And this house that is so high, shall be a wonder to all that passeth thereby that they shall say, 'Why hath the LORD dealt on this fashion with this land and with this house?'

And it shall be answered then, 'Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and caught hold on other gods, and bowed to them and served them: even therefore brought he on them all this evil.'"

And after twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house:

he built the cities that Hiram gave him, and put of the children of Israel in them.

And Solomon went to Hamathzobah and strengthened it.

And he built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities which he built in Hamath.

And he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, and made them strong cities with walls, gates and bars.

And Baalath and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities and the cities of Horsemen, and all that Solomon had lust to build in Jerusalem and Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

And all the people that were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perezites, Hivites and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel -

even the children of them, which were left after them in the land, and were not consumed of the children of Israel - them did Solomon make tributaries unto this day.

But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen in his work: but they were men of war and rulers and great lords with him, and captains over his chariots and Horsemen.

And king Solomon's officers that oversaw and ruled the people, were two hundred and fifty.

And Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David into the house that he had made for her. For he said, "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, for it is holy, because the Ark of the LORD came into it."

And from thenceforth Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch;

to offer day by day according to the commandment of Moses, and in the Sabbaths and new moons, and the three solemn feasts of the year: the feast of sweetbread, the feast of weeks and the feast of booths.

And Solomon put the sorts of priests in companies as David his father had ordered them, unto the offices, and the Levites unto their wait, for to praise and minister before the priests day by day, and the porters by course at every gate. For so had David the man of God commanded.

And the commandment of the king unto the priests and the Levites concerning whatsoever cause it was, and concerning the treasures, was not disobeyed.

And all the work of Solomon went lustily forward even unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid: and from thence till he had finished it, that the house of the LORD was perfect.

And then went king Solomon to Eziongeber and to Eloth and to the seaside in the land of Edom.

And Hiram sent him, by the hand of his servants, ships and servants that could skill of the sea: Which went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought it to king Solomon.

And the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon and came to prove him with riddles at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and with camels that bare sweet odours and plenty of gold and precious stone. And when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

And Solomon told her all her questions, that there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon and the house that he had built,

and the meat of his table and the sitting of his servants and the standing of his waiters, and their apparel, and his butlers with their apparel, and his parlor out of which he went into the house of the LORD, there was no more heart in her.

And then she said to the king, "The saying which I heard in mine own land, of thine acts and of thy wisdom, is truth.

But I believed not the words of them, until I came and mine eyes had seen it. And see, the one half of thy wisdom was not told me: thou exceedest the same that I heard.

Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants which stand before thee always and hear thy wisdom.

Blessed be the LORD thy God which had lust to thee, to make thee king on his seat, unto the LORD thy God. Because thy God loved Israel, to make them continue ever, therefore made he the king over them to do right and equity."

And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of sweet odours an exceeding great abundance with precious stones, that there was no such sweet odours as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.

And thereto the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon which brought gold from Ophir, brought also Algum wood and precious stones.

And the king made of the Algum wood stairs for the house of the LORD and in the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers. And there was no such wood seen before in the land of Judah.

And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire that she asked above that she brought unto the king. And so she turned and went away unto her own land with her servants.

The sum of gold that came to Solomon in one year, was six hundred and sixty six talents of gold,

besides that which chapmen and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and dukes of countries brought gold and silver to Solomon.

And king Solomon made two hundred bucklers of gold, six hundred sicles of beaten gold to a buckler;

and three hundred shields of beaten gold, three hundred sicles of gold to a shield; and he put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

And the king made a great seat of Ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

And there were six steps to the seat with a footstool of gold fastened to the seat: and pommels on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the pommels.

And twelve lions stood one side and on the other, upon six steps, and there was no such in any kingdom.

And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon, were pure gold. And as for silver, it was counted nothing worth in the days of Solomon.

For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram once every three years. And the ships of Tarshish brought gold, silver, the teeth of elephants, apes and peacocks.

And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.

And they brought every man his present in vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, sweet odours, horses and mules year by year.

And Solomon had four thousand mangers of horses and chariots for them, and twelve thousand horsemen. And he bestowed them in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

And he reigned over all the kings from Euphrates unto the land of the Philistines and to the borders of Egypt.

And the king made silver in Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and Cedar trees as plenteous as the mulberry trees that grow in the valleys.

And Solomon had horses brought him out of Egypt and out of all lands.

And the rest of the acts of king Solomon, both first and last, are written in the book of Nathan the Prophet and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer of visions against Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

And when Solomon had reigned in Jerusalem upon all Israel forty years,

he laid him to rest with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.

And when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, being in Egypt heard it - for he was fled for fear of Solomon the king - he returned out of Egypt.

And they sent and called him. And so Jeroboam and all Israel came and communed with Rehoboam, and said,

"Thy father made us a grievous yoke: but remit thou somewhat of the grievous service of thy father and of his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee."

And he said to them, "Come again after three days to me." And the people departed.

And king Rehoboam counseled with elders that stood before Solomon his father, while he lived, and said, "What counsel give ye me, to answer this people again?"

And they told him saying, "If thou shalt be kind to this people and please them and shalt speak loving words to them, they will be thy servants forever."

But he left the counsel which the elders gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were nursed up with him and had stand in his presence,

and said to them, "What advice give ye that I may answer this people which have communed with me, saying, 'Abate somewhat of the yoke which thy father did put upon us?'"

And the young men that were nursed up with him talked with him, saying, "Thus answer the people that spake to thee, saying, 'Thy father made our yoke heavy: But make thou our yoke somewhat lighter.' Thus wise answer them: 'My little finger shall be heavier than thy father's loins.

For where my father put a heavy yoke upon you I will put more thereto, and where my father chastised you with whips I will chastise you with scorpions.'"

And when Jeroboam and all Israel were come the third day, as the king bade, saying, "Come again to me the third day,"

and answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, "If my father made your yoke grievous, I will add thereto, and where my father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions."

And so the king hearkened not unto the people, for the turning away was of God, that the LORD might make good his saying which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

And when all Israel saw that the king would not hear them, the people answered the king, saying, "What part have we with David or inheritance with the son of Jesse? Let every man of Israel go to his tent. And now, David, see to thine own house!" And thereupon all Israel gat them to their tents,

Then king Rehoboam sent to them Hadoram that was over the tribute, and the children of Israel stoned him with stones that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed and gat him up in his chariot to fly to Jerusalem.

And so Israel departed from the house of David unto this day.

And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin to the number of nine score thousand choice men of war to fight with Israel, for to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

"Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel that are in Judah, and to Benjamin, and say,

'Thus sayeth the LORD. Go not nor fight with your brethren: But return every man to his house, for this thing is done of me.'" And they obeyed the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam.

And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built strong cities in Judah:

as Bethlehem, Etam and Tekoa;

Bethzur, Socoh and Adullam;

Gath, Mareshah and Ziph;

Adoraim, Lachish and Azekah;

Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron: Which were the strong cities of Judah and Benjamin.

And when he had repaired such strong cities, he put captains in them and store of victuals, and of oil and wine.

And he ordained in all cities shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong. And so Judah and Benjamin were under him.

And the priests and Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him, out of all their coasts.

Insomuch that the Levites left their suburbs and possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them out from ministering unto the LORD.

And he ordained him priests of hill altars - both to field devils and also to the calves which he had made.

And after them came there men out of all the tribes of Israel, which gave over their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel, and came to Jerusalem to offer unto the LORD God of their fathers.

And so they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon mighty three years long - for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse,

which bare him children: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

And after her, he took Maacah the daughter of Absalom which bare him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith.

But Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines for he took eighteen wives and three score concubines, and begat three score daughters and twenty eight sons.

And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maacah the chief ruler among his brethren, for to make him king.

And he played wisely and scattered of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin in every strong city. And he gave them abundance of victuals, and asked many wives.

And when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and made it strong, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him;

with twelve hundred chariots and three score thousand horsemen. And the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt, with them of Libya, and the Sukkiims and the black Moors.

And they took the strong cities that were in Judah and came to Jerusalem.

Then came Shemaiah the Prophet to Rehoboam and to the lords of Judah that were gathered to Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and said to them, "Thus sayeth the LORD, 'Ye have left me, and therefore will I leave you also in the hands of Shishak.'"

Whereupon the lords of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is righteous."

And when the LORD saw that they submitted themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah saying, "They have humbled themselves, and therefore I will not destroy them. But I will deliver them somewhat, and my wrath shall not fall upon Jerusalem.

Neverthelater, they shall be his servants, to know what the difference is between my service and the service of the kingdoms of other lands."

And Shishak king of Egypt came to Jerusalem and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and shortly he took all. And he took also the shields of gold which Solomon made.

Instead of which, king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and put them in the keeping of the captains of his guard which waited in the gate of the king's house.

And as oft as the king went to the house of the LORD, the guard went and fetched them, and brought them again unto the guard chamber.