And, when the days of David drew near that he must die, he charged Solomon his son, saying: -

to the end that Yahweh may establish his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy sons will take heed to their way, by walking before me, in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, (then, said he) there shall not be cut off to thee a man, from off the throne of Israel.

Moreover also, thou, knowest what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with two generals of the armies of Israel - with Abner son of Ner, and with Amasa son of Jether - both of whom he slew, shedding the blood of war in peace, - and putting the blood of war upon his girdle that was on his loins, and upon his sandals, that were on his feet.

But, with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, thou wilt deal in lovingkindness, and they will be among them who eat at thy table, - for, so, drew they near unto me, when I fled from Absolom thy brother.

Lo! also, there is with thee - Shimei son of Gera a Benjamite, of Behurim, well, he, it was who cursed me with a grievous curse; on the day I journeyed to Mahanaim, - but he, came down to meet me, at the Jordan, and so I sware to him by Yahweh, saying - I will not put thee to death, with the sword.

And Adonijah son of Haggith came in unto Bath-sheba, mother of Solomon: And she said - Peaceably, comest thou? And he said - Peaceably.

Then answered King Solomon, and said to his mother - Wherefore, then, art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite, for Adonijah? ask, then, for him the kingdom, because he is mine elder brother, - even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab, son of Zeruiah.

So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, - and he fell upon him, that he died.

And it was told King Solomon - Joab hath fled into the Tent of Yahweh, and, there he is, beside the altar. So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying - Go fall upon him!

thus will Yahweh bring back his blood upon his own head, in that he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it, - even Abner son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, general of the army of Judah;

So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and put him to death, - and he was buried in his own house, in the wilderness.

And the king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada, in his stead, over the army, - and, Zadok the priest, did the king put in the stead of Abiathar.

But it came to pass, at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei fled unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath, - and they told Shimei, saying - Lo! thy servants are in Gath.

So the king charged Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him, that he died, - and, the kingdom, was established in the hand of Solomon.

Then said Solomon - Thou, didst deal, with thy servant David my father, in great lovingkindness, according as he walked before thee, in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart, with thee, - and thou hast kept, for him, this great lovingkindness, that thou hast given unto him a son, to sit upon his throne, as it is this day.

And this woman's son died in the night, - because she overlaid it.

Then arose she, in the middle of the night, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid was sleeping, and laid it in her own besom, - but, her dead son, laid she in, my, bosom.

And, when I arose in the morning, to give suck unto my child, lo! it was dead! but, when I looked at it narrowly in the morning, lo! it was not, my son that I had borne.

Then said the other woman - Nay! but, my son, is the, living, and, thy son, the, dead. But, this, one kept on saying - Nay, verily! but, thy son, is the, dead, and, my son, the, living. Thus spake they before the king.

Then said the king, The one woman, is saying, This, is, my son, the one that liveth, and, thy son, is, the one that is dead, - and, the other, is saying, Nay! but, thy son, is, the dead one, and, my son, the, living.

Then spake the woman, whose was the living child, unto the king - for tender became her compassions over her son - so she said - Pardon, my lord! Give, her, the living child, and do not, kill, it. But the other kept on saying - Neither mine, nor thine, shall it be, divide it.

Now, these, were his chief officers of state, - Azariah son of Zadok, the priest;

Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha, scribes, - Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud, the recorder;

And Benaiah son of Jehoiada, over the army, - and Zadok and Abiathar priests;

And Azariah son of Nathan, over the governors, - and Zabud son of Nathan, minister, king's friend;

And Ahishar, over the household, - and Adoniram son of Abda, over the tribute.

Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach, and Megiddo, - and all Beth-shean which is beside Zarethan, beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean as far as Abel-meholah, as far as over against Jokmeam;

Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead, - to him, belonged the towns of Jair, son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead, his, was the region of Argob which is in Bashan, sixty great cities, with walls and with bars of bronze;

Ahinadab son of Iddo, towards Mahanaim;

Banna son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth;

Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar;

Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin;

Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, - the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, being, the one governor, that was in the land.

so that, the wisdom of Solomon, excelled, the wisdom of all the sons of the East, - and all the wisdom of the Egyptians,

so that he was wiser than any man - than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman and Calcol and Darda, sons of Mahol, - and it came to pass that, his name, was throughout all the nations round about.

Behold me! then, purposing to build a house for the Name of Yahweh my God - even as Yahweh spake unto David my father, saying - Thy son, whom I will set in thy stead, upon thy throne, he, shall build the house for my Name.

And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, - and said: Blessed, be Yahweh, to-day, who hath given unto David a wise son, over this great people!

And so it came to pass, in the four hundred and eightieth year, by the coming forth of the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year (in the month of Zif, the same, being the second month) of the reign of Solomon over Israel, that he began to build the house unto Yahweh.

and will make my habitation in the midst of the sons of Israel, - and will not forsake my people Israel.

son of a widow woman, was he of the tribe of Naphtali, but, his father, was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze, and he was filled with wisdom, and discernment, and knowledge, for executing all manner of work in bronze, - so he came unto King Solomon, and executed all his work.

Then, did Solomon call together the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, chiefs of the fathers of the sons of Israel, unto King Solomon in Jerusalem, - that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, out of the city of David, the same is Zion.

There was nothing in the ark, save the two tables of stone, which Moses deposited there in Horeb, - the tables of the covenant which Yahweh solemnised with the sons of Israel, when they came forth out of the land of Egypt.

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

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, by walking before me, as thou hast walked before me.

any prayer, any supplication which, any son of earth, may have, of all thy people Israel, - who will certainly know every man the plague of his own heart, and so he shall spread abroad his hands towards this house,

then wilt, thou thyself, hear in the heavens, in the settled place of thine abode, and forgive and act, and give unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou wilt know, - for, thou thyself alone, knowest the heart of all the sons of men;

When they sin against thee - for there is, no son of earth, that 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 the land of the enemy, far or near;

So Solomon offered as a sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he offered unto Yahweh - Oxen, two and twenty thousand, and Sheep, a hundred and twenty thousand, - Thus did, the king and all the sons of Israel, dedicate the house of Yahweh.

If ye, turn back, ye or your sons, from following me, and keep not my commandments, my statutes, which I have set before you, - but depart and serve other gods, and bow yourselves down to them,

All the people that were left, of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were, not of the sons of Israel;

their sons, who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel were not able to devote to destruction, Solomon levied them for a toiling labour-band which remaineth unto this day.

But, of the sons of Israel, Solomon devoted none to bond-service, - but, they, were men of war, and his servants, and his generals, and his heroes, and captains of his chariots, and his horsemen.

out of the nations concerning whom Yahweh had said unto the sons of Israel - Ye shall not go in unto them, and, they, shall not come in unto you, surely they will turn aside your heart after their gods. Unto these, did Solomon cleave in love.

Then, did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, - and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon;

Notwithstanding, in thine own days, will I not do it, for the sake of David thy father, - out of the hand of thy son, will I rend it.

Howbeit, all the kingdom, will I not rend away, one tribe, will I give unto thy son, - for the sake of David my servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.

And the sister of Tahpenes bare to him Genubath his son, and Tahpenes weaned him, in the house of Pharaoh, - and so it came about, that Genubath was of the household of Pharaoh, among the sons of Pharaoh.

And God raised up against him an adversary, Rezon son of Eliada, - who had fled from Hadadezer king of Zobah, his lord;

Jeroboam also, son of Nebat, an Ephrathite from Zeredah, whose, mother's name, was Zeruah, a widow woman, he being servant to Solomon, lifted up a hand against the king.

Because they have forsaken me, and bowed themselves down to Ashtoreth, goddess of the Zidonians, to Chemosh, god of the Moabites, and to Milcom, god of the sons of Ammon, - and have not walked in my ways, by doing what is right in mine eyes, even my statutes and my regulations, like David his father.

But I will take the kingdom out of the hand of his son, and will give it to thee, even the ten tribes.

Nevertheless, go his son, will I give one tribe, - to the end there may remain a lamp unto David my servant always before me, in Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen for myself, to put my Name there.

So then Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father, - and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

And it came to pass, when Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it - he being yet in Egypt, whither he had fled from the face of Solomon the king, that Jeroboam returned from Egypt;

Thus the king hearkened not unto the people, - for there had come about a turn from Yahweh, that he might establish his word, which Yahweh had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite, unto Jeroboam, son of Nebat.

So 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? To your homes O Israel! Now, see to thine own house, O David! And Israel departed to their homes.

But, as for the sons of Israel who were dwelling in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

And, when Rehoboam entered Jerusalem, he called together all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin - a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, able to make war, - to fight against the house of Israel, to bring back the kingdom to Rehoboam, son of Solomon.

Speak unto Rehoboam, son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah, and Benjamin, - and the remnant of the people, saying:

Thus, saith Yahweh - Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel, - return ye every man to his own house, for, from me, hath this thing been brought about. So they hearkened unto the word of Yahweh, and turned back to depart, according to the word of Yahweh.

And he made a house of high-places, - and made priests from the whole compass of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

And he offered up on the altar which he had made in Bethel, on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month which he had devised out of his own heart, - thus made he a festival for the sons of Israel, and offered up on the altar, to make a perfume.

And he made proclamation against the altar, by the word of Yahweh, and said, O altar! altar! Thus, saith Yahweh, - Lo! a son to be born unto the house of David, Josiah his name, who shall sacrifice upon thee the priests of the high-places, who are making a perfume upon thee, and, human bones, shall be burned upon thee;

But, a certain aged prophet, was dwelling in Bethel, - whose sons came in and related to him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel - and the words which he had spoken unto the king, and they related them to their father.

And their father said unto them, Which way then went he? Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God went who had come in out of Judah.

So he said unto his sons, Saddle for me, the ass. And they saddled for him the ass, and he rode thereon;

And he spake unto his sons, saying, Saddle for me the ass. And they saddled it.

And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake unto his sons, saying, When I die, then shall ye bury me in the grave wherein the man of God is buried; beside his bones, lay my bones;

At that time, fell sick, Abijah son of Jeroboam.

But, Yahweh, had said unto Ahijah - Lo! the wife of Jeroboam, coming to enquire something of thee, concerning her son, for he is sick, thus and so, shalt thou speak unto her, - though, when she cometh in, she feign to be a stranger-woman.

And, the days which Jeroboam reigned, were twenty-two years, - and he slept with his fathers, and, Nadab his son, reigned, in his stead.

And, Rehoboam, son of Solomon, reigned in Judah, - forty-one years old, was Rehoboam when he began to reign, and seventeen years, reigned he in Jerusalem, the city which Yahweh had chosen to put his Name there, out of all the tribes of Israel, and, his mother's name, was Naamah, the Ammonitess.

Moreover also, there were, male devotees, in the land, - they did according to all the abominable practices of the nations, which Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.

So then Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and, the name of his mother, was Naamah the Ammonitess, - and, Abijah his son, reigned, in his stead.

Now, in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam son of Nebat, began Abijah to reign over Judah.

But, for the sake of David, did Yahweh his God give him a lamp, in Jerusalem, - by raising up a son of his after him, and by suffering Jerusalem to stand;

So then Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David, - and, Asa his son, reigned, in his stead.

So Asa took all the silver and the gold, that were left in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh, and the treasures of the house of the king, and delivered them into the hand of his servants, - and King Asa sent them unto Ben-hadad, son of Tabrimmon, son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying:

So then Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers, in the city of David his father, - and, Jehoshaphat his son, reigned, in his stead.

Now, Nadab son of Jeroboam, began to reign over Israel, in the second year of Asa king of Judah, - and he reigned over Israel, two years.

And Baasha son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him, and Baasha smote him in Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, - Nadab and all Israel being in siege against Gibbethon.

In the third year of Asa king of Judah, began Baasha, son of Ahijah, to reign over all Israel, in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years.

son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying: Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and gave thee to be leader over my people Israel, - and yet thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and caused, my people Israel, to sin, provoking me to anger with their sins,

Behold me! consuming after Baasha, and after his house, - and I will deliver up thy house, like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat:

So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah, - and, Elah his son, reigned, in his stead.

Moreover also, through Jehu son of Hanani the prophet, the word of Yahweh, came against Baasha and against his house, even because of all the wickedness that he had done in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, becoming like the house of Jeroboam, - notwithstanding that he smote him.

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, began Elah son of Baasha to reign over Israel, in Tirzah, and he reigned two years.

as to all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, - wherewith they sinned, and wherewith they caused, Israel, to sin, provoking to anger Yahweh God of Israel, with their vanities.

Then, were the people of Israel divided, - half the people, were following Tibni son of Ginath, to make him king, and, half, following Omri.

But, the people that followed Omri, prevailed against, the people that followed Tibni son of Ginath; so that, Tibni, died, and, Omri, reigned.