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?

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.

And Solomon sent unto Huram king of Tyre, saying, - As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him a house to dwell in,

lo! I, am about to build a house for the Name of Yahweh my God, to hallow unto him - to burn before him sweet incense, and for a continual setting in array, and to offer ascending-sacrifices morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the appointed feasts of Yahweh our God,-age-abiding, is this law for Israel.

And, the house which I am about to build, must be great, - for great is our God, above all gods.

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 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.

Then answered Huram king of Tyre, in writing, which he sent unto Solomon, - Because Yahweh hath loved his people, hath he set thee over them as king.

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.

Now, therefore, have I sent a wise man, skilled in understanding, pertaining to Huram my father:

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.

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, as for the wings of the cherubim, the length of them, was twenty cubits, - the one wing, by the cubit was five, reaching to the wall of the house, and, the other wing, five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub;

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.

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.

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;

But, I, have built a house as a home for thee, - A settled place for thee to abide in, for ages.

So then Yahweh hath established his word, which he spake, - and I have been raised up instead of David my father, and have taken my seat upon the throne of Israel, as spake Yahweh, and have built the house to the Name of Yahweh, God of Israel;

and have put there, the ark, - wherein is the covenant of Yahweh, - which he solemnised with the sons of Israel.

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.

Now, therefore, O Yahweh - God of Israel, keep thou, for thy servant David my father, that which thou didst promise him, saying, There shall not be cut off to thee a man, from before me, to sit upon the throne of Israel, if only, thy sons take heed to their way, to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

Wilt thou then turn unto the prayer of thy servant and unto his supplication, O Yahweh my God, - to hearken unto the cry and unto the prayer, wherewith thy servant is praying before thee:

When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have been sinning against thee, - and they shall pray towards this place, and shall confess thy Name, from their sin, shall return, because thou hast been afflicting them,

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?

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;

and, all the sons of Israel, seeing the descending of the fire and the glory of Yahweh upon the house, then knelt they down with their faces toward the ground, upon the pavement, and bowed themselves in prostration, and gave thanks unto Yahweh, For he is good, For, age-abiding, is his lovingkindness.

while, the priests, over their charges, were standing, the Levites also, with the instruments for the songs of Yahweh, which David the king had made, for giving thanks unto Yahweh, For, age-abiding, is his lovingkindness, when David offered praise by their means, - and, the priests, kept on blowing trumpets over against them, while, all Israel, were standing.

Then appeared Yahweh unto Solomon by night, - and said to him, I have heard thy prayer, and have made choice of this place for myself, as a house of sacrifice: -

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.

Thou, therefore, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded thee, - and, my statutes and regulations, thou wilt observe,

then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom, - according as I covenanted to David thy father, saying - There shall not fail thee a man, to rule over Israel.

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.

neither departed they from the commandment of the king, concerning the priests and the Levites as to any duty, or as to the treasuries.

So all the work of Solomon was prepared, from the day of founding the house of Yahweh, even as far as the finishing thereof, - complete was the house of Yahweh.

And, the queen of Sheba, heard the report of Solomon, so she came to prove Solomon with abstruse questions, in Jerusalem, with a very great train, and camels bearing spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones, - and, when she was come to Solomon, she spake with him, as to all that was near her heart.

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.

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 so King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth, - as to riches, and wisdom.

Thy father, made our yoke oppressive, - now, therefore, lighten thou somewhat the oppressive servitude of thy father and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

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;

So Jeroboam and all the people came unto Rehoboam, on the third day, - as the king spake, saying, Return unto me on the third day.

and Zorah, and Aijalon and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, - as fortified cities.

For the Levites left their pasture lands, and their possessions, and came to Judah, and to Jerusalem, - for Jeroboam and his sons cast them off, from ministering as priests unto Yahweh;

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.

So then Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as head, to be chief ruler among his brethren, - yea that he might make him king.

And he captured the cities of defence which belonged to Judah, - and came, as far as Jerusalem.

Then the rulers of Israel and the king humbled themselves, - and said, Righteous, is Yahweh!

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 stood up upon Mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, - and said, Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel!

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?

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;

And lo! with us as Head, is God himself, and his priests, and the trumpets of alarm, to sound an alarm against you, - O sons of Israel! do not fight against Yahweh God of your fathers, for ye shall not prosper.

And, when Judah turned and lo! as for them, the battle was before and behind, then made they outcry unto Yahweh, - and, the priests, kept on blowing with the trumpets.

So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, and Asa his son reigned in iris stead, - in his days, the land rested ten years.

And Asa did that which was good and that which was right, in the eyes of Yahweh his God;

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.

So Yahweh smote the Ethiopians, before Asa, and before Judah, - and the Ethiopians fled.

And Asa and the people that were with him pursued as far as to Gerar, and the Ethiopians fell, so that there was no way for them to recover, for they were routed before Yahweh, and before him host, - and they carried away exceeding much spoil.

Now, as for Azariah son of Oded, there came upon him, the spirit of God.

So he went forth to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear me, O Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin, - Yahweh, is with you, so long as ye are with him, and, if ye seek him, he will be found of you, but, if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

Ye, therefore, be strong, and let not your hands be slack, - for there is a reward for your work!

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.

So they gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem, in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

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.

And, war, was there none, - until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

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.

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:

Let there be a covenant, between me and thee, as between my father and thy father. - Lo! I have sent thee silver and gold, go break thy covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may go up from me.

And Ben-hadad hearkened unto King Asa, and sent the chieftains of the forces which he had, against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon and Dan, and Abel-maim, - and all the storehouses of the cities of Naphtali.

And, Asa the king, took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timbers thereof, which Baasha had used in building, - and he built therewith, Geba and Mizpah.

And, at that time, came Hanani the seer, unto Asa the king of Judah, - and said unto him, Because thou hast leaned upon the king of Syria, and hast not leaned upon Yahweh thy God, for this cause, hath the force of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand.

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.

Then was Asa angry with the seer, and put him in the house of the stocks, for he was in a rage with him, over this, - and Asa oppressed some of the people, at that time.

But lo! the story of Asa, first and last, there it is, written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

And Asa became diseased - in the thirty-ninth year of his reign - in his feet, exceedingly severe, was his disease, - yet, even in his disease, he sought not Yahweh, but unto physicians.

And Asa slept with his fathers, - yea he died in the forty-first year of his reign;

and put forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, - and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had captured.

And, from among the Philistines, were they bringing in unto Jehoshaphat a present, and silver as tribute, - even the Arabians, were bringing in unto him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and seven thousand seven hundred he-goats.

For Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go up with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he said unto him - So am I, even as thou, and, like thy people, are my people, and, with thee, in the war.

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!

Then drew near Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, - and said, Which then is the way the spirit of Yahweh passed from me, to speak with thee?

So it came to pass, when the chariot-captains saw Jehoshaphat, that, they, said, The king of Israel, it is. And they compassed him about, to fight, - but Jehoshaphat made outcry, and, Yahweh, helped him, yea God allured them away from him.

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;

So Jehoshaphat dwelt in Jerusalem, - and he again went forth among the people, from Beersheba as far as the hill country of Ephraim, and brought them back unto Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

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.

Now, therefore, let the dread of Yahweh be upon you, - observe and do, for there is, with Yahweh our God, neither perversity nor respect of persons nor the taking of bribes.

And lo! Amariah the chief priest, is over you as to every matter of Yahweh, and Zebadiah son of Ishmael the chief ruler for the house of Judah, as to every matter of the king, and, as officers, the Levites are before you, - Be strong and act, and Yahweh be with the good!

And there came some and told Jehoshaphat, saying, There is coming against thee, a great multitude from beyond the sea, from Syria, - and lo! they are in Hazazon-tamar, the same, is Engedi.