - to him and to his sons, by a covenant of salt?

Yet hath Jeroboam son of Nebat, servant of Solomon son of David, risen up, - and rebelled against his lord.

Have ye not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, - and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of the countries? Whosoever cometh to install himself with a young bullock, and seven rams, then becometh he a priest unto the, no-gods.

Then the men of Judah gave a shout, - and it came to pass, when the men of Judah shouted, then, God himself, smote Jeroboam and all Israel, before Abijah and Judah.

Thus were the sons of Israel subdued at that time, - and the sons of Judah prevailed, because they leaned upon Yahweh the God of their fathers.

And, the rest of the story of Abijah, both his ways and his words, - are written, in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

Therefore said he to Judah, Let us build these cities, and let us surround them with walls and towers, doors and bars, while the land is yet before us, for we have sought Yahweh our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built, and prospered.

And it came to pass that, Asa, had a force bearing shield and spear, out of Judah, three hundred thousand, and, out of Benjamin, such as bare a buckler and trode a bow, two hundred and eighty thousand, - all these, were heroes of valour.

Then came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian, with a force of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots, - and he came as far as Mareshah.

And Asa went out to meet him, - and they set in array for battle, in the valley of Zaphonah, at Mareshah.

Then Asa cried out unto Yahweh his God, and said, O Yahweh, it is, nothing with thee, to help whether with many or with such as have no strength. Help us, O Yahweh our God, for, on thee, do we lean, and, in thy name, have we come against this multitude, - O Yahweh! our God, thou art, let not, weak man, have power against thee.

And, in those times, there had been no prosperity, to him that went out nor to him that came in, - for, great consternations, were upon all the inhabitants of the lands;

And, when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he strengthened himself, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had captured out of the hill country of Ephraim, - and renewed the altar of Yahweh, that was before the porch of Yahweh.

And he gathered together all Judah and Benjamin, and the sojourners with them, out of Ephraim and out of Manasseh, and out of Simeon, - for they fell unto him out of Israel, in great numbers, because they saw that, Yahweh his God, was with him.

And they sacrificed unto Yahweh, on that day, out of the spoil they had brought in, - oxen, seven hundred, and sheep, seven thousand.

Moreover also, as touching Maacah mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made, unto the Sacred Stem, a monstrous thing, - so Asa cut down her monstrous thing, and reduced it to dust, and burnt it up, in the Kidron ravine.

But, the high places, were not taken away out of Israel, - only, the heart of Asa, was perfect, all his days.

In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, - that he might let none come out or go in, unto Asa king of Judah.