Now, my son, Yahweh be with thee, - so shalt thou be prosperous, and shalt build the house of Yahweh thy God, according as he hath spoken concerning thee.

Only Yahweh give thee discretion and understanding, and give thee charge over Israel, - so that thou take heed unto the law of Yahweh thy God.

And he said unto am, Solomon thy son - he, shall build my house, and my courts, - for I have made choice of him that he may be my son, and that, I, may be his father.

Thou, therefore, Solomon my son, Know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing soul, for, all hearts, doth Yahweh search, and, every devised purpose, doth he understand, - If thou seek him, He will be found of thee, but, if thou forsake him, He will cast thee off for ever.

and, riches and honour, are from before thee, and, thou, art ruling over all, and, in thy hand, are power and might, - and, in thy hand, it is, to give greatness and strength unto any.

Now, therefore, O our God, we are giving thanks unto thee, - and offering praise, unto thy beautiful Name.

O Yahweh our God, all this abundance which we have prepared, to build thee a house for thy holy Name, out of thine own hand, it is, and, thine, is the whole.

But I know, O my God, that, thou, art proving the heart, and, with uprightness, wilt thou be pleased, - I, in the uprightness of my heart, have willingly offered all these things, now, therefore, thy people who are found here, have I seen with joy, offering willingly unto thee.

O Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, oh guard this age-abidingly, as the devised purpose of the heart of thy people, - and establish thou their heart, unto thyself.

Also, unto Solomon my son, give thou an undivided heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, - to do the whole, and to build the palace for which I have prepared.

Now, O Yahweh Elohim, let thy word with David my father be brought to pass,-for, thou, hast made me king over a people, for multitude like the dust of the earth.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

Now, therefore, O Yahweh, God of Israel,-verified be thy promise, which thou didst make unto thy servant David.

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:

that thine eyes may be open toward this house, day and night, toward the place of which thou hast said thou wouldst set thy Name there, - to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant may pray towards this place:

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?

Or, if thy people Israel be smitten before an enemy, because they have been sinning against thee, - and they turn, and confess thy Name, and pray and make supplication before thee, in this house,

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?

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 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?

whatsoever prayer, whatsoever supplication, which any son of earth may have, or any of thy people Israel, - when any man shall come to know his plague, or his pain, and so he shall spread abroad his hands towards this house -

to the end they may revere thee, to walk in thy ways, all the days which they shall be living upon the face of the soil, - which thou gavest unto their fathers?

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 thy people shall go forth to war against their enemies, whithersoever thou mayest send them, - and shall pray unto thee in the direction of this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy Name,

and so turn unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captive, - and shall pray in the direction of their own land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and the city which thou hast chosen, and unto the house which I have built for thy Name,

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, therefore, arise! O Yahweh God, unto thy rest, thou, and the ark of thy strength: Thy priests, O Yahweh God, let them be clothed with salvation, and, thy men of lovingkindness, let them rejoice in prosperity.

O Yahweh God! do not turn away thy face from thine Anointed One, - oh remember lovingkindness unto David thy servant.

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: -

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.

And she said unto the king, True was the word, which I heard in my own land, - concerning thine affairs, and concerning thy wisdom.

Howbeit I believed not their words, until I had come and mine own eyes had seen, when lo! there had not been told me, the half of the fulness of thy wisdom, - thou dost exceed the report which I heard.

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.

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 they spake unto him saying, If thou wilt be kind to this people, and please them, and speak unto them kind words, then will they be thy servants, all the days.

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 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.

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, 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.

Were not, the Ethiopians and the Lybians, a huge host, with chariots and horsemen exceeding many? yet, because thou didst lean upon Yahweh, he delivered them into thy hand.

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.

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.

Now, therefore, lo! Yahweh hath suffered a spirit of falsehood to be put into the mouth of these thy prophets, - but, Yahweh, hath spoken concerning thee - evil.

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I am about to disguise myself, and enter into the battle, but, thou, put on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and entered into the battle.

but, a certain man, drawing a bow in his innocence, smote the king of Israel between the shoulder-joints and the coat of mail, - wherefore he said to the charioteer, Turn thy hand, and convey me out of the host, for I am sore wounded.

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;

howbeit, good things, are found with thee,-for that thou hast consumed the Sacred Stems out of the land, and hast fixed thy heart to seek God.

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?

and they have dwelt therein, - and have built for thee therein, a sanctuary for thy Name, saying:

If there come upon us calamity, the sword of judgment or pestilence or famine, we will stand before this house and before thee, for, thy Name, is in this house, - that we may make outcry unto thee out of our distress, that thou mayest hear and save.

yea lo! they, are requiting us, - by coming to drive us out, from thy possession, which thou didst cause us to possess.

Then prophesied, Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah, against Jehoshaphat, saying, - Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, Yahweh hath broken in pieces thy works. So the ships were wrecked, and were not able to go unto Tarshish.

Then came there unto him, a writing, from Elijah the prophet, saying, - Thus, saith Yahweh, God of David thy father, Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa, king of Judah;

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,

lo! Yahweh, is about to plague, with a great plague, thy people,-and thy children and thy wives, and all thy possessions;

also, thyself, with sore diseases, with disease of thy bowels,-until thy bowels shall fall out, by reason of the disease, in a year added to a year.

Then was kindled the anger of Yahweh, against Amaziah, - and he sent unto him a prophet, and said unto him, Wherefore hast thou sought the gods of the people, which delivered not their own people out of thy hand?

And Joash king of Israel sent unto Amaziah king of Judah, saying, A thistle that was in Lebanon, sent unto a cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Come! give thy daughter unto my son to wife, - but there passed by a beast of the field that was in Lebanon, and trampled down the thistle.

Thou hast said-Lo! thou hast smitten the Edomites, and thy heart hath lifted thee up to display honour,-Now, abide in thine own house, wherefore shouldst thou engage in strife with Misfortune, and fall, thou and Judah with thee?

Then Shaphan took in the book unto the king, and returned yet further unto the king a message, saying, - All that was delivered into the hand of thy servants, they are doing;

Because tender was thy heart, and thou didst humble thyself before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, and didst humble thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes and weep before me, therefore, I also, have heard, is the declaration of Yahweh.

Behold me! gathering thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered unto thy sepulchres in peace, and thine eyes shall not look upon all the calamity which, I, am bringing in upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof. And they returned, unto the king, the message.

This, is a copy of the letter which they sent unto him - unto Artaxerxes the king, - Thy servants, the men Beyond the River and so forth:

so that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers, so shalt thou find out in the book of records - and shalt ascertain, that, this city, is a rebellious city, and one that causeth damage unto kings and provinces, and that, rebellion, have they been wont to cause in the midst thereof since the days of age-past time, - for this cause, was this city laid waste.

Forasmuch as, from before the king and his seven counselors, thou art sent, to enquire concerning Judah and as to Jerusalem, - by the law of thy God which is in thy hand;

and, whatsoever, unto thee and unto thy brethren, shall seem good, with the rest of the silver and the gold, to do, according to the pleasure of your God, shall ye do.

And, the utensils which are freely given to thee for the service of the house of thy God, put thou back, before the God of Jerusalem.

And, the rest of the need of the house of thy God, which it shall fall to thee to give, thou shalt give, out of the treasure-house of the king.

And, thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand, appoint thou judges and magistrates, who shall administer justice to all the people that are Beyond the River, to all who know the law of thy God, - and, whoso knoweth not, ye shall teach.

But, whosoever shall not do the law of thy God and the law of the king, speedily, let, penalty, be exacted from him, - whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

But, now, what can we say, O our God, after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,

which thou didst command by the hand of thy servants the prophets, saying, As for the land which, ye, are entering to possess, an impure land, it is, with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, - with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to the other, with their uncleanness.

should we again break thy commandments and join ourselves by affinity of marriage with the peoples of these abominations, - wouldst thou not be angry with us, unto a full end, that there should be neither remainder nor deliverance?

Then responded all the convocation and said, with a loud voice, - Thus, according to thy word concerning us, must it be done.

Let, I pray thee, thine ears be attentive and thine eyes open - to hearken unto the prayer of thy servant - -which, I, am praying before thee now, day and night, for the sons of Israel, thy servants, - -and making confession concerning the sins of the sons of Israel, which we have committed against thee, both I and the house of my father, have sinned.

We have dealt, very corruptly, against thee, - and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes nor the regulations, which thou didst command Moses thy servant.

Remember, I pray thee, the word, which thou didst command Moses thy servant, saying, - If, ye, are unfaithful, I, will scatter you among the peoples:

They, therefore, are thy servants, and thy people, - whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy firm hand.

I beseech thee O My Lord, let - I pray thee - thine ear be attentive unto the prayer of thy servant, and unto the prayer of thy servants who delight to revere thy Name, and oh prosper, I pray thee, thy servant to-day, and grant him compassion before this man. Now, I, was cup-bearer unto the king.

Then said the king unto me, Wherefore is thy countenance sad, seeing that, thou, art not sick? this is nothing else, but sadness of heart. Then feared I exceedingly,

and then said unto the king, If, unto the king, it seemeth good, and if thy servant might find favour before thee, That thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the city of the sepulchres of my fathers, that I might build it.

And the king said unto me, the queen, also sitting beside him, For how long would be thy journey? and when wouldst thou return? So it seemed good before the king to send me, and I set him a time.

Then said the Levites - Jeshua and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah, Stand up, bless Yahweh your God, from age to age, - Yea let them bless thy glorious Name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

and didst find his heart faithful before thee, and didst solemnize with him a covenant, to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite, and the Girgashite, - to give it unto his seed, - and didst confirm thy words, for, righteous, thou art.