Now all the work of Solomon was prepared to the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.

Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

And Huram sent to him by the hands of his servants, ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she had come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in my own land of thy acts, and of thy wisdom:

Yet, I believed not their words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told to me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

Blessed be the LORD thy God, who delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which she had brought to the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

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

Besides that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target.

And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting-place, and two lions standing by the stays:

For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

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

And he reigned over all the kings from the river even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

And they brought to Solomon horses from Egypt, and from all lands.

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

And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned from Egypt.

And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

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

And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?

And they spoke to him, saying, If thou wilt be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.

And he said to them, What advice give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father put upon us?

And the young men that were brought up with him, spoke to him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spoke to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king directed, saying, Come again to me on the third day.

And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

So the king hearkened not to the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken to them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thy own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get into his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

And Israel rebelled against the house of David to this day.

And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done by me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him from all their borders.

For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office to the LORD:

And after them out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers.

And Rehoboam took to himself Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David for a wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.

And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city: and he gave them provisions in abundance. And he desired many wives.

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

And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,

And he took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were assembled at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

Instead of which, king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.

So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.

And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.

Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

And there are gathered to him vain men, the children of Belial, and they have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted, and could not withstand them.

And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.

Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made for you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.

But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, who minister to the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:

And they burn to the LORD every morning and every evening burnt-sacrifices and sweet incense: the show-bread also they set in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with its lamps to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him.

And behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye will not prosper.

But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.

And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried to the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

But Abijah became mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.

And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

Therefore he said to Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built, and prospered.

And Asa had an army of men that bore targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and eighty thousand: all these were mighty men of valor.

And there came out against them Zerah the Cushite, with a host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came to Mareshah.

And Asa cried to the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them to Gerar: and the Cushites were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.

They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye are with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

But when they in their trouble returned to the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.

And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they resorted to him out of Israel in multitudes, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

And they offered to the LORD at the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

That whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

And they swore to the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

Then Asa brought silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,

And Ben-hadad hearkened to king Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the store cities of Naphtali.

And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off the building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore hath the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thy hand.

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him. In this thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceedingly severe: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.

And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not to Baalim;

But sought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel.

Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand: and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honor in abundance.

Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Ben-hail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.

And these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers: of Judah, the captains of thousands; Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valor three hundred thousand.

And next to him was Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand.

And next to him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself to the LORD; and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.

And of Benjamin; Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him armed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand.

And next to him was Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and eighty thousand ready prepared for the war.

And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.

And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.

And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to-day.

Therefore the king of Israel collected of prophets four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good to me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.