Delphi Septuagint

by Lancelot C L Brenton (ed)

  And when David was yet living, he charged Solomon, saying, Behold, there is with thee Semei the son of Gera, of the seed of Benjamin out of Chebron: he cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went into the camp; and he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, He shall not be slain with the sword. But now do not thou hold him guiltless, for thou art a man of understanding, and thou wilt know what thou shalt do to him, and thou shalt bring down his grey hairs with blood to the grave.

  [36] And the king called Semei, and said to him, Build thee a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and thou shalt not go out thence any whither. [37] And it shall come to pass in the day that thou shalt go forth and cross over the brook Kedron, know assuredly that thou shalt certainly die: thy blood shall be upon thine head. And the king caused him to swear in that day. [38] And Semei said to the king, Good is the word that thou hast spoken, my lord O king: thus will thy servant do. And Semei dwelt in Jerusalem three years.

  [39] And it came to pass after the three years, that two servants of Semei ran away to Anchus son of Maacha king of Geth: and it was told Semei, saying, Behold, thy servants are in Geth. [40] And Semei rose up, and saddled his ass, and went to Geth to Anchus to seek out his servants: and Semei went, and brought his servants out of Geth. [41] And it was told Solomon, saying, Semei is gone out of Jerusalem to Geth, and has brought back his servants. [42] And the king sent and called Semei, and said to him, Did I not adjure thee by the Lord, and testify to thee, saying, In whatsoever day thou shalt go out of Jerusalem, and go to the right or left, know certainly that thou shalt assuredly die? [43] And why hast thou not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment which I commanded thee?

  [44] And the king said to Semei, Thou knowest all thy mischief which thy heart knows, which thou didst to David my father: and the Lord has recompensed thy mischief on thine own head. [45] And king Solomon is blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever. [46] And Solomon commanded Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he went forth and slew him.

  And king Solomon was very prudent and wise: and Juda and Israel were very many, as the sand which is by the sea for multitude, eating, and drinking, and rejoicing: and Solomon was chief in all the kingdoms, and they brought gifts, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon began to open the domains of Libanus, and he built Thermae in the wilderness. And this was the daily provision of Solomon, thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of ground meal, ten choice calves, and twenty oxen from the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides stags, and does, and choice fed birds. For he ruled in all the country on this side the river, from Raphi unto Gaza, over all the kings on this side the river: and he was at peace on all sides round about; and Juda and Israel dwelt safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, eating and drinand feasting, from Dan even to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon.

  And these were the princes of Solomon; Azariu son of Sadoc the priest, and Orniu son of Nathan chief of the officers, and he went to his house; and Suba the scribe, and Basa son of Achithalam recorder, and Abi son of Joab commander-in-chief, and Achire son of Edrai was over the levies, and Banaeas son of Jodae over the household and over the brickwork, and Cachur the son of Nathan was counsellor.

  And Solomon had forty thousand brood mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horses. And he reigned over all the kings from the river and to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt: so Solomon the son of David reigned over Israel and Juda in Jerusalem.

  Chapter 3

  [1] 2 Nevertheless the people burnt incense on the high places, because a house had not yet been built to the Lord. [3] And Solomon loved the Lord, so as to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. [4] And he arose and went to Gabaon to sacrifice there, for that was the highest place, and great: Solomon offered a whole-burnt-offering of a thousand victims on the altar in Gabaon.

  [5] And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Solomon, Ask some petition for thyself. [6] And Solomon said, Thou hast dealt very mercifully with thy servant David my father 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 mercy, to set his son upon his throne, as it is this day. [7] And now, O Lord my God, thou hast appointed thy servant in the room of David my father; and I am a little child, and know not my going out an my coming in. [8] But thy servant is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, a great people, which cannot be numbered. [9] Thou shalt give therefore to thy servant a heart to hear and to judge thy people justly, and to discern between good and evil: for who will be able to judge this thy great people?

  [10] And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing. [11] And the Lord said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing of me, and hast not asked for thyself long life, and hast not asked wealth, nor hast asked the lives of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to hear judgement; [12] behold, I have done according to thy word: behold, I have given thee an understanding and wise heart: there has not been any one like thee before thee, and after thee there shall not arise one like thee. [13] And I have given thee what thou hast not asked, wealth and glory, so that there has not been any one like thee among kings. [14] And if thou wilt walk in my way, to keep my commandments and my ordinances, as David thy father walked, then will I multiply thy days. [15] And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream: and he arose and came to Jerusalem, and stood before the altar that was in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord in Sion: and he offered whole-burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings, and made a great banquet for himself and all his servants.

  [16] Then there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him. [17] And the one woman said, Hear me, my lord; I and this woman dwelt in one house, and we were delivered in the house. [18] And it came to pass on the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered: and we were together; and there was no one with us besides our two selves in the house. [19] And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. [20] and she arose in the middle of the night, and took my son from my arms, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. [21] and I arose in the morning to suckle my son, and he was dead: and, behold, I considered him in the morning, and, behold, it was not my son whom I bore. [22] And the other woman said, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. So they spoke before the king.

  [23] and the king said to them, Thou sayest, This is my son, even the living one, and this woman’s son is the dead one: and thou sayest, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. [24] And the king said, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. [25] And the king said, Divide the live child, the suckling, in two; and give half of it to one, and half of it to the other. [26] And the woman whose the living child was, answered and said to the king, (for her bowels yearned over her son) and she said, I pray thee, my lord, give her the child, and in nowise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor hers; divide it. [27] Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her that said, ‘Give it to her, and by no means slay it:’ she is its mother. [28] and all Israel heard this judgement which the king judged, and they feared before the king; because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute judgement.

  Chapter 4

  [1] And king Solomon reigned over Israel.

  [2] And these are the princes which he had; Azarias son of Sadoc. [3] Eliaph, and Achia son of Seba, scribes; and Josaphat son of Achilud, recorder. [4] And Banaeas son of Jodae over the host; and Sadoc and Abiathar were priests. [5] And Ornia the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabuth son of Nathan was the king’s friend. [6] And Achisar was steward, and Eliac the chief steward; and Eliab the son of Saph was over the family: and Adoniram the son of Audon over the tribute.

  [7] And Solomon had twelve officers
over all Israel, to provide for the king and his household; each one’s turn came to supply for a month in the year. [8] And these were their names: Been the son of Or in the mount of Ephraim, one. [9] The son of Dacar, in Makes, and in Salabin, and Baethsamys, and Elon as far as Bethanan, one. [10] The son of Esdi in Araboth; his was Socho, and all the land of Opher. [11] All Nephthador belonged to the son of Aminadab, Tephath daughter of Solomon was his wife, one. [12] Bana son of Achiluth had Ithaanach, and Mageddo, and his was the whole house of San which was by Sesathan below Esrae, and from Bethsan as far as Sabelmaula, as far as Maeber Lucam, one. [13] The son of Naber in Raboth Galaad, to him fell the lot of Ergab in Basan, sixty great cities with walls, and brazen bars, one. [14] Achinadab son of Saddo, had Maanaim. [15] Achimaas was in Nephthalim, and he took Basemmath daughter of Solomon to wife, one. [16] Baana son of Chusi, in Aser and in Baaloth, one, [17] Josaphat son of Phuasud was in Issachar. [18] Semei son of Ela, in Benjamin. [19] Gaber son of Adai in the land of Gad, the land of Seon king of Esebon, and of Og king of Basan, and one officer in the land of Juda. [20] 21 [22] And these were the requisite supplies for Solomon: in one day thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of fine pounded meal, [23] and ten choice calves, and twenty pastured oxen, and a hundred sheep, besides stags, and choice fatted does. [24] For he had dominion on this side the river, and he was at peace on all sides round about.

  [25] 26 [27] And thus the officers provided king Solomon: and they execute every one in his month all the orders for the table of the king, they omit nothing. [28] And they carried the barley and the straw for the horses and the chariots to the place where the king might be, each according to his charge.

  [29] And the Lord gave understanding to Solomon, and very much wisdom, and enlargement of heart, as the sand on the seashore. [30] And Solomon abounded greatly beyond the wisdom of all the ancients, and beyond all the wise men of Egypt. [31] And he was wiser than all other men: and he was wiser than Gaethan the Zarite, and than Ænan, and than Chalcad and Darala the son of Mal. [32] And Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were five thousand. [33] And he spoke of trees, from the cedar in Libanus even to the hyssop which comes out through the wall: he spoke also of cattle, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fishes. [34] And all the nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and ambassadors from all the kings of the earth, as many as heard of his wisdom.

  And Solomon took to himself the daughter of Pharao to wife, and brought her into the city of David until he had finished the house of the Lord, and his own house, and the wall of Jerusalem. Then went up Pharao the king of Egypt, and took Gazer, and burnt it and the Chananite dwelling in Mergab; and Pharao gave them as a dowry to his daughter the wife of Solomon: and Solomon rebuilt Gazer.

  Chapter 5

  [1] And Chiram king of Tyre sent his servants to anoint Solomon in the room of David his father, because Chiram always loved David. [2] And Solomon sent to Chiram, saying, [3] Thou knewest my father David, that he could not build a house to the name of the Lord my God because of the wars that compassed him about, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. [4] And now the Lord my God has given me rest round about; there is no one plotting against me, and there is no evil trespass against me. [5] And, behold, I intend to build a house to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord God spoke to my father David, saying, Thy son whom I will set on thy throne in thy place, he shall build a house to my name. [6] And now command, and let men cut wood for me out of Libanus: and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, and I will give thee the wages of thy service, according to all that thou shalt say, because thou knowest that we have no one skilled in cutting timber like the Sidonians.

  [7] And it came to pass, as soon as Chiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be God to-day, who has given to David a wise son over this numerous people. [8] And he sent to Solomon, saying, I have listened concerning all that thou hast sent to me for: I will do all thy will: as for timber of cedar and fir, [9] my servants shall bring them down from Libanus to the sea: I will form them into rafts, and bring them to the place which thou shalt send to me about; and I will land them there, and thou shalt take them up: and thou shalt do my will, in giving bread to my household.

  [10] So Chiram gave to Solomon cedars, and fir trees, and all his desire. [11] And Solomon gave to Chiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food for his house, and twenty thousand baths of beaten oil thus Solomon gave to Chiram yearly. [12] And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon as he promised him; and there was peace between Chiram and Solomon, and they made a covenant between them.

  [13] And the king raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men. [14] And he sent them to Libanus, ten thousand taking turn every month: they were a month in Libanus and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. [15] And Solomon had seventy thousand bearers of burdens, and eighty thousand hewers of stone in the mountain; [16] besides the rulers that were appointed over the works of Solomon, there were three thousand six hundred masters who wrought in the works. [17] 18 And they prepared the stones and the timber during three years.

  Chapter 6

  [0] And it came to pass in the four hundred and fortieth year after the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt, in the fourth year and second month of the reign of king Solomon over Israel, [17] that the king commanded that they should take great and costly stones for the foundation of the house, and hewn stones. [18] And the men of Solomon, and the men of Chiram hewed the stones, and laid them for a foundation.

  [1] In the fourth year he laid the foundation of the house of the Lord, in the month Ziu, even in the second month. [38] In the eleventh year, in the month Baal, this is the eighth month, the house was completed according to all its plan, and according to all its arrangement. [2] And the house which the king built to the Lord was forty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and its height five and twenty cubits. [3] And the porch in front of the temple — twenty cubits was its length according to the breadth of the house in front of the house: and he built the house, and finished it. [4] And he made to the house secret windows inclining inward.

  [5] And against the wall of the house he set chambers round about the temple and the ark. [6] The under side was five cubits broad, and the middle part six, and the third was seven cubits broad; for he formed an interval to the house round about without the house, that they might not touch the walls of the house. [7] And the house was built in the construction of it with rough hewn stones: and there was not heard in the house in the building of it hammer or axe, or any iron tool. [8] And the porch of the under side was below the right wing of the house, and there was a winding ascent into the middle chamber, and from the middle to the third story. [9] So he built the house and finished it; and he made the ceiling of the house with cedars. [10] And he made the partitions through all the house, each five cubits high, and enclosed each partition with cedar boards.

  [11] 12 [13] 14 [15] And he framed the walls of the house within with cedar boards, from the floor of the house and on to the inner walls and to the beams: he lined the parts enclosed with boards within, and compassed the inward parts of the house with planks of fir. [16] And he built the twenty cubits from the top of the wall, one side from the floor to the beams, and he made it from the oracle to the most holy place. [17] And the temple was forty cubits in extent, [18] 19 in front of the oracle in the midst of the house within, in order to put there the ark of the covenant of the Lord. [20] The length was twenty cubits, and the breadth was twenty cubits, and the height of it was twenty cubits. And he covered it with perfect gold, and he made an altar in front of the oracle, and covered it with gold. [21] 22 And he covered the whole house with gold, till he had finished gilding the whole house.

  [23] And he made in the oracle two cherubs of ten cubits measured size. [24] And the wing of one cherub was five cubits, and his other wing was five cubits; ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other win
g. [25] Thus it was with the other cherub, both were alike finished with one measure. [26] And the height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it with the second cherub. [27] And both the cherubs were in the midst of the innermost part of the house; and they spread out their wings, and one wing touched the wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings in the midst of the house touched each other. [28] And he covered the cherubs with gold.

  [29] He graved all the walls of the house round about with the graving of cherubs, and he sculptured palm trees within and without the house. [30] And he covered the floor of the house within and without with gold.

  [31] And for the door-way of the oracle he made doors of juniper wood, there were porches in a four-fold way. [32] 33 [34] In both the doors were planks of fir; the one door had two leaves and their hinges, and the other door had two leaves and turned on hinges, [35] being carved with cherubs, and there were palm-trees and open flower-leaves, and it was overlaid with gold gilt upon the engraving. [36] And he built the inner court, three rows of hewn stones, and a row of wrought cedar round about, and he made the curtain of the court of the porch of the house that was in front of the temple. [37] 38