by Septuagint
Chapter 9
[1] And it came to pass when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all the work of Solomon, whatever he wished to perform, [2] that the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he appeared in Gabaon.
[3] And the Lord said to him, I have heard the voice of thy prayer, and thy supplication which thou madest before me: I have done for thee according to all thy prayer: I have hallowed this house which thou hast built to put my name there for ever, and mine eyes and my heart shall be there always. [4] And if thou wilt walk before me as David thy father walked, in holiness of heart and uprightness, and so as to do according to all that I commanded him, and shalt keep my ordinances and my commandments: [5] then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom in Israel for ever, as I spoke to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to rule in Israel. [6] But if ye or your children do in any wise revolt from me, and do not keep my commandments and my ordinances, which Moses set before you, and ye go and serve other gods, and worship them: [7] then will I cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and this house which I have consecrated to my name I will cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a desolation and a by-word to all nations. [8] And this house, which is high, shall be so that every one that passes by it shall be amazed, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Wherefore has the Lord done thus to this land, and to this house? [9] And men shall say, Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought out their fathers from Egypt, out of the house of bondage, and they attached themselves to strange gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore the Lord has brought this evil upon them.
Then Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharao out of the city of David into his house which he built for himself in those days.
[10] During twenty years in which Solomon was building the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the house of the king, [11] Chiram king of Tyre helped Solomon with cedar wood, and fir wood, and with gold, and all that he wished for: then the king gave Chiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. [12] So Chiram departed from Tyre, and went into Galilee to see the cities which Solomon gave to him; and they pleased him not. And he said, [13] What are these cities which thou hast given me, brother? And he called them Boundary until this day. [14] And Chiram brought to Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold, [25] 26 even that for which king Solomon built a ship in Gasion Gaber near Ælath on the shore of the extremity of the sea in the land of Edom. [27] And Chiram sent in the ship together with the servants of Solomon servants of his own, mariners to row, men acquainted with the sea. [28] And they came to Sophira, and took thence a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
Chapter 10
[1] And the queen of Saba heard of the name of Solomon, and the name of the Lord, and she came to try him with riddles. [2] And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train; and there came camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and she came in to Solomon, and told him all that was in her heart. [3] And Solomon answered all her questions: and there was not a question overlooked by the king which he did not answer her. [4] And the queen of Saba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he built, [5] and the provision of Solomon and the sitting of his attendants, and the standing of his servants, and his raiment, and his cup-bearers, and his whole-burnt-offering which he offered in the house of the Lord, and she was utterly amazed. [6] And she said to king Solomon, It was a true report which I heard in my land of thy words and thy wisdom. [7] But I believed not them that told me, until I came and my eyes saw: and, behold, the words as they reported to me are not the half: thou hast exceeded in goodness all the report which I heard in my land. [8] Blessed are thy wives, blessed are these thy servants who stand before thee continually, who hear all thy wisdom. [9] Blessed be the Lord thy God, who has taken pleasure in thee, to set thee upon the throne of Israel, because the Lord loved Israel to establish him for ever; and he has made thee king over them, to execute judgment with justice, and in their causes.
[10] And she gave to Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very many spices, and precious stones: there had not come any other spices so abundant as those which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.
[11] And the ship of Chiram which brought the gold from Suphir, brought very much hewn timber and precious stones. [12] And the king made the hewn timber into buttresses of the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and lyres and harps for singers: such hewn timber had not come upon the earth, nor have been seen anywhere until this day. [13] And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, whatsoever she asked, besides all that he had given her by the hand of king Solomon: and she returned, and came into her own land, she and her servants.
[14] And the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold. [15] Besides the tributes of them that were subjects, both merchants and all the kings of the country beyond the river, and of the princess of the land.
[16] And Solomon made three hundred spears of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold were upon one spear. [17] And three hundred shields of beaten gold: and three pounds of gold were in one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
[18] And the king made a great ivory throne, and gilded it with pure gold. [19] The throne had six steps, and calves in bold relief to the throne behind it, and side-pieces on either hand of the place of the seat, and two lions standing by the side-pieces, [20] and twelve lions standing there on the six steps on either side: it was not so done in any other kingdom. [21] And all the vessels made by Solomon were of gold, and the lavers were golden, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; there was no silver, for it was not accounted of in the days of Solomon. [22] For Solomon had a ship of Tharsis in the sea with the ships of Chiram: one ship came to the king every three years out of Tharsis, laden with gold and silver, and wrought stones, and hewn stones.
This was the arrangement of the provision which king Solomon fetched to build the house of the Lord, and the house of the king, and the wall of Jerusalem, and the citadel; to fortify the city of David, and Assur, and Magdal, and Gazer, and Baethoron the upper, and Jethermath, and all the cities of the chariots, and all the cities of the horsemen, and the fortification of Solomon which he purposed to build in Jerusalem and in all the land, so that none of the people should rule over him that was left of the Chettite and the Amorite, and the Pherezite, and the Chananite, and the Evite, and the Jebusite, and the Gergesite, who were not of the children of Israel, their descendants who had been left with him in the land, whom the children of Israel could not utterly destroy; and Solomon made them tributaries until this day. But of the children of Israel Solomon made nothing; for they were the warriors, and his servants and rulers, and captains of the third order, and the captains of his chariots, and his horsemen.
[23] And Solomon increased beyond all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. [24] And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which the Lord had put into his heart. [25] And they brought every one their gifts, vessels of gold, and raiment, and stacte, and spices, and horses, and mules, a rate year by year. [26] And Solomon had four thousand mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen: and he put them in the cities of his chariots, and with the king in Jerusalem: and he ruled over all the kings from the river to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.
[27] And the king made gold and silver in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as the sycamores in the plain for multitude. [28] And the goings forth of Solomon’s horsemen was also out of Egypt, and the king’s merchants were of Thecue; and they received them out of Thecue at a price. [29] And that which proceeded out of Egypt went up thus, even a chariot for a hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for fifty shekels of silver: and thus for all the kings of the Chettians, and the kings of Syria, they came out by sea.
/> Chapter 11
[0] And king Solomon was a lover of women. [3] And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. [1] And he took strange women, as well as the daughter of Pharao, Moabitish, Ammanitish women, Syrians and Idumeans, Chettites, and Amorites; [2] of the nations concerning whom the Lord forbade the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall not go in to them, and they shall not come in to you, lest they turn away your hearts after their idols: Solomon clave to these in love. [4] And it came to pass in the time of the old age of Solomon, that his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. [5] and to Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians. [7] Then Solomon built a high place to Chamos the idol of Moab, and to their king the idol of the children of Ammon, [8] And thus he acted towards all his strange wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed to their idols. [6] And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he went not after the Lord, as David his father. And the strange women turned away his heart after their gods.
[9] And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because he turned away his heart from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared twice to him, [10] and charged him concerning this matter, by no means to go after other gods, but to take heed to do what the Lord God commanded him; neither was his heart perfect with the Lord, according to the heart of David his father. [11] And the Lord said to Solomon, Because it has been thus with thee, and thou hast not kept my commandments and my ordinances which I commanded thee, I will surely rend thy kingdom out of thy hand, and give it to thy servant. [12] Only in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake: but I will take it out of the hand of thy son. [13] Only I will not take away the whole kingdom: I will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen.
[14] And the Lord raised up and enemy to Solomon, Ader the Idumaean, and Esrom son of Eliadae who dwelt in Raama, and Adadezer king of Suba his master; (and men gathered to him, and he was head of the conspiracy, and he seized on Damasec,)and they were adversaries to Israel all the days of Solomon: and Ader the Idumaean was of the seed royal in Idumaea. [15] And it happened, that while David was utterly destroying Edom, while Joab captain of the host was going to bury the dead, when they slew every male in Idumaea; [16] (for Joab and all Israel abode there six months in Idumaea, until he utterly destroyed every male in Idumaea;) [17] that Ader ran away, he and all the Idumaeans of the servants of his father with him; and they went into Egypt; and Ader was then a little child. [18] And there rise up men out of the city of Madiam, and they come to Pharan, and take men with them, and come to Pharao king of Egypt: and Ader went in to Pharao, and he gave him a house, and appointed him provision. [19] And Ader found great favour in the sight of Pharao, and he gave him his wife’s sister in marriage, the elder sister of Thekemina. [20] And the sister of Thekemina bore to him, even to Ader, Ganebath her son; and Thekemina brought him up in the midst of the sons of Pharao, and Ganebath was in the midst of the sons of Pharao.
[21] And Ader heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead; and Ader said to Pharao, Let me go, and I will return to my country. [22] And Pharao said to Ader, What lackest thou with me? that lo! thou seekest to depart to thy country? and Ader said to him, By all means let me go. [23] 24 [25] (22A) So Ader returned to his country; this is the mischief which Ader did, and he was a bitter enemy of Israel, and he reigned in the land of Edom.
[26] And Jeroboam the son of Nabat, the Ephrathite of Sarira, the son of a widow, was servant of Solomon. [27] And this was the occasion of his lifting up his hands against king Solomon: now king Solomon built the citadel, he completed the fortification of the city of David his father. [28] And the man Jeroboam was very strong; and Solomon saw the young man that he was active, and he set him over the levies of the house of Joseph.
[29] And it came to pass at that time, that Jeroboam went forth from Jerusalem, and Achia the Selonite the prophet found him in the way, and caused him to turn aside out of the way: and Achia was clad with a new garment, and they two were alone in the field. [30] And Achia laid hold of his new garment that was upon him, and tore it into twelve pieces: [31] and he said to Jeroboam, Take to thyself ten pieces, for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give thee ten tribes. [32] Yet he shall have two tribes, for my servant David’s sake, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. [33] Because he forsook me, and sacrificed to Astarte the abomination of the Sidonians, and to Chamos, and to the idols of Moab, and to their king the abomination of the children of Ammon, and he walked not in my ways, to do that which was right before me, as David his father did. [34] Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, (for I will certainly resist him all the days of his life,) for David my servant’s sake, whom I have chosen. [35] But I will take the kingdom out of the hand of his son, and give thee ten tribes. [36] But to his son I will give the two remaining tribes, that my servant David may have an establishment continually before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for myself to put my name there. [37] And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign as thy soul desires, and thou shalt be king over Israel. [38] And it shall come to pass, if thou wilt keep all the commandments that I shall give thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that which is right before me, to keep my ordinances and my commandments, as David my servant did, that I will be with thee, and will build thee a sure house, as I built to David.
[39] 40 And Solomon sought to slay Jeroboam: but he arose and fled into Egypt, to Susakim king of Egypt, and he was in Egypt until Solomon died.
[41] And the rest of the history of Solomon, and all that he did, and all his wisdom, behold are not these things written in the book of the life of Solomon? [42] And the days during which Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel were forty years. [43] And Solomon slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David his father. And it came to pass when Jeroboam son of Nabat heard of it, even while he was yet in Egypt as he fled from the face of Solomon and dwelt in Egypt, he straightway comes into his own city, into the land of Sarira in the mount of Ephraim. And king Solomon slept with his fathers, and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.
Chapter 12
[1] And king Roboam goes to Sikima; for all Israel were coming to Sikima to make him king. [2] 3 And the people spoke to king Roboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy; [4] but do thou now lighten somewhat of the hard service of thy father, and of his heavy yoke which he put upon us, and we will serve thee. [5] And he said to them, Depart for three days, and return to me. And they departed.
[6] And the king referred the matter to the elders, who stood before Solomon his father while he was yet living, saying, How do ye advise that I should answer this people? [7] And they spoke to him, saying, If thou wilt this day be a servant to this people, and wilt serve them, and wilt speak to them good words, then will they be thy servants continually.
[8] But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they gave him, and consulted with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood in his presence. [9] And he said to them, What counsel do ye give? And what shall I answer to this people who speak to me, saying, Lighten somewhat of the yoke which thy father has put upon us?
[10] And the young men who had been brought up with him, who stood before his face, spoke to him, saying, Thus shalt thou say to this people who have spoken to thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, and do thou now lighten it from off us: thus shalt say to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. [11] And whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I also will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
[12] And all Israel came to king Roboam on the third day, as the king spoke to them, saying, Return to me on the third day. [13] And the king answered the people harshly; and Roboam forsook the counsel of
the old men which they counselled him. [14] And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
[15] And the king hearkened not to the people, because the change was from the Lord, that he might establish his word which he spoke by Achia the Selonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat. [16] And all Israel saw that the king did not hearken to them: and the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we any inheritance in the son of Jessae. Depart, O Israel, to thy tents: now feed thine own house, David. So Israel departed to his tents.
[17] 18 And the king sent Adoniram who was over the tribute; and they stoned him with stones, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to rise to flee to Jerusalem.
[19] So Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day. [20] And it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned out of Egypt, that they sent and called him to the assembly, and they made him king over Israel: and none followed the house of David except the tribe of Juda and Benjamin only.
[21] And Roboam went into Jerusalem, and he assembled the congregation of Juda, and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and twenty thousand young men, warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to recover the kingdom to Roboam the son of Solomon. [22] And the word of the Lord came to Samaia the man of God, saying, [23] Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon, king of Juda, and to all the house of Juda and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, [24] Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, neither shall ye fight with your brethren the sons of Israel: return each man to his own home; for this thing is from me; and they hearkened to the word of the Lord, and they ceased from going up, according to the word of the Lord.