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2 Chronicles 1-12
New International Version

Solomon Asks for Wisdom(A)(B)

1 Solomon son of David established(C) himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with(D) him and made him exceedingly great.(E)

2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel(F)—to the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, to the judges and to all the leaders in Israel, the heads of families— 3 and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon,(G) for God’s tent of meeting(H) was there, which Moses(I) the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. 4 Now David had brought up the ark(J) of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent(K) for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar(L) that Bezalel(M) son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the tabernacle of the Lord; so Solomon and the assembly inquired(N) of him there. 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 That night God appeared(O) to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

8 Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me(P) king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, let your promise(Q) to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth.(R) 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead(S) this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth,(T) possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor,(U) such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.(V)”

13 Then Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting. And he reigned over Israel.

14 Solomon accumulated chariots(W) and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,[a] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold(X) as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue[b]—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. 17 They imported a chariot(Y) from Egypt for six hundred shekels[c] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.[d] They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.

Preparations for Building the Temple(Z)

2 [e]Solomon gave orders to build a temple(AA) for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself.(AB) 2 He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them.(AC)

3 Solomon sent this message to Hiram[f](AD) king of Tyre:

“Send me cedar logs(AE) as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. 4 Now I am about to build a temple(AF) for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense(AG) before him, for setting out the consecrated bread(AH) regularly, and for making burnt offerings(AI) every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths,(AJ) at the New Moons(AK) and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.

5 “The temple I am going to build will be great,(AL) because our God is greater than all other gods.(AM) 6 But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?(AN) Who then am I(AO) to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?

7 “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers,(AP) whom my father David provided.

8 “Send me also cedar, juniper and algum[g] logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours 9 to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. 10 I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors[h] of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors[i] of barley, twenty thousand baths[j] of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.(AQ)”

11 Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon:

“Because the Lord loves(AR) his people, he has made you their king.”

12 And Hiram added:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth!(AS) He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.

13 “I am sending you Huram-Abi,(AT) a man of great skill, 14 whose mother was from Dan(AU) and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained(AV) to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue(AW) and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father.

15 “Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil(AX) and wine he promised, 16 and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa.(AY) You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon took a census of all the foreigners(AZ) residing in Israel, after the census(BA) his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. 18 He assigned(BB) 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working.

Solomon Builds the Temple(BC)

3 Then Solomon began to build(BD) the temple of the Lord(BE) in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah[k](BF) the Jebusite, the place provided by David. 2 He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.(BG)

3 The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide[l](BH) (using the cubit of the old standard). 4 The portico at the front of the temple was twenty cubits[m] long across the width of the building and twenty[n] cubits high.

He overlaid the inside with pure gold. 5 He paneled the main hall with juniper and covered it with fine gold and decorated it with palm tree(BI) and chain designs. 6 He adorned the temple with precious stones. And the gold he used was gold of Parvaim. 7 He overlaid the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved cherubim(BJ) on the walls.

8 He built the Most Holy Place,(BK) its length corresponding to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents[o] of fine gold. 9 The gold nails(BL) weighed fifty shekels.[p] He also overlaid the upper parts with gold.

10 For the Most Holy Place he made a pair(BM) of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold. 11 The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits[q] long and touched the temple wall, while its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub. 12 Similarly one wing of the second cherub was five cubits long and touched the other temple wall, and its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim(BN) extended twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, facing the main hall.[r]

14 He made the curtain(BO) of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim(BP) worked into it.

15 For the front of the temple he made two pillars,(BQ) which together were thirty-five cubits[s] long, each with a capital(BR) five cubits high. 16 He made interwoven chains[t](BS) and put them on top of the pillars. He also made a hundred pomegranates(BT) and attached them to the chains. 17 He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin[u] and the one to the north Boaz.[v]

The Temple’s Furnishings(BU)

4 He made a bronze altar(BV) twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.[w] 2 He made the Sea(BW) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits[x] high. It took a line of thirty cubits[y] to measure around it. 3 Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit.[z] The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

4 The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east.(BX) The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 5 It was a handbreadth[aa] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.[ab]

6 He then made ten basins(BY) for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings(BZ) were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing.

7 He made ten gold lampstands(CA) according to the specifications(CB) for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

8 He made ten tables(CC) and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold sprinkling bowls.(CD)

9 He made the courtyard(CE) of the priests, and the large court and the doors for the court, and overlaid the doors with bronze. 10 He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner.

11 And Huram also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls.

So Huram finished(CF) the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God:

12 the two pillars;

the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

13 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars);

14 the stands(CG) with their basins;

15 the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

16 the pots, shovels, meat forks and all related articles.

All the objects that Huram-Abi(CH) made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of polished bronze. 17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth(CI) and Zarethan.[ac] 18 All these things that Solomon made amounted to so much that the weight of the bronze(CJ) could not be calculated.

19 Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in God’s temple:

the golden altar;

the tables(CK) on which was the bread of the Presence;

20 the lampstands(CL) of pure gold with their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed;

21 the gold floral work and lamps and tongs (they were solid gold);

22 the pure gold wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes(CM) and censers;(CN) and the gold doors of the temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors of the main hall.

5 When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished,(CO) he brought in the things his father David had dedicated(CP)—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

The Ark Brought to the Temple(CQ)

2 Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark(CR) of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. 3 And all the Israelites(CS) came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.

4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, 5 and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests(CT) carried them up; 6 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

7 The priests then brought the ark(CU) of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 8 The cherubim(CV) spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. 9 These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 10 There was nothing in the ark except(CW) the two tablets(CX) that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

11 The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions.(CY) 12 All the Levites who were musicians(CZ)—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.(DA) 13 The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(DB)

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud,(DC) 14 and the priests could not perform(DD) their service because of the cloud,(DE) for the glory(DF) of the Lord filled the temple of God.

6 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;(DG) 2 I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.(DH)”

3 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. 4 Then he said:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said, 5 ‘Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over my people Israel. 6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem(DI) for my Name(DJ) to be there, and I have chosen David(DK) to rule my people Israel.’

7 “My father David had it in his heart(DL) to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. 9 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’

10 “The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant(DM) of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication(DN)(DO)

12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 Now he had made a bronze platform,(DP) five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high,[ad] and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down(DQ) before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 He said:

“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you(DR) in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love(DS) with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 15 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised(DT) and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.

16 “Now, Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail(DU) to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law,(DV) as you have done.’ 17 And now, Lord, the God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true.

18 “But will God really dwell(DW) on earth with humans? The heavens,(DX) even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 19 Yet, Lord my God, give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. 20 May your eyes(DY) be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name(DZ) there. May you hear(EA) the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 21 Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.(EB)

22 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath(EC) and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, 23 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning(ED) the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.

24 “When your people Israel have been defeated(EE) by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.

26 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain(EF) because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 27 then hear from heaven and forgive(EG) the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

28 “When famine(EH) or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 29 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of their afflictions and pains, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— 30 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive,(EI) and deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know the human heart),(EJ) 31 so that they will fear you(EK) and walk in obedience to you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

32 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come(EL) from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand(EM) and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 33 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner(EN) asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

34 “When your people go to war against their enemies,(EO) wherever you send them, and when they pray(EP) to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

36 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin(EQ)—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive(ER) to a land far away or near; 37 and if they have a change of heart(ES) in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’; 38 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; 39 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive(ET) your people, who have sinned against you.

40 “Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive(EU) to the prayers offered in this place.

41 “Now arise,(EV) Lord God, and come to your resting place,(EW)
    you and the ark of your might.
May your priests,(EX) Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
    may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness.(EY)
42 Lord God, do not reject your anointed one.(EZ)
    Remember the great love(FA) promised to David your servant.”

The Dedication of the Temple(FB)

7 When Solomon finished praying, fire(FC) came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled(FD) the temple.(FE) 2 The priests could not enter(FF) the temple of the Lord because the glory(FG) of the Lord filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(FH)

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. 6 The priests took their positions, as did the Levites(FI) with the Lord’s musical instruments,(FJ) which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

7 Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat(FK) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.

8 So Solomon observed the festival(FL) at that time for seven days, and all Israel(FM) with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath(FN) to the Wadi of Egypt.(FO) 9 On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated(FP) the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival(FQ) for seven days more. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.

The Lord Appears to Solomon(FR)

11 When Solomon had finished(FS) the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared(FT) to him at night and said:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen(FU) this place for myself(FV) as a temple for sacrifices.

13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain,(FW) or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name,(FX) will humble(FY) themselves and pray and seek my face(FZ) and turn(GA) from their wicked ways, then I will hear(GB) from heaven, and I will forgive(GC) their sin and will heal(GD) their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.(GE) 16 I have chosen(GF) and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully(GG) as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees(GH) and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted(GI) with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor(GJ) to rule over Israel.’(GK)

19 “But if you[ae] turn away(GL) and forsake(GM) the decrees and commands I have given you[af] and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot(GN) Israel from my land,(GO) which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule(GP) among all peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All[ag] who pass by will be appalled(GQ) and say,(GR) ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them(GS)—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”

Solomon’s Other Activities(GT)

8 At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace,(GU) 2 Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram[ah] had given him, and settled Israelites in them. 3 Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. 4 He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath.(GV) 5 He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon(GW) and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, 6 as well as Baalath(GX) and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses[ai]—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

7 There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites(GY) (these people were not Israelites). 8 Solomon conscripted(GZ) the descendants of all these people remaining in the land—whom the Israelites had not destroyed—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. 9 But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 10 They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.

11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter(HA) up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”

12 On the altar(HB) of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord, 13 according to the daily requirement(HC) for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths,(HD) the New Moons(HE) and the three(HF) annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(HG) the Festival of Weeks(HH) and the Festival of Tabernacles.(HI) 14 In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions(HJ) of the priests for their duties, and the Levites(HK) to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers(HL) by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God(HM) had ordered.(HN) 15 They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.

16 All Solomon’s work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid until its completion. So the temple of the Lord was finished.

17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. 18 And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents[aj] of gold,(HO) which they delivered to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(HP)

9 When the queen of Sheba(HQ) heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. 2 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. 3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon,(HR) as well as the palace he had built, 4 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[ak] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 6 But I did not believe what they said until I came(HS) and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. 7 How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne(HT) as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king(HU) over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.”

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[al] of gold,(HV) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir;(HW) they also brought algumwood[am] and precious stones. 11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.)

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

Solomon’s Splendor(HX)

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,[an] 14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia(HY) and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels[ao] of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred small shields(HZ) of hammered gold, with three hundred shekels[ap] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.(IA)

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory(IB) and overlaid with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. 20 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s day. 21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[aq] manned by Hiram’s[ar] servants. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.(IC) 23 All the kings(ID) of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift(IE)—articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots,(IF) and twelve thousand horses,[as] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled(IG) over all the kings from the Euphrates River(IH) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.(II) 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries.

Solomon’s Death(IJ)

29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan(IK) the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah(IL) the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam(IM) son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David(IN) his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam(IO)

10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam(IP) son of Nebat heard this (he was in Egypt, where he had fled(IQ) from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and all Israel(IR) went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us,(IS) but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 Rehoboam answered, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people went away.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders(IT) who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

7 They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer,(IU) they will always be your servants.”

8 But Rehoboam rejected(IV) the advice the elders(IW) gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “The people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” 13 The king answered them harshly. Rejecting the advice of the elders, 14 he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God,(IX) to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.(IY)

16 When all Israel(IZ) saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:

“What share do we have in David,(JA)
    what part in Jesse’s son?
To your tents, Israel!
    Look after your own house, David!”

So all the Israelites went home. 17 But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram,[at](JB) who was in charge of forced labor, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

11 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem,(JC) he mustered Judah and Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam.

2 But this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah(JD) the man of God: 3 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, 4 ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites.(JE) Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies Judah

5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah: 6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities(JF) in Judah and Benjamin. 11 He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine. 12 He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his.

13 The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. 14 The Levites(JG) even abandoned their pasturelands and property(JH) and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the Lord 15 when he appointed(JI) his own priests(JJ) for the high places and for the goat(JK) and calf(JL) idols he had made. 16 Those from every tribe of Israel(JM) who set their hearts on seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. 17 They strengthened(JN) the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time.

Rehoboam’s Family

18 Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. 19 She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. 20 Then he married Maakah(JO) daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah,(JP) Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives(JQ) and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah(JR) son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king. 23 He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions(JS) and took many wives for them.

Shishak Attacks Jerusalem(JT)

12 After Rehoboam’s position as king was established(JU) and he had become strong,(JV) he and all Israel[au](JW) with him abandoned(JX) the law of the Lord. 2 Because they had been unfaithful(JY) to the Lord, Shishak(JZ) king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. 3 With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans,(KA) Sukkites and Cushites[av](KB) that came with him from Egypt, 4 he captured the fortified cities(KC) of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

5 Then the prophet Shemaiah(KD) came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon(KE) you to Shishak.’”

6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled(KF) themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”(KG)

7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance.(KH) My wrath(KI) will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:14 Or charioteers
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:16 Probably Cilicia
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:17 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:17 That is, about 3 3/4 pounds or about 1.7 kilograms
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:18, and 2:2-18 is numbered 2:1-17.
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:3 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verses 11 and 12
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:8 Probably a variant of almug
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,600 tons or about 3,200 metric tons of wheat
  9. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,000 tons or about 2,700 metric tons of barley
  10. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, about 120,000 gallons or about 440,000 liters
  11. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Hebrew Ornan, a variant of Araunah
  12. 2 Chronicles 3:3 That is, about 90 feet long and 30 feet wide or about 27 meters long and 9 meters wide
  13. 2 Chronicles 3:4 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters; also in verses 8, 11 and 13
  14. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Some Septuagint and Syriac manuscripts; Hebrew and a hundred and twenty
  15. 2 Chronicles 3:8 That is, about 23 tons or about 21 metric tons
  16. 2 Chronicles 3:9 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
  17. 2 Chronicles 3:11 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verse 15
  18. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Or facing inward
  19. 2 Chronicles 3:15 That is, about 53 feet or about 16 meters
  20. 2 Chronicles 3:16 Or possibly made chains in the inner sanctuary; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  21. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Jakin probably means he establishes.
  22. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Boaz probably means in him is strength.
  23. 2 Chronicles 4:1 That is, about 30 feet long and wide and 15 feet high or about 9 meters long and wide and 4.5 meters high
  24. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
  25. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  26. 2 Chronicles 4:3 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  27. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  28. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 18,000 gallons or about 66,000 liters
  29. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Hebrew Zeredatha, a variant of Zarethan
  30. 2 Chronicles 6:13 That is, about 7 1/2 feet long and wide and 4 1/2 feet high or about 2.3 meters long and wide and 1.4 meters high
  31. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  32. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  33. 2 Chronicles 7:21 See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now so imposing, all
  34. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verse 18
  35. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Or charioteers
  36. 2 Chronicles 8:18 That is, about 17 tons or about 15 metric tons
  37. 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or and the ascent by which he went up to
  38. 2 Chronicles 9:9 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
  39. 2 Chronicles 9:10 Probably a variant of almugwood
  40. 2 Chronicles 9:13 That is, about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons
  41. 2 Chronicles 9:15 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
  42. 2 Chronicles 9:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
  43. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish
  44. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram
  45. 2 Chronicles 9:25 Or charioteers
  46. 2 Chronicles 10:18 Hebrew Hadoram, a variant of Adoniram
  47. 2 Chronicles 12:1 That is, Judah, as frequently in 2 Chronicles
  48. 2 Chronicles 12:3 That is, people from the upper Nile region
Listen to 2 Chronicles 1-12, 2 Chronicles 1-11
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2 Chronicles 1-12
New American Standard Bible

Solomon Worships at Gibeon

1 Now (A)Solomon the son of David established himself securely over his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and (B)exalted him greatly.

2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, (C)to the commanders of thousands, of hundreds, and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households. 3 Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to (D)the high place which was at Gibeon, (E)because God’s tent of meeting was there which Moses, the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. 4 However, David had brought up (F)the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim [a]to (G)the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 Now (H)the bronze altar which Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was there before the tabernacle of the Lord, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. 6 And Solomon went up there before the Lord to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and (I)offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 (J)In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.”

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

8 And Solomon said to God, “You have dealt with my father David with great faithfulness, and (K)have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, (L)Your [b]promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over (M)a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 (N)Now give me wisdom and knowledge, (O)so that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?” 11 (P)Then God said to Solomon, “Because this was [c]in your heart, and you did not ask for riches, wealth, or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor did you even ask for long life, but you asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge so that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. (Q)I will also give you riches, wealth, and honor, [d]such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor will those who will [e]come after you.” 13 (R)So Solomon went [f]from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Wealth

14 (S)Solomon amassed chariots and horsemen. (T)He had 1,400 chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in (U)the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 (V)The king made (W)silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamores in the [g]lowland. 16 Solomon’s (X)horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s traders acquired them from Kue for a price. 17 They [h]imported chariots from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver apiece, horses for 150 apiece, and [i]by the same means they [j]exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Solomon Will Build a Temple and a Palace

2 [k](Y)Now Solomon [l]decided to build a house for the name of the Lord, and a [m]royal palace for himself. 2 [n]So (Z)Solomon [o]assigned seventy thousand men to carry loads, eighty thousand men to quarry stone in the mountains, and 3,600 to supervise them.

3 (AA)Then Solomon sent word to [p]Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “(AB)As you dealt with my father David and sent him cedars to build him a house to live in, do it for me. 4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, (AC)to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out (AD)the showbread continually, and to offer (AE)burnt offerings morning and evening, (AF)on Sabbaths, on new moons, and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God. This is to be done in Israel forever. 5 The house which I am about to build will be great, for our God is (AG)greater than all the gods. 6 But (AH)who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? And who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to [q]burn incense before Him? 7 Now (AI)send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass, iron, and in purple, crimson, and violet fabrics, one who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled workers [r](AJ)whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided. 8 (AK)Send me also cedar, juniper, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed (AL)my servants will work with your servants, 9 to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. 10 Now behold, (AM)I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, [s]twenty thousand kors of crushed wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, [t]twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

Huram to Assist

11 Then Huram, king of Tyre, [u]answered in a letter sent to Solomon: “(AN)Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.” 12 Then Huram [v]continued, “Blessed be (AO)the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, [w]endowed with discretion and understanding, (AP)who will build a house for the Lord and a [x]royal palace for himself.

13 “Now then, I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, [y]endowed with understanding, 14 (AQ)the son of a [z]Danite woman and [aa]a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, violet, linen, and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to [ab]execute any design which is assigned to him, to work with your skilled workers and with [ac]those of my lord, your father David. 15 Now then, let my lord send his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of (AR)which he has spoken. 16 (AS)We will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you as rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, (AT)following the [ad]census which his father David had [ae]taken; and 153,600 were found. 18 (AU)He appointed seventy thousand of them to carry loads and eighty thousand to quarry stones in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.

The Temple Construction in Jerusalem

3 (AV)Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared (AW)on the threshing floor of [af]Ornan the Jebusite. 2 He began to build on the second day in the second month [ag]of the fourth year of his reign.

Dimensions and Materials of the Temple

3 Now these are the [ah]foundations which (AX)Solomon laid for building the house of God. The length in cubits, according to the old standard, was [ai]sixty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits. 4 The porch which was in front of the house (AY)was as long as the width of the house, [aj]twenty cubits, and the height [ak]twenty; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold. 5 He overlaid (AZ)the [al]main room with juniper wood and overlaid it with fine gold; and he [am]ornamented it with palm trees and chains. 6 Further, he overlaid the house [an]with precious stones; and the gold was gold from Parvaim. 7 (BA)He also overlaid the house with gold—the beams, the thresholds, and its walls and doors; and he (BB)carved cherubim on the walls.

8 Then he made (BC)the [ao]room of the Most Holy Place: its length across the width of the house was [ap]twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to [aq]six hundred talents. 9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also overlaid (BD)the upper rooms with gold.

10 (BE)Then he made two [ar]sculptured cherubim in the room of the Most Holy Place and overlaid them with gold. 11 The wingspan of the [as]cherubim was twenty [at]cubits; the wing of one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the other cherub, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house; and its other wing, of five cubits, was attached to the wing of the [au]first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits, and they stood on their feet [av]facing the main room. 14 (BF)He made the veil of violet, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and he worked cherubim into it.

15 (BG)He also made two pillars for the front of the house, thirty-five cubits [aw]high, and the capital on the top of each was five cubits. 16 He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates and placed them on the chains. 17 (BH)He erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and the other on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin and the one on the left Boaz.

Furnishings of the Temple

4 Then (BI)he made a bronze altar, [ax]twenty cubits in length, [ay]twenty cubits in width, and [az]ten cubits in height. 2 (BJ)He also made the [ba]Sea of cast metal, [bb]ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was [bc]five cubits and [bd]its circumference [be]thirty cubits. 3 Now figures like oxen were under it and all around it, [bf]ten cubits, entirely encircling the Sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast [bg]in one piece. 4 It was standing on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the Sea was set on top of them and all their hindquarters turned inward. 5 It was a [bh]hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it (BK)could hold three thousand [bi]baths. 6 (BL)He also made ten basins in which to wash, and he set five on the right side and five on the left [bj]to rinse things for the burnt offering; but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

7 Then (BM)he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them, and he set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 8 He also made (BN)ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made a hundred golden bowls. 9 Then he made (BO)the courtyard of the priests and (BP)the great courtyard, and doors for the courtyard, and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 (BQ)He put the Sea on the right side of the house toward the southeast.

11 (BR)Huram also made the pails, the shovels, and the bowls. So Huram finished the work that he did for King Solomon in the house of God: 12 the two pillars, the bowls and the two capitals on top of the pillars, and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars, 13 and (BS)the four hundred pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the pillars. 14 (BT)He also made the stands and he made the basins on the stands, 15 and the one Sea with the twelve oxen under it. 16 The pails, the shovels, the forks, and all its utensils, (BU)Huram-abi made of polished bronze for King Solomon, for the house of the Lord. 17 On the plain of the Jordan the king cast them in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. 18 (BV)So Solomon made all these utensils in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

19 Solomon also made all the things that were in the house of God: the golden altar, (BW)the tables with the bread of the Presence on them, 20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, (BX)to burn in front of the inner sanctuary in the way prescribed; 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold, that is, of purest gold; 22 and the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons, and the firepans of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the Most Holy Place and the doors of the house, that is, of the main room, of gold.

The Ark Is Brought into the Temple

5 (BY)So all the work that Solomon performed for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the [bk](BZ)things that his father David had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and all the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

2 (CA)Then Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, (CB)to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David, which is Zion. 3 (CC)All the men of Israel assembled themselves before the king at (CD)the feast, that is in the seventh month. 4 Then all the elders of Israel came, and (CE)the Levites picked up the ark. 5 They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils that were in the tent. The Levitical priests brought them up. 6 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who had assembled with him before the ark were sacrificing [bl]so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 7 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its [bm]poles. 9 The poles were so long that (CF)the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and [bn]they are there to this day. 10 (CG)There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

The Glory of God Fills the Temple

11 When the priests came out from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard (CH)to divisions), 12 and all the Levitical singers, (CI)Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, (CJ)with cymbals, harps, and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them 120 priests (CK)blowing trumpets 13 in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they raised their voices (CL)accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, and when they praised the Lord saying, “(CM)He indeed is good for His [bo]kindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not rise to minister because of the cloud, for (CN)the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Solomon’s Dedication of the Temple

6 (CO)Then Solomon said,

“The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.
2 I have built You a lofty house,
And a place for Your dwelling forever.”

3 Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 4 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, so that My name might be there, nor did I choose a man to be the leader over My people Israel; 6 but (CP)I have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there, and I (CQ)have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ 7 (CR)Now it was [bp]in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was [bq]in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was [br]in your heart. 9 Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who [bs]will be born to you, he shall build the house for My name.’ 10 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord [bt]promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark (CS)in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with the sons of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

12 Then he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 (CT)For Solomon had made a bronze platform, [bu]five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the courtyard; and he stood on it, (CU)knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 He said, “Lord, God of Israel, (CV)there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, (CW)keeping [bv]Your covenant and [bw]Your faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; 15 (CX)You who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You [bx]promised him; You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 16 Now then, Lord, God of Israel, keep to Your servant David, my father, that which You [by]promised him, saying, ‘[bz](CY)You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay attention to their way, to walk in My Law as you have walked before Me.’ 17 Now then, Lord, God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.

18 “But (CZ)will God really dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, (DA)heaven and the [ca]highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built! 19 Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the prayer of Your servant and to his plea, Lord, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You; 20 that Your (DB)eye will be open toward this house day and night, toward (DC)the place of which You have said that You would put Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. 21 Listen to the pleadings of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; (DD)hear and forgive.

22 “If someone sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and take action and judge Your servants, [cb](DE)punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by [cc]repaying him according to his righteousness.

24 “If Your people Israel are [cd]defeated before an enemy because (DF)they have sinned against You, and they return to You and praise Your name, and pray and plead before You in this house, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.

26 “When the (DG)heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 27 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; indeed, (DH)teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

28 “If there is a (DI)famine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their [ce]cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, 29 whatever prayer or plea is made by anyone or by all Your people Israel, [cf]each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, 30 then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know—(DJ)for You alone know the hearts of the sons of mankind— 31 so that they may [cg]fear You, to walk in Your ways [ch]as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

32 “Also concerning (DK)the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country on account of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house, 33 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, so that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and [ci]fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [cj]this house which I have built is (DL)called by Your name.

34 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way You send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their pleading, and maintain their cause.

36 “When they sin against You ((DM)for there is no one who does not sin), and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that [ck]they take them away captive to a land far off or near, 37 if they [cl]take it to heart in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and plead to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and have acted wickedly’; 38 (DN)if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name, 39 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and pleadings, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

40 “Now, my God, please, (DO)let Your eyes be open and (DP)Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

41 “(DQ)Now then arise, Lord God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might; let Your priests, Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Your godly ones rejoice in what is good.

42 “Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; (DR)remember Your faithfulness to Your servant David.”

The Shekinah Glory

7 (DS)Now when Solomon had finished praying, (DT)fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2 (DU)And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3 All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “(DV)Certainly He is good, certainly His faithfulness is everlasting.”

Sacrifices Offered

4 (DW)Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 The priests stood at their posts, and (DX)the Levites also, with the musical instruments for the Lord, which King David had made for giving praise to the Lord—“for His faithfulness is everlasting”—whenever David gave praise through their [cm]ministry; (DY)the priests on the other side blew trumpets and all Israel was standing.

7 (DZ)Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was before the house of the Lord, for he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat.

The Feast of Dedication

8 So (EA)Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly that came from the entrance of Hamath to the (EB)brook of Egypt. 9 And on the eighth day they held (EC)a solemn assembly, because they held the dedication of the altar for seven days, and the feast for seven days. 10 Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy in heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, to Solomon, and to His people Israel.

God’s Promise and Warning

11 (ED)So Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s palace, and successfully completed everything that [cn]he had planned on doing in the house of the Lord and in his palace.

12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and (EE)have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 (EF)If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, 14 (EG)and My people [co]who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 (EH)Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the [cp]prayer offered in this place. 16 For (EI)now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there [cq]always. 17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, to do according to everything that I have commanded you, and keep My statutes and My ordinances, 18 then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘[cr](EJ)You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’

19 “(EK)But if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 (EL)then I will uproot [cs]you from My land which I have given [ct]you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it (EM)a proverb and an object of scorn among all peoples. 21 As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘(EN)Why has the Lord done these things to this land and to this house?’ 22 And they will say, ‘Because (EO)they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’”

Solomon’s Activities and Accomplishments

8 (EP)Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, 2 that he built the cities which Huram had given [cu]him, and settled the sons of Israel there.

3 Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it. 4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath. 5 He also built upper (EQ)Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, which were (ER)fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars; 6 and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for [cv]his chariots and cities for [cw]his horsemen, and everything that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and all the land [cx]under his rule.

7 (ES)All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, 8 that is, from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, (ET)Solomon raised them as forced laborers to this day. 9 But Solomon did not make slaves from the sons of Israel for his work; for they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen. 10 These were the chief [cy]officers of King Solomon, 250 who ruled over the people.

11 (EU)Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, because [cz]the places where the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on (EV)the altar of the Lord which he had built in front of the porch; 13 and (EW)he did so according to the daily rule, offering them up (EX)according to the commandment of Moses, for (EY)the Sabbaths, (EZ)the new moons, and the (FA)three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.

14 Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed (FB)the divisions of the priests for their service, and (FC)the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and (FD)the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for this is what (FE)David, the man of God, had commanded. 15 And they did not deviate from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any matter or regarding the storehouses.

16 So all the work of Solomon was carried out [da]from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to (FF)Ezion-geber and to (FG)Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom. 18 And by his servants Huram sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and (FH)took from there [db]450 talents of gold, and brought it to King Solomon.

Visit of the Queen of Sheba

9 (FI)Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles. She had a very large entourage, with camels carrying balsam oil and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about everything that was on her heart. 2 Solomon [dc]answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not [dd]explain to her. 3 When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, 4 the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and [de]his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, she was breathless. 5 Then she said to the king, “It was a true [df]story that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 6 But I did not believe their [dg]stories until I came and my own eyes saw it all. And behold, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom was reported to me. You have surpassed the report that I heard. 7 How [dh]blessed are your men, how [di]blessed are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you, (FJ)setting you on His throne as king for the Lord your God; (FK)because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, He made you king over them, to carry out justice and righteousness.” 9 Then she gave the king [dj]120 talents of gold and a very great amount of balsam oil and precious stones; there had never been balsam oil like that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

10 The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon (FL)who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones. 11 From the algum trees the king made steps to the house of the Lord and for the king’s palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and nothing like them was seen before in the land of Judah.

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she requested, besides gifts equal to what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Power

13 (FM)Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was [dk]666 talents of gold, 14 besides what the traders and merchants brought; and all (FN)the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, [dl]using six hundred shekels of beaten gold on each large shield. 16 He made three hundred shields of beaten gold, [dm]using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and [dn]arms [do]on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the [dp]arms. 19 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. 20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered [dq]valuable in the days of Solomon. 21 (FO)For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22 (FP)So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 24 (FQ)They were bringing, each of them his gift: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, balsam oil, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

25 Now Solomon had (FR)four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 (FS)He was ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. 27 (FT)And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [dr]lowland. 28 (FU)And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

29 (FV)Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from the first to the last, (FW)are they not written in the [ds]records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of [dt]Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 (FX)Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

Death of Solomon

31 And Solomon [du]lay down with his fathers and was buried in (FY)the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

Rehoboam’s Reign of Foolishness

10 (FZ)Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it ((GA)he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 So they sent word and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our (GB)yoke hard; but now, lighten the hard labor imposed by your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Return to me again in three days.” So the people departed.

6 And then King Rehoboam (GC)consulted with the elders who had [dv]served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 They spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to this people and please them and (GD)speak pleasant words to them, then they will be your servants always.” 8 But he (GE)ignored the advice of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him [dw]and served him. 9 He said to them, “What advice do you give, so that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10 The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “This is what you should say to the people who spoke to you, saying: ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us!’ You should speak this way to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Now then, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke; yet I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with [dx]scorpions!’”

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had [dy]directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” 13 The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders. 14 He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “[dz]My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with [ea]scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, (GF)because it was a turn of events from God (GG)so that the Lord might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people replied to the king, saying,

“(GH)What share do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Everyone to your tents, Israel!
Now look after your own house, David!”

(GI)So all Israel went away to their tents. 17 But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in (GJ)charge of the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him [eb]to death. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So (GK)Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Rehoboam Reigns over Judah and Builds Cities

11 (GL)Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the Lord came to (GM)Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Tell Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘This is what the Lord says: “You shall not go up nor fight against (GN)your relatives; return, every man, to his house, (GO)for this [ec]event is from Me.”’” So they listened to the words of the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and (GP)built cities for defense in Judah. 6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11 He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and supplies of food, oil, and wine. 12 He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

13 Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel also stood with him from all their districts.

Jeroboam Appoints False Priests

14 For (GQ)the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because (GR)Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the Lord. 15 (GS)He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and the calves which he had made. 16 (GT)Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord God of Israel [ed]followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. 17 (GU)They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

Rehoboam’s Family

18 Then Rehoboam married Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of (GV)Eliab the son of Jesse, 19 and she bore to him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he married (GW)Maacah the daughter of [ee]Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For (GX)he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 (GY)Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah as head and leader among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 23 He acted wisely and distributed [ef]some of his sons through all the territories of Judah and Benjamin to all the fortified cities, and he gave them plenty of provisions. And he sought many wives for them.

Shishak of Egypt Invades Judah

12 (GZ)When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, (HA)he and all Israel with him abandoned the Law of the Lord. 2 (HB)And it came about in King Rehoboam’s fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, that (HC)Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3 with 1,200 chariots and sixty thousand horsemen. And the people who came with him from Egypt were innumerable: (HD)the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. 4 And he captured (HE)the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then (HF)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(HG)You have abandoned Me, so I also have abandoned you [eg]to Shishak.’” 6 So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The (HH)Lord is righteous.”

7 When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah, saying, “(HI)They have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them; and I will grant them a little deliverance, and (HJ)My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak. 8 But they will become his slaves, so (HK)that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Plunder Impoverishes Judah

9 (HL)So Shishak king of Egypt went up against Jerusalem, and he took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s palace. He took everything; (HM)he even took the gold shields which Solomon had made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made shields of bronze in their place and committed them to the [eh]care of the commanders of the [ei]guards who guarded the entrance of the king’s house. 11 As often as the king entered the house of the Lord, the [ej]guards came and carried them and then brought them back into the [ek]guards’ room. 12 And (HN)when he humbled himself, the anger of the Lord turned away from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and conditions (HO)were also good in Judah.

13 (HP)So King Rehoboam became powerful in Jerusalem and reigned there. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonitess. 14 But he did evil (HQ)because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

15 (HR)Now the acts of Rehoboam, from the first to the last, are they not written in the [el]records of (HS)Shemaiah the prophet and of (HT)Iddo the seer, according to genealogical enrollment? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 16 And Rehoboam [em]lay down with his fathers and was buried in the city of David; and his son (HU)Abijah became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:4 Lit where David had prepared for it
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:9 Lit word
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:11 Lit with
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:12 Lit which was not so to the kings who were before you
  5. 2 Chronicles 1:12 Lit be
  6. 2 Chronicles 1:13 As in other ancient versions; MT to
  7. 2 Chronicles 1:15 Heb shephelah
  8. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit brought up and brought out
  9. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit in the same way by their hand
  10. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit brought out
  11. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Ch 1:18 in Heb
  12. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Lit said
  13. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Lit house for his royalty
  14. 2 Chronicles 2:2 Ch 2:1 in Heb
  15. 2 Chronicles 2:2 Lit counted
  16. 2 Chronicles 2:3 In 1 Kin 5:18, Hiram
  17. 2 Chronicles 2:6 Lit offer up in smoke
  18. 2 Chronicles 2:7 Lit who are with me
  19. 2 Chronicles 2:10 About 154,000 cubic feet or 4,360 cubic meters
  20. 2 Chronicles 2:10 About 120,000 gallons or 454,249 liters
  21. 2 Chronicles 2:11 Lit said...and he sent
  22. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Lit said
  23. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Lit knowing discretion
  24. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Lit house for his royalty
  25. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Lit knowing understanding
  26. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit a woman of the daughters of Dan
  27. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit whose father is a Tyrian man
  28. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit devise any device
  29. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit skilled men
  30. 2 Chronicles 2:17 Lit numbering
  31. 2 Chronicles 2:17 Lit numbered of them
  32. 2 Chronicles 3:1 In 2 Sam 24:18, Araunah
  33. 2 Chronicles 3:2 Lit in
  34. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Lit founding of Solomon to build
  35. 2 Chronicles 3:3 About 90 ft. long and 30 ft. wide or 27 m long and 9 m wide
  36. 2 Chronicles 3:4 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  37. 2 Chronicles 3:4 As in ancient versions; MT 120 cubits or about 180 ft. or 55 m
  38. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit great house
  39. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit put on it palm trees
  40. 2 Chronicles 3:6 Lit for beauty
  41. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit house
  42. 2 Chronicles 3:8 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  43. 2 Chronicles 3:8 About 23 tons or 21 metric tons
  44. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Lit cherubim of cast work
  45. 2 Chronicles 3:11 Heb plural of cherub
  46. 2 Chronicles 3:11 About 18 in. or 45 cm
  47. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Lit other
  48. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Lit and their faces to
  49. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit long
  50. 2 Chronicles 4:1 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  51. 2 Chronicles 4:1 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  52. 2 Chronicles 4:1 About 15 ft. or 4.6 m
  53. 2 Chronicles 4:2 I.e., large basin
  54. 2 Chronicles 4:2 About 15 ft. or 4.6 m
  55. 2 Chronicles 4:2 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
  56. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Lit a line of 30 cubits encircling it round about
  57. 2 Chronicles 4:2 About 45 ft. or 14 m
  58. 2 Chronicles 4:3 About 15 ft. or 4.6 m
  59. 2 Chronicles 4:3 Lit in its casting
  60. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 3 in. or 7.6 cm
  61. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 18,000 gallons or 68,137 liters
  62. 2 Chronicles 4:6 Lit in which to
  63. 2 Chronicles 5:1 Lit dedicated things of his
  64. 2 Chronicles 5:6 Lit sheep...numbered for multitude
  65. 2 Chronicles 5:8 Lit poles above
  66. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Lit it is
  67. 2 Chronicles 5:13 Or faithfulness
  68. 2 Chronicles 6:7 Lit with
  69. 2 Chronicles 6:8 Lit with
  70. 2 Chronicles 6:8 Lit with
  71. 2 Chronicles 6:9 Lit will come forth from your loins
  72. 2 Chronicles 6:10 Lit spoke
  73. 2 Chronicles 6:13 About 7.5 ft. long and wide and 4.5 ft. high or 2.3 m and 1.4 m
  74. 2 Chronicles 6:14 Or the
  75. 2 Chronicles 6:14 Or the
  76. 2 Chronicles 6:15 Lit spoke to
  77. 2 Chronicles 6:16 Lit have spoken to
  78. 2 Chronicles 6:16 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man from before Me
  79. 2 Chronicles 6:18 Lit heaven of heavens
  80. 2 Chronicles 6:23 Lit returning
  81. 2 Chronicles 6:23 Lit giving
  82. 2 Chronicles 6:24 Lit struck
  83. 2 Chronicles 6:28 Lit gates
  84. 2 Chronicles 6:29 Lit whoever shall know
  85. 2 Chronicles 6:31 Or revere
  86. 2 Chronicles 6:31 Lit all the days that they live on the face of the land
  87. 2 Chronicles 6:33 Or revere
  88. 2 Chronicles 6:33 Lit Your name is called upon this house
  89. 2 Chronicles 6:36 Lit their captors lead them captive
  90. 2 Chronicles 6:37 Lit return to their heart
  91. 2 Chronicles 7:6 Lit hand
  92. 2 Chronicles 7:11 Lit came upon the heart of Solomon to do
  93. 2 Chronicles 7:14 Lit over whom My name is called
  94. 2 Chronicles 7:15 Lit prayer of this place
  95. 2 Chronicles 7:16 Lit all the days
  96. 2 Chronicles 7:18 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man
  97. 2 Chronicles 7:20 As in ancient versions; MT them
  98. 2 Chronicles 7:20 As in some ancient versions; MT them
  99. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Lit Solomon
  100. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Lit the
  101. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Lit the
  102. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Lit of
  103. 2 Chronicles 8:10 Or deputies
  104. 2 Chronicles 8:11 Lit they are
  105. 2 Chronicles 8:16 As in ancient versions; MT as far as
  106. 2 Chronicles 8:18 About 17 tons or 15 metric tons
  107. 2 Chronicles 9:2 Lit told her all her words
  108. 2 Chronicles 9:2 Lit tell
  109. 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or his burnt offering which he offered
  110. 2 Chronicles 9:5 Lit word
  111. 2 Chronicles 9:6 Lit words
  112. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
  113. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
  114. 2 Chronicles 9:9 About 4.5 tons or 4 metric tons
  115. 2 Chronicles 9:13 About 25 tons or 23 metric tons
  116. 2 Chronicles 9:15 Lit he brought up
  117. 2 Chronicles 9:16 Lit he brought up
  118. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
  119. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit from this and from this at the place of the seat
  120. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
  121. 2 Chronicles 9:20 Lit anything
  122. 2 Chronicles 9:27 Heb shephelah
  123. 2 Chronicles 9:29 Lit words
  124. 2 Chronicles 9:29 Heb Jedo
  125. 2 Chronicles 9:31 I.e., died
  126. 2 Chronicles 10:6 Lit stood before
  127. 2 Chronicles 10:8 Lit who stood before
  128. 2 Chronicles 10:11 Prob. a brutal type of whip
  129. 2 Chronicles 10:12 Lit spoken
  130. 2 Chronicles 10:14 Many mss I have made
  131. 2 Chronicles 10:14 Prob. a brutal type of whip
  132. 2 Chronicles 10:18 Lit with stones that he died
  133. 2 Chronicles 11:4 Lit thing
  134. 2 Chronicles 11:16 Lit came after
  135. 2 Chronicles 11:20 In 1 Kin 15:2, Abishalom
  136. 2 Chronicles 11:23 Lit from all
  137. 2 Chronicles 12:5 Lit in the hand of
  138. 2 Chronicles 12:10 Lit hands
  139. 2 Chronicles 12:10 Lit runners
  140. 2 Chronicles 12:11 Lit runners
  141. 2 Chronicles 12:11 Lit runners
  142. 2 Chronicles 12:15 Lit words
  143. 2 Chronicles 12:16 I.e., died
Listen to 2 Chronicles 1-12, 2 Chronicles 1-11
Close KJV

2 Chronicles 1-12
King James Version

1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.

2 Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.

3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness.

4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the Lord: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.

9 Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.

10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:

12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

13 Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.

14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

15 And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance.

16 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

17 And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.

2 And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the Lord, and an house for his kingdom.

2 And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

3 And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

5 And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.

6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

7 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.

8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.

10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.

12 Huram said moreover, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the Lord, and an house for his kingdom.

13 And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,

14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

15 Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

16 And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

17 And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.

3 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

3 Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.

4 And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

5 And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.

6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.

7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls.

8 And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.

9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold.

11 And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

13 The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.

14 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

16 And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.

17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

4 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

2 Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

3 And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

4 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

5 And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

6 He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

8 He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.

9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass.

10 And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.

11 And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;

12 To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars;

13 And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were upon the pillars.

14 He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;

15 One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

16 The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the Lord of bright brass.

17 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out.

19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;

20 Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;

21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold;

22 And the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

5 Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the Lord was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.

3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

6 Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:

8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

9 And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;

14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.

6 Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.

3 And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood.

4 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying,

5 Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:

6 But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

7 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

8 But the Lord said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:

9 Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name.

10 The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

11 And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, that he made with the children of Israel.

12 And he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands:

13 For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven.

14 And said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:

15 Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.

16 Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

17 Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.

18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

19 Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:

20 That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.

21 Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.

22 If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;

23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;

25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

26 When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;

27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:

29 Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:

30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)

31 That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

32 Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;

33 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.

34 If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;

35 Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;

37 Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;

38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

41 Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.

42 O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.

7 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.

3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

6 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.

8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.

9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.

10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.

13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

17 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;

18 Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.

19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house?

22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

8 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord, and his own house,

2 That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3 And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.

5 Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6 And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

7 As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,

8 But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10 And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the Lord hath come.

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch,

13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was perfected.

17 Then went Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

18 And Huram sent 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.

9 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 bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2 And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.

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

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

7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which 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 made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

9 And she gave the king an 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 king Solomon.

10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

11 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.

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

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

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

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

16 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.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18 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:

19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

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

22 And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

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

24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

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

27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.

28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

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

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

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

4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

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

6 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?

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

8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.

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

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

11 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.

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

13 And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,

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

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

16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

17 But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 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 him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

11 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

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

4 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 of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

6 He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7 And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

8 And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

9 And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

10 And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.

11 And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

12 And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.

14 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 unto the Lord:

15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

16 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 unto the Lord God of their fathers.

17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

18 And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

19 Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20 And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

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

23 And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.

12 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.

2 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,

3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

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

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

6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.

7 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.

8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

10 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.

11 And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.

13 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.

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

15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

Listen to 2 Chronicles 1-12, 2 Chronicles 1-24, 2 Chronicles 1-11
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2 Chronicles 1-12
New King James Version

Solomon Requests Wisdom(A)

1 Now (B)Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and (C)the Lord his God was with him and (D)exalted him exceedingly.

2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to (E)the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses. 3 Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to [a]the high place that was at (F)Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had (G)made in the wilderness. 4 (H)But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5 Now (I)the bronze altar that (J)Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, [b]he put before the tabernacle of the Lord; Solomon and the assembly sought Him there. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and (K)offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 (L)On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great (M)mercy to David my father, and have made me (N)king in his place. 9 Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, (O)for You have made me king over a people like the (P)dust of the earth in multitude. 10 (Q)Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may (R)go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

11 (S)Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as (T)none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

Solomon’s Military and Economic Power(U)

13 So Solomon came to Jerusalem from [c]the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tabernacle of meeting, and reigned over Israel. 14 (V)And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 (W)Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 16 (X)And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. 17 They also acquired and imported from Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty; thus, [d]through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple(Y)

2 Then Solomon (Z)determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal house for himself. 2 (AA)Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

3 Then Solomon sent to [e]Hiram king of Tyre, saying:

(AB)As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. 4 Behold, (AC)I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, (AD)to burn before Him [f]sweet incense, for (AE)the continual showbread, for (AF)the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the (AG)Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the [g]set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

5 And the temple which I build will be great, for (AH)our God is greater than all gods. 6 (AI)But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?

7 Therefore send me at once a man skillful to work in gold and silver, in bronze and iron, in purple and crimson and blue, who has skill to engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, (AJ)whom David my father provided. 8 (AK)Also send me cedar and cypress and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and indeed my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the [h]temple which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

10 (AL)And indeed I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, twenty thousand kors of ground wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

11 Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon:

(AM)Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.

12 [i]Hiram also said:

(AN)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, (AO)who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal house for himself!

13 And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, [j]Huram my [k]master craftsman 14 (AP)(the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

15 Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine which (AQ)my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants. 16 (AR)And we will cut wood from Lebanon, as much as you need; we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to [l]Joppa, and you will carry it up to Jerusalem.

17 (AS)Then Solomon numbered all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which (AT)David his father had numbered them; and there were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred. 18 And he made (AU)seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.

Solomon Builds the Temple(AV)

3 Now (AW)Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at (AX)Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [m]the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of (AY)Ornan[n] the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

3 This is the foundation (AZ)which Solomon laid for building the house of God: The length was sixty cubits (by cubits according to the former measure) and the width twenty cubits. 4 And the (BA)vestibule that was in front of [o]the sanctuary was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was [p]one hundred and twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. 5 (BB)The larger [q]room he (BC)paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it. 6 And he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim. 7 He also overlaid the house—the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors—with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.

8 And he made the (BD)Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. 9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper (BE)area with gold. 10 (BF)In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub; 12 one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward. 14 And he made the (BG)veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.

15 Also he made in front of the [r]temple (BH)two pillars [s]thirty-five cubits [t]high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made (BI)one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork. 17 Then he (BJ)set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand [u]Jachin, and the name of the one on the left [v]Boaz.

Furnishings of the Temple(BK)

4 Moreover he made (BL)a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length, twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height.

2 (BM)Then he made the [w]Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. 3 (BN)And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 4 It stood on twelve (BO)oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. 5 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained [x]three thousand baths.

6 He also made (BP)ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the [y]Sea was for the (BQ)priests to wash in. 7 (BR)And he made ten lampstands of gold (BS)according to their design, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 8 (BT)He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred (BU)bowls of gold.

9 Furthermore (BV)he made the court of the priests, and the (BW)great court and doors for the court; and he overlaid these doors with bronze. 10 (BX)He set the Sea on the right side, toward the southeast.

11 Then (BY)Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of God: 12 the two pillars and (BZ)the bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 13 (CA)four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the pillars); 14 he also made (CB)carts and the lavers on the carts; 15 one Sea and twelve oxen under it; 16 also the pots, the shovels, the forks—and all their articles (CC)Huram his [z]master craftsman made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.

17 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between Succoth and [aa]Zeredah. 18 (CD)And Solomon had all these articles made in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

19 Thus (CE)Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God: the altar of gold and the tables on which was (CF)the showbread; 20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn (CG)in the prescribed manner in front of the inner sanctuary, 21 with (CH)the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold, of purest gold; 22 the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold. As for the entry of the [ab]sanctuary, its inner doors to the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the main hall of the temple, were gold.

The Ark Brought into the Temple

5 So (CI)all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and all the furnishings. And he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

The Ark Brought into the Temple(CJ)

2 (CK)Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up (CL)from the City of David, which is Zion. 3 (CM)Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with the king (CN)at the feast, which was in the seventh month. 4 So all the elders of Israel came, and the (CO)Levites took up the ark. 5 Then they brought up the ark, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. 6 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. 7 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the (CP)inner sanctuary of the [ac]temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 9 The poles extended so that the ends of the (CQ)poles of the ark could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And [ad]they are there to this day. 10 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets which Moses (CR)put there at Horeb, [ae]when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they had come out of Egypt.

11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had [af]sanctified themselves, without keeping to their (CS)divisions), 12 (CT)and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, (CU)and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets— 13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:

(CV)“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,”

that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not [ag]continue ministering because of the cloud; (CW)for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

6 Then (CX)Solomon spoke:

“The Lord said He would dwell in the (CY)dark cloud.
2 I have surely built You an exalted house,
And (CZ)a place for You to dwell in forever.”

Solomon’s Speech upon Completion of the Work(DA)

3 Then the king turned around and (DB)blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 4 And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, (DC)saying, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel. 6 (DD)Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I (DE)have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ 7 Now (DF)it was in the heart of my father David to build a [ah]temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart. 9 Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My (DG)name.’ 10 So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and (DH)sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 11 And there I have put the ark, (DI)in which is the covenant of the Lord which He made with the children of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication(DJ)

12 (DK)Then [ai]Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands 13 (for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven); 14 and he said: “Lord God of Israel, (DL)there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your (DM)covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. 15 (DN)You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 16 Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, (DO)‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, (DP)only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ 17 And now, O Lord God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.

18 “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? (DQ)Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this [aj]temple which I have built! 19 Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: 20 that Your eyes may be (DR)open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes (DS)toward this place. 21 And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, (DT)forgive.

22 “If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an (DU)oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, 23 then hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his (DV)righteousness.

24 “Or if Your people Israel are defeated before an (DW)enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.

26 “When the (DX)heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, 27 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

28 “When there (DY)is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever (DZ)sickness there is; 29 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: 30 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone (EA)know the (EB)hearts of the sons of men), 31 that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

32 “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, (EC)who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; 33 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [ak]this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

34 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

36 “When they sin against You (for there is (ED)no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them (EE)captive to a land far or near; 37 yet when they [al]come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’; 38 and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the (EF)city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name: 39 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You. 40 Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be (EG)open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place.

41 “Now(EH) therefore,
Arise, O Lord God, to Your (EI)resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
And let Your saints (EJ)rejoice in goodness.

42 “O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed;
(EK)Remember the mercies of Your servant David.”

Solomon Dedicates the Temple(EL)

7 When (EM)Solomon had finished praying, (EN)fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and (EO)the glory of the Lord filled the [am]temple. 2 (EP)And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. 3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying:

(EQ)“For He is good,
(ER)For His mercy endures forever.”

4 (ES)Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 (ET)And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the Lord, which King David had made to praise the Lord, saying, “For His mercy endures forever,” whenever David offered praise by their [an]ministry. (EU)The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood.

7 Furthermore (EV)Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat.

8 (EW)At that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly (EX)from the entrance of Hamath to (EY)the[ao] Brook of Egypt. 9 And on the eighth day they held a (EZ)sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. 10 (FA)On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel. 11 Thus (FB)Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house.

God’s Second Appearance to Solomon(FC)

12 Then the Lord (FD)appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, (FE)and have chosen this (FF)place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 (FG)When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are (FH)called by My name will (FI)humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, (FJ)then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now (FK)My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now (FL)I have chosen and [ap]sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and [aq]My eyes and [ar]My heart will be there perpetually. 17 (FM)As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, (FN)‘You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’

19 (FO)“But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, 20 (FP)then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have [as]sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a (FQ)byword among all peoples.

21 “And as for (FR)this [at]house, which [au]is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be (FS)astonished and say, (FT)‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’ 22 Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’ ”

Solomon’s Additional Achievements(FU)

8 It (FV)came to pass at the end of (FW)twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, 2 that the cities which [av]Hiram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them; and he settled the children of Israel there. 3 And Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and seized it. 4 (FX)He also built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities which he built in (FY)Hamath. 5 He built Upper Beth Horon and (FZ)Lower Beth Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, 6 also Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities and the cities of the cavalry, and all that Solomon (GA)desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

7 (GB)All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of Israel— 8 that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel did not destroy—from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day. 9 But Solomon did not make the children of Israel [aw]servants for his work. Some were men of war, captains of his officers, captains of his chariots, and his cavalry. 10 And others were chiefs of the officials of King Solomon: (GC)two hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people.

11 Now Solomon (GD)brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the vestibule, 13 according to the (GE)daily rate, offering according to the commandment of Moses, for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the (GF)three appointed yearly (GG)feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 14 And, according to the [ax]order of David his father, he appointed the (GH)divisions of the priests for their service, (GI)the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the (GJ)gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded. 15 They did not depart from the command of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the (GK)treasuries.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered [ay]from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to (GL)Ezion Geber and [az]Elath on the seacoast, in the land of Edom. 18 (GM)And Hiram sent him ships by the hand of his servants, and servants who knew the sea. They went with the servants of Solomon to (GN)Ophir, and acquired four hundred and fifty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba’s Praise of Solomon(GO)

9 Now (GP)when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 2 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her. 3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his (GQ)cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

5 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 6 However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard. 7 Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the Lord your God! Because your God has (GR)loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

9 And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, (GS)who brought gold from Ophir, brought [ba]algum wood and precious stones. 11 And the king made walkways of the [bb]algum wood for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers; and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.

12 Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

Solomon’s Great Wealth(GT)

13 (GU)The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 14 besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; [bc]three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the (GV)House of the Forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were [bd]armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 19 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king’s ships went to (GW)Tarshish with the servants of [be]Hiram. Once every three years the [bf]merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and [bg]monkeys.

22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, (GX)armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

25 Solomon (GY)had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 (GZ)So he reigned over all the kings (HA)from [bh]the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27 (HB)The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees (HC)as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 28 (HD)And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

Death of Solomon(HE)

29 (HF)Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of (HG)Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of (HH)Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 (HI)Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then Solomon [bi]rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

The Revolt Against Rehoboam(HJ)

10 And (HK)Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was in Egypt, (HL)where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), that Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 Then they sent for him and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 So he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people departed.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

8 (HM)But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [bj]scourges!’ ”

12 So (HN)Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” 13 Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, [bk]“My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [bl]scourges!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; (HO)for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His (HP)word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:

“What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Every man to your tents, O Israel!
Now see to your own house, O David!”

So all Israel departed to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of revenue; but the children of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem. 19 (HQ)So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Rehoboam’s Reign in Judah

11 Now (HR)when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.

2 But the word of the Lord came (HS)to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

5 So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6 And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities. 11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. 12 Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

Priests and Levites Move to Judah(HT)

13 And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him. 14 For the Levites left (HU)their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for (HV)Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord. 15 (HW)Then he appointed for himself priests for the [bm]high places, for (HX)the demons, and (HY)the calf idols which he had made. 16 (HZ)And [bn]after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, (IA)came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. 17 So they (IB)strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

The Family of Rehoboam

18 Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of (IC)Eliah the son of Jesse. 19 And she bore him children: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he took (ID)Maachah the [bo]granddaughter of (IE)Absalom; and she bore him (IF)Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his (IG)wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 And Rehoboam (IH)appointed (II)Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king. 23 He dealt wisely, and [bp]dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every (IJ)fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He also sought many wives for them.

Egypt Attacks Judah(IK)

12 Now (IL)it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that (IM)he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him. 2 (IN)And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, 3 with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, and people without number who came with him out of Egypt—(IO)the Lubim and the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. 4 And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came to Jerusalem.

5 Then (IP)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord: ‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.’ ”

6 So the leaders of Israel and the king (IQ)humbled themselves; and they said, (IR)“The Lord is righteous.”

7 Now when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, (IS)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. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 8 Nevertheless (IT)they will be his servants, that they may distinguish (IU)My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”

9 (IV)So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house; he took everything. He also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had (IW)made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them (IX)to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. 11 And whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guard would go and bring them out; then they would take them back into the guardroom. 12 When he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and things also went well in Judah.

The End of Rehoboam’s Reign(IY)

13 Thus King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now (IZ)Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, (JA)the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an (JB)Ammonitess. 14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

15 The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, (JC)and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? (JD)And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. 16 So Rehoboam [bq]rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. Then (JE)Abijah[br] his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:3 Place for worship
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:5 Some authorities it was there
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:13 Place for worship
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit. by their hands
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:3 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 5:1
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:4 Lit. incense of spices
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:4 appointed
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:9 Lit. house
  9. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 5:1
  10. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Hiram, 1 Kin. 7:13
  11. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Lit. father, 1 Kin. 7:13, 14
  12. 2 Chronicles 2:16 Heb. Japho
  13. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Lit. He, following MT, Vg.; LXX the Lord; Tg. the Angel of the Lord
  14. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Araunah, 2 Sam. 24:16ff
  15. 2 Chronicles 3:4 The holy place, the main room of the temple, 1 Kin. 6:3
  16. 2 Chronicles 3:4 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Arab., some LXX mss., Syr. twenty
  17. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit. house
  18. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit. house
  19. 2 Chronicles 3:15 eighteen, 1 Kin. 7:15; 2 Kin. 25:17; Jer. 52:21
  20. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit. long
  21. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Lit. He Shall Establish
  22. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Lit. In It Is Strength
  23. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Great laver or basin
  24. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 8,000 gallons; two thousand, 1 Kin. 7:26
  25. 2 Chronicles 4:6 Great basin
  26. 2 Chronicles 4:16 Lit. father
  27. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Zaretan, 1 Kin. 7:46
  28. 2 Chronicles 4:22 Lit. house
  29. 2 Chronicles 5:7 Lit. house
  30. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Lit. it is
  31. 2 Chronicles 5:10 Or where
  32. 2 Chronicles 5:11 consecrated
  33. 2 Chronicles 5:14 Lit. stand to minister
  34. 2 Chronicles 6:7 Lit. house, and so in vv. 8–10
  35. 2 Chronicles 6:12 Lit. he
  36. 2 Chronicles 6:18 Lit. house
  37. 2 Chronicles 6:33 Lit. Your name is called upon this house
  38. 2 Chronicles 6:37 Lit. bring back to their hearts
  39. 2 Chronicles 7:1 Lit. house
  40. 2 Chronicles 7:6 Lit. hand
  41. 2 Chronicles 7:8 The Shihor, 1 Chr. 13:5
  42. 2 Chronicles 7:16 set apart
  43. 2 Chronicles 7:16 My attention
  44. 2 Chronicles 7:16 My concern
  45. 2 Chronicles 7:20 set apart
  46. 2 Chronicles 7:21 Temple
  47. 2 Chronicles 7:21 Or was
  48. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Heb. Huram, 2 Chr. 2:3
  49. 2 Chronicles 8:9 slaves
  50. 2 Chronicles 8:14 ordinance
  51. 2 Chronicles 8:16 So with LXX, Syr., Vg.; MT as far as
  52. 2 Chronicles 8:17 Heb. Eloth, 2 Kin. 14:22
  53. 2 Chronicles 9:10 almug, 1 Kin. 10:11, 12
  54. 2 Chronicles 9:11 almug, 1 Kin. 10:11, 12
  55. 2 Chronicles 9:16 three minas, 1 Kin. 10:17
  56. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit. hands
  57. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 10:22
  58. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Lit. ships of Tarshish, deep-sea vessels
  59. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Or peacocks
  60. 2 Chronicles 9:26 The Euphrates
  61. 2 Chronicles 9:31 Died and joined his ancestors
  62. 2 Chronicles 10:11 Scourges with points or barbs, lit. scorpions
  63. 2 Chronicles 10:14 So with many Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. (cf. v. 10; 1 Kin. 12:14); MT I
  64. 2 Chronicles 10:14 Lit. scorpions
  65. 2 Chronicles 11:15 Places for pagan worship
  66. 2 Chronicles 11:16 Lit. after them
  67. 2 Chronicles 11:20 Lit. daughter, but in the broader sense of granddaughter
  68. 2 Chronicles 11:23 distributed
  69. 2 Chronicles 12:16 Died and joined his ancestors
  70. 2 Chronicles 12:16 Abijam, 1 Kin. 14:31
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2 Chronicles 1-12
English Standard Version

Solomon Worships at Gibeon

1 (A)Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, (B)and the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.

2 Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the (C)commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to all the leaders in all Israel, the heads of fathers' houses. 3 And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to (D)the high place that was at Gibeon, (E)for (F)the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there. 4 (G)(But David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place that David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.) 5 Moreover, (H)the bronze altar that (I)Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And Solomon and the assembly (J)sought it[a] out. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, (K)and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

Solomon Prays for Wisdom

7 (L)In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, (M)and have made me king in his place. 9 O Lord God, (N)let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous (O)as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to (P)go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” 11 God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for (Q)possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you (R)riches, possessions, and honor, (S)such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 13 So Solomon came from[b] the (T)high place at Gibeon, from before (U)the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.

Solomon Given Wealth

14 (V)Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. (W)He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed (X)in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 16 And Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's traders would buy them from Kue for a price. 17 They imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 shekels[c] of silver, and a horse for 150. Likewise through them these were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Preparing to Build the Temple

2 [d] (Y)Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal palace for himself. 2 [e] (Z)And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and (AA)3,600 to oversee them. 3 (AB)And Solomon sent word to Hiram the king of Tyre: (AC)“As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. 4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of (AD)incense of sweet spices before him, and for (AE)the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for (AF)burnt offerings morning and evening, (AG)on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained forever for Israel. 5 The house that I am to build will be great, (AH)for our God is greater than all gods. 6 (AI)But who is able to build him a house, since (AJ)heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? 7 So now (AK)send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, (AL)whom David my father provided. 8 Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that (AM)your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am to build will be great and wonderful. 10 (AN)I will give for your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, 20,000 cors[f] of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths[g] of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil.”

11 Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, (AO)“Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.” 12 Hiram also said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, (AP)who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding, (AQ)who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

13 “Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi, 14 (AR)the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is (AS)trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. 15 Now therefore the wheat and barley, oil and wine, (AT)of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants. 16 (AU)And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to (AV)Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.”

17 Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, (AW)after the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600. 18 (AX)Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work.

Solomon Builds the Temple

3 (AY)Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem (AZ)on Mount Moriah, where the Lord[h] had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, (BA)on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 2 He began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign. 3 These are Solomon's (BB)measurements[i] for building the house of God: (BC)the length, in cubits[j] of the old standard, was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits. 4 The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house,[k] and its height was 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. 5 (BD)The nave he lined with cypress and covered it with fine gold (BE)and made palms and chains on it. 6 He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of Parvaim. 7 So he lined the house with gold—its beams, its thresholds, its walls, and its doors—(BF)and he carved cherubim on the walls.

8 (BG)And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was twenty cubits, and its breadth was twenty cubits. He overlaid it with 600 talents[l] of fine gold. 9 The weight of gold for the nails was fifty shekels.[m] And he overlaid (BH)the upper chambers with gold.

10 (BI)In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of wood[n] and overlaid[o] them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim together extended twenty cubits: one wing of the one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub; 12 and of this cherub, one wing, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits. The cherubim[p] stood on their feet, (BJ)facing the nave. 14 (BK)And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and he worked cherubim on it.

15 (BL)In front of the house he made two pillars thirty-five cubits high, with a capital of five cubits on the top of each. 16 He made chains like a necklace[q] and put them on the tops of the pillars, and he made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. 17 (BM)He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north; that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north Boaz.

The Temple's Furnishings

4 He made (BN)an altar of bronze, twenty cubits[r] long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. 2 (BO)Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. 3 Under it were figures of gourds,[s] for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. 4 It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. 5 Its thickness was a handbreadth.[t] And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. (BP)It held 3,000 baths.[u] 6 (BQ)He also made ten basins in which to wash, and set five on the south side, and five on the north side. In these they were to rinse off what was used for the burnt offering, and the sea was for the priests to wash in.

7 And he made ten golden lampstands (BR)as prescribed, and set them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. 8 (BS)He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. And he made a hundred basins of gold. 9 He made (BT)the court of the priests (BU)and the great court and doors for the court and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 (BV)And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house.

11 (BW)(BX)Hiram also made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. (BY)So Hiram finished the work that he did for King Solomon on the house of God: 12 the two pillars, (BZ)the bowls, and the two capitals on the top of the pillars; and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; 13 (CA)and the 400 pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework, to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the pillars. 14 (CB)He made the stands also, and the basins on the stands, 15 and the one sea, and the twelve oxen underneath it. 16 The pots, the shovels, (CC)the forks, and all the equipment for these (CD)(CE)Huram-abi made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. 17 In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.[v] 18 (CF)Solomon made all these things in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze was not sought.

19 So Solomon made all the vessels that were in the house of God: the golden altar, (CG)the tables for the bread of the Presence, 20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold (CH)to burn before the inner sanctuary, as prescribed; 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs, of purest gold; 22 the snuffers, basins, dishes for incense, and fire pans, of pure gold, and the sockets[w] of the temple, for the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and for the doors of the nave of the temple were of gold.

5 (CI)Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, and stored the silver, the gold, and all the vessels in the treasuries of the house of God.

The Ark Brought to the Temple

2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of (CJ)the city of David, which is Zion. 3 And all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the feast that is in the seventh month. 4 And all the elders of Israel came, (CK)and the Levites took up the ark. 5 And they brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; (CL)the Levitical priests brought them up. 6 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 7 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. 8 The cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering above the ark and its poles. 9 And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen (CM)from the Holy Place before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside. And they are[x] there to this day. 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets (CN)that Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. 11 And when the priests came out of the Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves, without regard to (CO)their divisions, 12 and all the Levitical (CP)singers, (CQ)Asaph, (CR)Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with (CS)cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 (CT)priests who were trumpeters; 13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, (CU)with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord,

(CV)“For he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever,”

the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, (CW)for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Solomon Blesses the People

6 (CX)Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. 2 But I have built you (CY)an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.” 3 Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. 4 And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel; 6 (CZ)but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, (DA)and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’ 7 (DB)Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas (DC)it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. 9 Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ 10 Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 And there I have set the ark, (DD)in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”

Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 (DE)Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits[y] long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court, and he stood on it. (DF)Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven, 14 and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, (DG)there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, (DH)keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart, 15 (DI)who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 16 Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, (DJ)‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, (DK)if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’ 17 Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.

18 “But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, (DL)heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! 19 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you, 20 (DM)that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 21 And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, (DN)and when you hear, forgive.

22 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

24 “If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, 25 (DO)then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers.

26 (DP)“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict[z] them, 27 (DQ)then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way[aa] in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

28 (DR)“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 29 whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house, 30 (DS)then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, (DT)for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind, 31 that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.

32 “Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, 33 hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house (DU)that I have built is called by your name.

34 “If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

36 “If they sin against you—(DV)for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near, 37 yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 38 if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 39 then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. 40 Now, O my God, (DW)let your eyes be open (DX)and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.

41 “And now arise, O Lord God, and go to your (DY)resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
Let your priests, O Lord God, be (DZ)clothed with salvation,
    and let your saints (EA)rejoice in your goodness.
42 O Lord God, (EB)do not turn away the face of your anointed one!
    (EC)Remember your steadfast love for David your servant.”

Fire from Heaven

7 (ED)As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, (EE)fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, (EF)and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, (EG)for his steadfast love endures forever.”

The Dedication of the Temple

4 (EH)Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 The priests stood at their posts; (EI)the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the Lord that King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord—(EJ)for his steadfast love endures forever—whenever David offered praises by their ministry;[ab] (EK)opposite them the priests sounded trumpets, and all Israel stood.

7 (EL)And Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offering and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat.

8 At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from (EM)Lebo-hamath to the (EN)Brook of Egypt. 9 And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the prosperity[ac] that the Lord had granted to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people.

If My People Pray

11 (EO)Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer (EP)and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 (EQ)When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name (ER)humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 (ES)Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 (ET)For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. 17 And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, 18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, (EU)‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’

19 (EV)“But if you[ad] turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 (EW)then I will pluck you[ae] up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it (EX)a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, (EY)‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’”

Solomon's Accomplishments

8 (EZ)At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, 2 Solomon rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given to him, and settled the people of Israel in them.

3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and took it. 4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities that he built in Hamath. 5 He also built (FA)Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, (FB)fortified cities (FC)with walls, gates, and bars, 6 and Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 7 (FD)All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, 8 from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed—these Solomon drafted (FE)as forced labor, and so they are to this day. 9 But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; they were soldiers, and his officers, the commanders of his chariots, and his horsemen. 10 And these were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250, who exercised authority over the people.

11 (FF)Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord (FG)that he had built before the vestibule, 13 (FH)as the duty of each day required, offering (FI)according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the (FJ)three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. 14 According to the ruling of David his father, he appointed (FK)the divisions of the priests for their service, (FL)and the Levites for their offices of praise and (FM)ministry before the priests (FN)as the duty of each day required, and (FO)the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David (FP)the man of God had commanded. 15 And they did not turn aside from what the king had commanded the priests and Levites concerning any matter and concerning the treasuries.

16 Thus was accomplished all the work of Solomon from[af] the day the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to (FQ)Ezion-geber and (FR)Eloth on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom. 18 And Hiram sent to him by the hand of his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea, and they went to Ophir together with the servants of Solomon and brought from there (FS)450 talents[ag] of gold and brought it to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba

9 (FT)Now when (FU)the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions, having a very great retinue and camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 2 And Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing hidden from Solomon that he could not explain to her. 3 And when (FV)the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, and their clothing, his cupbearers, and their clothing, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.

5 And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, 6 but I did not believe the[ah] reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report that I heard. 7 Happy are your wives![ai] Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you (FW)and set you on his throne as king for the Lord your God! (FX)Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” 9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[aj] of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices such as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 Moreover, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, (FY)who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum wood and precious stones. 11 And the king made from the algum wood (FZ)supports for the house of the Lord and for the king's house, lyres also and harps for the singers. There never was seen the like of them before in the land of Judah.

12 And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked (GA)besides what she had brought to the king. So she turned and went back to her own land with her servants.

Solomon's Wealth

13 (GB)Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 14 besides that which the explorers and merchants brought. (GC)And all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the land brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold; 600 shekels[ak] of beaten gold went into each shield. 16 And he made 300 shields of beaten gold; (GD)300 shekels of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 17 The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, 19 while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom. 20 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king's ships went to (GE)Tarshish with the servants of Hiram. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[al]

22 Thus King Solomon (GF)excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 24 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh,[am] spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. 25 And Solomon had (GG)4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 (GH)And he ruled over all the kings (GI)from the Euphrates[an] to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. 27 (GJ)And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 28 (GK)And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

Solomon's Death

29 (GL)Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from (GM)first to last, are they not written in the history of (GN)Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of (GO)Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of (GP)Iddo (GQ)the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in (GR)the city of David his father, and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

The Revolt Against Rehoboam

10 (GS)Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was in Egypt, (GT)where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 And they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and said to Rehoboam, 4 (GU)“Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Come to me again in three days.” So the people went away.

6 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men,[ao] who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 And they said to him, (GV)“If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father's thighs. 11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men, 14 King Rehoboam spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the Lord might fulfill his word, (GW)which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. (GX)Each of you to your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So all Israel went to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent (GY)Hadoram,[ap] who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and the people of Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam quickly mounted his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Rehoboam Secures His Kingdom

11 (GZ)When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the Lord came to (HA)Shemaiah the man of God: 3 “Say to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against (HB)your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.’” So they listened to the word of the Lord and returned and did not go against Jeroboam.

5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem, and he built (HC)cities for defense in Judah. 6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, (HD)Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, fortified cities that are in Judah and in Benjamin. 11 He made the fortresses strong, and put commanders in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. 12 And he put shields and spears in all the cities and made them very strong. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

Priests and Levites Come to Jerusalem

13 And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel presented themselves to him from all places where they lived. 14 For the Levites left (HE)their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, (HF)because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord, 15 and he appointed his own (HG)priests for the high places and for the goat idols and for (HH)the calves that he had made. 16 (HI)And those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 17 (HJ)They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehoboam the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon.

Rehoboam's Family

18 Rehoboam took as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of (HK)Eliab the son of Jesse, 19 and she bore him sons, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he took (HL)Maacah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him (HM)Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines (he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters). 22 (HN)And Rehoboam appointed (HO)Abijah the son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, for he intended to make him king. 23 And he dealt wisely and distributed some of his sons through all the districts of Judah and Benjamin, in all the fortified cities, and he gave them abundant provisions and procured wives for them.[aq]

Egypt Plunders Jerusalem

12 (HP)When the rule of Rehoboam was established (HQ)and he was strong, (HR)he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. 2 (HS)In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, (HT)Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3 with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt—(HU)Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. 4 And he took (HV)the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then (HW)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, (HX)‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’” 6 Then the princes of (HY)Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, (HZ)“The Lord is righteous.” 7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: (IA)“They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, (IB)and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:5 Or him
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:13 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew to
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:17 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  4. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Ch 1:18 in Hebrew
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:2 Ch 2:1 in Hebrew
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:10 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:10 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters
  8. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks the Lord
  9. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Syriac; Hebrew foundations
  10. 2 Chronicles 3:3 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  11. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Compare 1 Kings 6:3; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  12. 2 Chronicles 3:8 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  13. 2 Chronicles 3:9 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  14. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  15. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Hebrew they overlaid
  16. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Hebrew they
  17. 2 Chronicles 3:16 Hebrew chains in the inner sanctuary
  18. 2 Chronicles 4:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  19. 2 Chronicles 4:3 Compare 1 Kings 7:24; Hebrew oxen; twice in this verse
  20. 2 Chronicles 4:5 A handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
  21. 2 Chronicles 4:5 A bath was about 6 gallons or 22 liters
  22. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Spelled Zarethan in 1 Kings 7:46
  23. 2 Chronicles 4:22 Compare 1 Kings 7:50; Hebrew the entrance of the house
  24. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Hebrew it is
  25. 2 Chronicles 6:13 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
  26. 2 Chronicles 6:26 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew answer
  27. 2 Chronicles 6:27 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate (compare 1 Kings 8:36); Hebrew toward the good way
  28. 2 Chronicles 7:6 Hebrew by their hand
  29. 2 Chronicles 7:10 Or good
  30. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew for you is plural here
  31. 2 Chronicles 7:20 Hebrew them; twice in this verse
  32. 2 Chronicles 8:16 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew to
  33. 2 Chronicles 8:18 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  34. 2 Chronicles 9:6 Hebrew their
  35. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Septuagint (compare 1 Kings 10:8); Hebrew men
  36. 2 Chronicles 9:9 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  37. 2 Chronicles 9:15 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  38. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Or baboons
  39. 2 Chronicles 9:24 Or armor
  40. 2 Chronicles 9:26 Hebrew the River
  41. 2 Chronicles 10:6 Or the elders; also verses 8, 13
  42. 2 Chronicles 10:18 Spelled Adoram in 1 Kings 12:18
  43. 2 Chronicles 11:23 Hebrew and sought a multitude of wives
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2 Chronicles 1-11
New American Standard Bible

Solomon Worships at Gibeon

1 Now (A)Solomon the son of David established himself securely over his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and (B)exalted him greatly.

2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, (C)to the commanders of thousands, of hundreds, and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households. 3 Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to (D)the high place which was at Gibeon, (E)because God’s tent of meeting was there which Moses, the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. 4 However, David had brought up (F)the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim [a]to (G)the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 Now (H)the bronze altar which Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was there before the tabernacle of the Lord, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. 6 And Solomon went up there before the Lord to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and (I)offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 (J)In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.”

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

8 And Solomon said to God, “You have dealt with my father David with great faithfulness, and (K)have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, (L)Your [b]promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over (M)a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 (N)Now give me wisdom and knowledge, (O)so that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?” 11 (P)Then God said to Solomon, “Because this was [c]in your heart, and you did not ask for riches, wealth, or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor did you even ask for long life, but you asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge so that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. (Q)I will also give you riches, wealth, and honor, [d]such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor will those who will [e]come after you.” 13 (R)So Solomon went [f]from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Wealth

14 (S)Solomon amassed chariots and horsemen. (T)He had 1,400 chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in (U)the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 (V)The king made (W)silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamores in the [g]lowland. 16 Solomon’s (X)horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s traders acquired them from Kue for a price. 17 They [h]imported chariots from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver apiece, horses for 150 apiece, and [i]by the same means they [j]exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Solomon Will Build a Temple and a Palace

2 [k](Y)Now Solomon [l]decided to build a house for the name of the Lord, and a [m]royal palace for himself. 2 [n]So (Z)Solomon [o]assigned seventy thousand men to carry loads, eighty thousand men to quarry stone in the mountains, and 3,600 to supervise them.

3 (AA)Then Solomon sent word to [p]Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “(AB)As you dealt with my father David and sent him cedars to build him a house to live in, do it for me. 4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, (AC)to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out (AD)the showbread continually, and to offer (AE)burnt offerings morning and evening, (AF)on Sabbaths, on new moons, and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God. This is to be done in Israel forever. 5 The house which I am about to build will be great, for our God is (AG)greater than all the gods. 6 But (AH)who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? And who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to [q]burn incense before Him? 7 Now (AI)send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass, iron, and in purple, crimson, and violet fabrics, one who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled workers [r](AJ)whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided. 8 (AK)Send me also cedar, juniper, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed (AL)my servants will work with your servants, 9 to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. 10 Now behold, (AM)I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, [s]twenty thousand kors of crushed wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, [t]twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

Huram to Assist

11 Then Huram, king of Tyre, [u]answered in a letter sent to Solomon: “(AN)Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.” 12 Then Huram [v]continued, “Blessed be (AO)the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, [w]endowed with discretion and understanding, (AP)who will build a house for the Lord and a [x]royal palace for himself.

13 “Now then, I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, [y]endowed with understanding, 14 (AQ)the son of a [z]Danite woman and [aa]a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, violet, linen, and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to [ab]execute any design which is assigned to him, to work with your skilled workers and with [ac]those of my lord, your father David. 15 Now then, let my lord send his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of (AR)which he has spoken. 16 (AS)We will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you as rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, (AT)following the [ad]census which his father David had [ae]taken; and 153,600 were found. 18 (AU)He appointed seventy thousand of them to carry loads and eighty thousand to quarry stones in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.

The Temple Construction in Jerusalem

3 (AV)Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared (AW)on the threshing floor of [af]Ornan the Jebusite. 2 He began to build on the second day in the second month [ag]of the fourth year of his reign.

Dimensions and Materials of the Temple

3 Now these are the [ah]foundations which (AX)Solomon laid for building the house of God. The length in cubits, according to the old standard, was [ai]sixty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits. 4 The porch which was in front of the house (AY)was as long as the width of the house, [aj]twenty cubits, and the height [ak]twenty; and inside he overlaid it with pure gold. 5 He overlaid (AZ)the [al]main room with juniper wood and overlaid it with fine gold; and he [am]ornamented it with palm trees and chains. 6 Further, he overlaid the house [an]with precious stones; and the gold was gold from Parvaim. 7 (BA)He also overlaid the house with gold—the beams, the thresholds, and its walls and doors; and he (BB)carved cherubim on the walls.

8 Then he made (BC)the [ao]room of the Most Holy Place: its length across the width of the house was [ap]twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to [aq]six hundred talents. 9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. He also overlaid (BD)the upper rooms with gold.

10 (BE)Then he made two [ar]sculptured cherubim in the room of the Most Holy Place and overlaid them with gold. 11 The wingspan of the [as]cherubim was twenty [at]cubits; the wing of one, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house, and its other wing, of five cubits, touched the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the other cherub, of five cubits, touched the wall of the house; and its other wing, of five cubits, was attached to the wing of the [au]first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim extended twenty cubits, and they stood on their feet [av]facing the main room. 14 (BF)He made the veil of violet, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and he worked cherubim into it.

15 (BG)He also made two pillars for the front of the house, thirty-five cubits [aw]high, and the capital on the top of each was five cubits. 16 He made chains in the inner sanctuary and placed them on the tops of the pillars; and he made a hundred pomegranates and placed them on the chains. 17 (BH)He erected the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right and the other on the left, and named the one on the right Jachin and the one on the left Boaz.

Furnishings of the Temple

4 Then (BI)he made a bronze altar, [ax]twenty cubits in length, [ay]twenty cubits in width, and [az]ten cubits in height. 2 (BJ)He also made the [ba]Sea of cast metal, [bb]ten cubits from brim to brim, circular in form, and its height was [bc]five cubits and [bd]its circumference [be]thirty cubits. 3 Now figures like oxen were under it and all around it, [bf]ten cubits, entirely encircling the Sea. The oxen were in two rows, cast [bg]in one piece. 4 It was standing on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east; and the Sea was set on top of them and all their hindquarters turned inward. 5 It was a [bh]hand width thick, and its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom; it (BK)could hold three thousand [bi]baths. 6 (BL)He also made ten basins in which to wash, and he set five on the right side and five on the left [bj]to rinse things for the burnt offering; but the Sea was for the priests to wash in.

7 Then (BM)he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them, and he set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 8 He also made (BN)ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made a hundred golden bowls. 9 Then he made (BO)the courtyard of the priests and (BP)the great courtyard, and doors for the courtyard, and overlaid their doors with bronze. 10 (BQ)He put the Sea on the right side of the house toward the southeast.

11 (BR)Huram also made the pails, the shovels, and the bowls. So Huram finished the work that he did for King Solomon in the house of God: 12 the two pillars, the bowls and the two capitals on top of the pillars, and the two latticeworks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on top of the pillars, 13 and (BS)the four hundred pomegranates for the two latticeworks, two rows of pomegranates for each latticework to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the pillars. 14 (BT)He also made the stands and he made the basins on the stands, 15 and the one Sea with the twelve oxen under it. 16 The pails, the shovels, the forks, and all its utensils, (BU)Huram-abi made of polished bronze for King Solomon, for the house of the Lord. 17 On the plain of the Jordan the king cast them in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. 18 (BV)So Solomon made all these utensils in great quantities, for the weight of the bronze could not be determined.

19 Solomon also made all the things that were in the house of God: the golden altar, (BW)the tables with the bread of the Presence on them, 20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, (BX)to burn in front of the inner sanctuary in the way prescribed; 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold, that is, of purest gold; 22 and the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons, and the firepans of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the Most Holy Place and the doors of the house, that is, of the main room, of gold.

The Ark Is Brought into the Temple

5 (BY)So all the work that Solomon performed for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the [bk](BZ)things that his father David had dedicated, the silver, the gold, and all the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

2 (CA)Then Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, (CB)to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David, which is Zion. 3 (CC)All the men of Israel assembled themselves before the king at (CD)the feast, that is in the seventh month. 4 Then all the elders of Israel came, and (CE)the Levites picked up the ark. 5 They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils that were in the tent. The Levitical priests brought them up. 6 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who had assembled with him before the ark were sacrificing [bl]so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 7 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its [bm]poles. 9 The poles were so long that (CF)the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and [bn]they are there to this day. 10 (CG)There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

The Glory of God Fills the Temple

11 When the priests came out from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard (CH)to divisions), 12 and all the Levitical singers, (CI)Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, (CJ)with cymbals, harps, and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them 120 priests (CK)blowing trumpets 13 in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they raised their voices (CL)accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, and when they praised the Lord saying, “(CM)He indeed is good for His [bo]kindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not rise to minister because of the cloud, for (CN)the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Solomon’s Dedication of the Temple

6 (CO)Then Solomon said,

“The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.
2 I have built You a lofty house,
And a place for Your dwelling forever.”

3 Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 4 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, so that My name might be there, nor did I choose a man to be the leader over My people Israel; 6 but (CP)I have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there, and I (CQ)have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ 7 (CR)Now it was [bp]in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was [bq]in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was [br]in your heart. 9 Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who [bs]will be born to you, he shall build the house for My name.’ 10 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord [bt]promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark (CS)in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with the sons of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

12 Then he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 (CT)For Solomon had made a bronze platform, [bu]five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the courtyard; and he stood on it, (CU)knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 He said, “Lord, God of Israel, (CV)there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, (CW)keeping [bv]Your covenant and [bw]Your faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; 15 (CX)You who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You [bx]promised him; You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 16 Now then, Lord, God of Israel, keep to Your servant David, my father, that which You [by]promised him, saying, ‘[bz](CY)You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay attention to their way, to walk in My Law as you have walked before Me.’ 17 Now then, Lord, God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.

18 “But (CZ)will God really dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, (DA)heaven and the [ca]highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built! 19 Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the prayer of Your servant and to his plea, Lord, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You; 20 that Your (DB)eye will be open toward this house day and night, toward (DC)the place of which You have said that You would put Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. 21 Listen to the pleadings of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; (DD)hear and forgive.

22 “If someone sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and take action and judge Your servants, [cb](DE)punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by [cc]repaying him according to his righteousness.

24 “If Your people Israel are [cd]defeated before an enemy because (DF)they have sinned against You, and they return to You and praise Your name, and pray and plead before You in this house, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.

26 “When the (DG)heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 27 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; indeed, (DH)teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

28 “If there is a (DI)famine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their [ce]cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, 29 whatever prayer or plea is made by anyone or by all Your people Israel, [cf]each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, 30 then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know—(DJ)for You alone know the hearts of the sons of mankind— 31 so that they may [cg]fear You, to walk in Your ways [ch]as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

32 “Also concerning (DK)the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country on account of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house, 33 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, so that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and [ci]fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [cj]this house which I have built is (DL)called by Your name.

34 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way You send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their pleading, and maintain their cause.

36 “When they sin against You ((DM)for there is no one who does not sin), and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that [ck]they take them away captive to a land far off or near, 37 if they [cl]take it to heart in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and plead to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and have acted wickedly’; 38 (DN)if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name, 39 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and pleadings, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

40 “Now, my God, please, (DO)let Your eyes be open and (DP)Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

41 “(DQ)Now then arise, Lord God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might; let Your priests, Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Your godly ones rejoice in what is good.

42 “Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; (DR)remember Your faithfulness to Your servant David.”

The Shekinah Glory

7 (DS)Now when Solomon had finished praying, (DT)fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2 (DU)And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3 All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “(DV)Certainly He is good, certainly His faithfulness is everlasting.”

Sacrifices Offered

4 (DW)Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 The priests stood at their posts, and (DX)the Levites also, with the musical instruments for the Lord, which King David had made for giving praise to the Lord—“for His faithfulness is everlasting”—whenever David gave praise through their [cm]ministry; (DY)the priests on the other side blew trumpets and all Israel was standing.

7 (DZ)Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was before the house of the Lord, for he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat.

The Feast of Dedication

8 So (EA)Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly that came from the entrance of Hamath to the (EB)brook of Egypt. 9 And on the eighth day they held (EC)a solemn assembly, because they held the dedication of the altar for seven days, and the feast for seven days. 10 Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy in heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, to Solomon, and to His people Israel.

God’s Promise and Warning

11 (ED)So Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s palace, and successfully completed everything that [cn]he had planned on doing in the house of the Lord and in his palace.

12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and (EE)have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 (EF)If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, 14 (EG)and My people [co]who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 (EH)Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the [cp]prayer offered in this place. 16 For (EI)now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there [cq]always. 17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, to do according to everything that I have commanded you, and keep My statutes and My ordinances, 18 then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘[cr](EJ)You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’

19 “(EK)But if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 (EL)then I will uproot [cs]you from My land which I have given [ct]you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it (EM)a proverb and an object of scorn among all peoples. 21 As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘(EN)Why has the Lord done these things to this land and to this house?’ 22 And they will say, ‘Because (EO)they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’”

Solomon’s Activities and Accomplishments

8 (EP)Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, 2 that he built the cities which Huram had given [cu]him, and settled the sons of Israel there.

3 Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it. 4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath. 5 He also built upper (EQ)Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, which were (ER)fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars; 6 and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for [cv]his chariots and cities for [cw]his horsemen, and everything that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and all the land [cx]under his rule.

7 (ES)All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, 8 that is, from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, (ET)Solomon raised them as forced laborers to this day. 9 But Solomon did not make slaves from the sons of Israel for his work; for they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen. 10 These were the chief [cy]officers of King Solomon, 250 who ruled over the people.

11 (EU)Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, because [cz]the places where the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on (EV)the altar of the Lord which he had built in front of the porch; 13 and (EW)he did so according to the daily rule, offering them up (EX)according to the commandment of Moses, for (EY)the Sabbaths, (EZ)the new moons, and the (FA)three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.

14 Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed (FB)the divisions of the priests for their service, and (FC)the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and (FD)the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for this is what (FE)David, the man of God, had commanded. 15 And they did not deviate from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any matter or regarding the storehouses.

16 So all the work of Solomon was carried out [da]from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to (FF)Ezion-geber and to (FG)Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom. 18 And by his servants Huram sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and (FH)took from there [db]450 talents of gold, and brought it to King Solomon.

Visit of the Queen of Sheba

9 (FI)Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with riddles. She had a very large entourage, with camels carrying balsam oil and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about everything that was on her heart. 2 Solomon [dc]answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not [dd]explain to her. 3 When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, 4 the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and [de]his stairway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, she was breathless. 5 Then she said to the king, “It was a true [df]story that I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 6 But I did not believe their [dg]stories until I came and my own eyes saw it all. And behold, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom was reported to me. You have surpassed the report that I heard. 7 How [dh]blessed are your men, how [di]blessed are these servants of yours, who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you, (FJ)setting you on His throne as king for the Lord your God; (FK)because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, He made you king over them, to carry out justice and righteousness.” 9 Then she gave the king [dj]120 talents of gold and a very great amount of balsam oil and precious stones; there had never been balsam oil like that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

10 The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon (FL)who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones. 11 From the algum trees the king made steps to the house of the Lord and for the king’s palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and nothing like them was seen before in the land of Judah.

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she requested, besides gifts equal to what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Power

13 (FM)Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was [dk]666 talents of gold, 14 besides what the traders and merchants brought; and all (FN)the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold, [dl]using six hundred shekels of beaten gold on each large shield. 16 He made three hundred shields of beaten gold, [dm]using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield; and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and [dn]arms [do]on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the [dp]arms. 19 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. 20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered [dq]valuable in the days of Solomon. 21 (FO)For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

22 (FP)So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in wealth and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 24 (FQ)They were bringing, each of them his gift: articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, balsam oil, horses, and mules, so much year by year.

25 Now Solomon had (FR)four thousand stalls for horses and chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 (FS)He was ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. 27 (FT)And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [dr]lowland. 28 (FU)And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

29 (FV)Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from the first to the last, (FW)are they not written in the [ds]records of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of [dt]Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 (FX)Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

Death of Solomon

31 And Solomon [du]lay down with his fathers and was buried in (FY)the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

Rehoboam’s Reign of Foolishness

10 (FZ)Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it ((GA)he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 So they sent word and summoned him. When Jeroboam and all Israel came, they spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our (GB)yoke hard; but now, lighten the hard labor imposed by your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5 He said to them, “Return to me again in three days.” So the people departed.

6 And then King Rehoboam (GC)consulted with the elders who had [dv]served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” 7 They spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to this people and please them and (GD)speak pleasant words to them, then they will be your servants always.” 8 But he (GE)ignored the advice of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him [dw]and served him. 9 He said to them, “What advice do you give, so that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10 The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “This is what you should say to the people who spoke to you, saying: ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us!’ You should speak this way to them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! 11 Now then, my father loaded you with a heavy yoke; yet I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with [dx]scorpions!’”

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had [dy]directed, saying, “Return to me on the third day.” 13 The king answered them harshly, and King Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders. 14 He spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “[dz]My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with [ea]scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, (GF)because it was a turn of events from God (GG)so that the Lord might establish His word, which He spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people replied to the king, saying,

“(GH)What share do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Everyone to your tents, Israel!
Now look after your own house, David!”

(GI)So all Israel went away to their tents. 17 But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in (GJ)charge of the forced labor, and the sons of Israel stoned him [eb]to death. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So (GK)Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Rehoboam Reigns over Judah and Builds Cities

11 (GL)Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 2 But the word of the Lord came to (GM)Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Tell Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘This is what the Lord says: “You shall not go up nor fight against (GN)your relatives; return, every man, to his house, (GO)for this [ec]event is from Me.”’” So they listened to the words of the Lord and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and (GP)built cities for defense in Judah. 6 He built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 11 He also strengthened the fortresses and put officers in them and supplies of food, oil, and wine. 12 He put shields and spears in every city and strengthened them greatly. So he held Judah and Benjamin.

13 Moreover, the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel also stood with him from all their districts.

Jeroboam Appoints False Priests

14 For (GQ)the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because (GR)Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the Lord. 15 (GS)He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and the calves which he had made. 16 (GT)Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord God of Israel [ed]followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. 17 (GU)They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

Rehoboam’s Family

18 Then Rehoboam married Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David and of Abihail the daughter of (GV)Eliab the son of Jesse, 19 and she bore to him sons: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he married (GW)Maacah the daughter of [ee]Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and concubines. For (GX)he had taken eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:4 Lit where David had prepared for it
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:9 Lit word
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:11 Lit with
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:12 Lit which was not so to the kings who were before you
  5. 2 Chronicles 1:12 Lit be
  6. 2 Chronicles 1:13 As in other ancient versions; MT to
  7. 2 Chronicles 1:15 Heb shephelah
  8. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit brought up and brought out
  9. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit in the same way by their hand
  10. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit brought out
  11. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Ch 1:18 in Heb
  12. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Lit said
  13. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Lit house for his royalty
  14. 2 Chronicles 2:2 Ch 2:1 in Heb
  15. 2 Chronicles 2:2 Lit counted
  16. 2 Chronicles 2:3 In 1 Kin 5:18, Hiram
  17. 2 Chronicles 2:6 Lit offer up in smoke
  18. 2 Chronicles 2:7 Lit who are with me
  19. 2 Chronicles 2:10 About 154,000 cubic feet or 4,360 cubic meters
  20. 2 Chronicles 2:10 About 120,000 gallons or 454,249 liters
  21. 2 Chronicles 2:11 Lit said...and he sent
  22. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Lit said
  23. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Lit knowing discretion
  24. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Lit house for his royalty
  25. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Lit knowing understanding
  26. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit a woman of the daughters of Dan
  27. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit whose father is a Tyrian man
  28. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit devise any device
  29. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit skilled men
  30. 2 Chronicles 2:17 Lit numbering
  31. 2 Chronicles 2:17 Lit numbered of them
  32. 2 Chronicles 3:1 In 2 Sam 24:18, Araunah
  33. 2 Chronicles 3:2 Lit in
  34. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Lit founding of Solomon to build
  35. 2 Chronicles 3:3 About 90 ft. long and 30 ft. wide or 27 m long and 9 m wide
  36. 2 Chronicles 3:4 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  37. 2 Chronicles 3:4 As in ancient versions; MT 120 cubits or about 180 ft. or 55 m
  38. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit great house
  39. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit put on it palm trees
  40. 2 Chronicles 3:6 Lit for beauty
  41. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit house
  42. 2 Chronicles 3:8 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  43. 2 Chronicles 3:8 About 23 tons or 21 metric tons
  44. 2 Chronicles 3:10 Lit cherubim of cast work
  45. 2 Chronicles 3:11 Heb plural of cherub
  46. 2 Chronicles 3:11 About 18 in. or 45 cm
  47. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Lit other
  48. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Lit and their faces to
  49. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit long
  50. 2 Chronicles 4:1 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  51. 2 Chronicles 4:1 About 30 ft. or 9 m
  52. 2 Chronicles 4:1 About 15 ft. or 4.6 m
  53. 2 Chronicles 4:2 I.e., large basin
  54. 2 Chronicles 4:2 About 15 ft. or 4.6 m
  55. 2 Chronicles 4:2 About 7.5 ft. or 2.3 m
  56. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Lit a line of 30 cubits encircling it round about
  57. 2 Chronicles 4:2 About 45 ft. or 14 m
  58. 2 Chronicles 4:3 About 15 ft. or 4.6 m
  59. 2 Chronicles 4:3 Lit in its casting
  60. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 3 in. or 7.6 cm
  61. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 18,000 gallons or 68,137 liters
  62. 2 Chronicles 4:6 Lit in which to
  63. 2 Chronicles 5:1 Lit dedicated things of his
  64. 2 Chronicles 5:6 Lit sheep...numbered for multitude
  65. 2 Chronicles 5:8 Lit poles above
  66. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Lit it is
  67. 2 Chronicles 5:13 Or faithfulness
  68. 2 Chronicles 6:7 Lit with
  69. 2 Chronicles 6:8 Lit with
  70. 2 Chronicles 6:8 Lit with
  71. 2 Chronicles 6:9 Lit will come forth from your loins
  72. 2 Chronicles 6:10 Lit spoke
  73. 2 Chronicles 6:13 About 7.5 ft. long and wide and 4.5 ft. high or 2.3 m and 1.4 m
  74. 2 Chronicles 6:14 Or the
  75. 2 Chronicles 6:14 Or the
  76. 2 Chronicles 6:15 Lit spoke to
  77. 2 Chronicles 6:16 Lit have spoken to
  78. 2 Chronicles 6:16 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man from before Me
  79. 2 Chronicles 6:18 Lit heaven of heavens
  80. 2 Chronicles 6:23 Lit returning
  81. 2 Chronicles 6:23 Lit giving
  82. 2 Chronicles 6:24 Lit struck
  83. 2 Chronicles 6:28 Lit gates
  84. 2 Chronicles 6:29 Lit whoever shall know
  85. 2 Chronicles 6:31 Or revere
  86. 2 Chronicles 6:31 Lit all the days that they live on the face of the land
  87. 2 Chronicles 6:33 Or revere
  88. 2 Chronicles 6:33 Lit Your name is called upon this house
  89. 2 Chronicles 6:36 Lit their captors lead them captive
  90. 2 Chronicles 6:37 Lit return to their heart
  91. 2 Chronicles 7:6 Lit hand
  92. 2 Chronicles 7:11 Lit came upon the heart of Solomon to do
  93. 2 Chronicles 7:14 Lit over whom My name is called
  94. 2 Chronicles 7:15 Lit prayer of this place
  95. 2 Chronicles 7:16 Lit all the days
  96. 2 Chronicles 7:18 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man
  97. 2 Chronicles 7:20 As in ancient versions; MT them
  98. 2 Chronicles 7:20 As in some ancient versions; MT them
  99. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Lit Solomon
  100. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Lit the
  101. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Lit the
  102. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Lit of
  103. 2 Chronicles 8:10 Or deputies
  104. 2 Chronicles 8:11 Lit they are
  105. 2 Chronicles 8:16 As in ancient versions; MT as far as
  106. 2 Chronicles 8:18 About 17 tons or 15 metric tons
  107. 2 Chronicles 9:2 Lit told her all her words
  108. 2 Chronicles 9:2 Lit tell
  109. 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or his burnt offering which he offered
  110. 2 Chronicles 9:5 Lit word
  111. 2 Chronicles 9:6 Lit words
  112. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
  113. 2 Chronicles 9:7 Or happy
  114. 2 Chronicles 9:9 About 4.5 tons or 4 metric tons
  115. 2 Chronicles 9:13 About 25 tons or 23 metric tons
  116. 2 Chronicles 9:15 Lit he brought up
  117. 2 Chronicles 9:16 Lit he brought up
  118. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
  119. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit from this and from this at the place of the seat
  120. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit hands
  121. 2 Chronicles 9:20 Lit anything
  122. 2 Chronicles 9:27 Heb shephelah
  123. 2 Chronicles 9:29 Lit words
  124. 2 Chronicles 9:29 Heb Jedo
  125. 2 Chronicles 9:31 I.e., died
  126. 2 Chronicles 10:6 Lit stood before
  127. 2 Chronicles 10:8 Lit who stood before
  128. 2 Chronicles 10:11 Prob. a brutal type of whip
  129. 2 Chronicles 10:12 Lit spoken
  130. 2 Chronicles 10:14 Many mss I have made
  131. 2 Chronicles 10:14 Prob. a brutal type of whip
  132. 2 Chronicles 10:18 Lit with stones that he died
  133. 2 Chronicles 11:4 Lit thing
  134. 2 Chronicles 11:16 Lit came after
  135. 2 Chronicles 11:20 In 1 Kin 15:2, Abishalom
Close KJV

2 Chronicles 1-11
King James Version

1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.

2 Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.

3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness.

4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.

5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the Lord: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.

8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.

9 Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.

10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:

12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

13 Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.

14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

15 And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance.

16 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

17 And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.

2 And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the Lord, and an house for his kingdom.

2 And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

3 And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

5 And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.

6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

7 Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.

8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.

10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.

12 Huram said moreover, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the Lord, and an house for his kingdom.

13 And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,

14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

15 Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

16 And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

17 And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.

3 Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the Lord appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.

2 And he began to build in the second day of the second month, in the fourth year of his reign.

3 Now these are the things wherein Solomon was instructed for the building of the house of God. The length by cubits after the first measure was threescore cubits, and the breadth twenty cubits.

4 And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the height was an hundred and twenty: and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

5 And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.

6 And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim.

7 He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls.

8 And he made the most holy house, the length whereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits: and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.

9 And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

10 And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold.

11 And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

12 And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

13 The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward.

14 And he made the vail of blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

15 Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on the top of each of them was five cubits.

16 And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made an hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains.

17 And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.

4 Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

2 Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.

3 And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast.

4 It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

5 And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths.

6 He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them; but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

7 And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form, and set them in the temple, five on the right hand, and five on the left.

8 He made also ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side, and five on the left. And he made an hundred basons of gold.

9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid the doors of them with brass.

10 And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over against the south.

11 And Huram made the pots, and the shovels, and the basons. And Huram finished the work that he was to make for king Solomon for the house of God;

12 To wit, the two pillars, and the pommels, and the chapiters which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars;

13 And four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths; two rows of pomegranates on each wreath, to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were upon the pillars.

14 He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;

15 One sea, and twelve oxen under it.

16 The pots also, and the shovels, and the fleshhooks, and all their instruments, did Huram his father make to king Solomon for the house of the Lord of bright brass.

17 In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredathah.

18 Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out.

19 And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also, and the tables whereon the shewbread was set;

20 Moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn after the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;

21 And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold;

22 And the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold: and the entry of the house, the inner doors thereof for the most holy place, and the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

5 Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the Lord was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.

3 Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

4 And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

5 And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

6 Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

7 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:

8 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

9 And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;

14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.

6 Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.

3 And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood.

4 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying,

5 Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:

6 But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

7 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

8 But the Lord said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:

9 Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name.

10 The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

11 And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, that he made with the children of Israel.

12 And he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands:

13 For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven.

14 And said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:

15 Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.

16 Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

17 Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.

18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

19 Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:

20 That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.

21 Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.

22 If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;

23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;

25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

26 When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;

27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:

29 Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:

30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)

31 That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

32 Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;

33 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.

34 If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;

35 Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;

37 Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;

38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

41 Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.

42 O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.

7 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

2 And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.

3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.

5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

6 And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

7 Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.

8 Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.

9 And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.

10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.

13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

17 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;

18 Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.

19 But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

20 Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house?

22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

8 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord, and his own house,

2 That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3 And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.

5 Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6 And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

7 As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,

8 But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10 And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the Lord hath come.

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch,

13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was perfected.

17 Then went Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

18 And Huram sent 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.

9 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 bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2 And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.

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

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

7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

8 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which 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 made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

9 And she gave the king an 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 king Solomon.

10 And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

11 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.

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

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

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

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

16 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.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18 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:

19 And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

20 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

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

22 And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

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

24 And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

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

27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.

28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

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

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

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

4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

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

6 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?

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

8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.

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

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

11 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.

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

13 And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,

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

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

16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.

17 But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

18 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 him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.

19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

11 And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

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

4 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 of me. And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

5 And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

6 He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

7 And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

8 And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

9 And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

10 And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.

11 And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

12 And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.

14 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 unto the Lord:

15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

16 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 unto the Lord God of their fathers.

17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

18 And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

19 Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20 And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

Close NKJV

2 Chronicles 1-24
New King James Version

Solomon Requests Wisdom(A)

1 Now (B)Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and (C)the Lord his God was with him and (D)exalted him exceedingly.

2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to (E)the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses. 3 Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to [a]the high place that was at (F)Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had (G)made in the wilderness. 4 (H)But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5 Now (I)the bronze altar that (J)Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, [b]he put before the tabernacle of the Lord; Solomon and the assembly sought Him there. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and (K)offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 (L)On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great (M)mercy to David my father, and have made me (N)king in his place. 9 Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, (O)for You have made me king over a people like the (P)dust of the earth in multitude. 10 (Q)Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may (R)go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

11 (S)Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as (T)none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

Solomon’s Military and Economic Power(U)

13 So Solomon came to Jerusalem from [c]the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tabernacle of meeting, and reigned over Israel. 14 (V)And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 (W)Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 16 (X)And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. 17 They also acquired and imported from Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty; thus, [d]through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple(Y)

2 Then Solomon (Z)determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal house for himself. 2 (AA)Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

3 Then Solomon sent to [e]Hiram king of Tyre, saying:

(AB)As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. 4 Behold, (AC)I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, (AD)to burn before Him [f]sweet incense, for (AE)the continual showbread, for (AF)the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the (AG)Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the [g]set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

5 And the temple which I build will be great, for (AH)our God is greater than all gods. 6 (AI)But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?

7 Therefore send me at once a man skillful to work in gold and silver, in bronze and iron, in purple and crimson and blue, who has skill to engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, (AJ)whom David my father provided. 8 (AK)Also send me cedar and cypress and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and indeed my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the [h]temple which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

10 (AL)And indeed I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, twenty thousand kors of ground wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

11 Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon:

(AM)Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.

12 [i]Hiram also said:

(AN)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, (AO)who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal house for himself!

13 And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, [j]Huram my [k]master craftsman 14 (AP)(the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

15 Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine which (AQ)my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants. 16 (AR)And we will cut wood from Lebanon, as much as you need; we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to [l]Joppa, and you will carry it up to Jerusalem.

17 (AS)Then Solomon numbered all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which (AT)David his father had numbered them; and there were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred. 18 And he made (AU)seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.

Solomon Builds the Temple(AV)

3 Now (AW)Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at (AX)Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [m]the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of (AY)Ornan[n] the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

3 This is the foundation (AZ)which Solomon laid for building the house of God: The length was sixty cubits (by cubits according to the former measure) and the width twenty cubits. 4 And the (BA)vestibule that was in front of [o]the sanctuary was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was [p]one hundred and twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. 5 (BB)The larger [q]room he (BC)paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it. 6 And he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim. 7 He also overlaid the house—the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors—with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.

8 And he made the (BD)Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. 9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper (BE)area with gold. 10 (BF)In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub; 12 one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward. 14 And he made the (BG)veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.

15 Also he made in front of the [r]temple (BH)two pillars [s]thirty-five cubits [t]high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made (BI)one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork. 17 Then he (BJ)set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand [u]Jachin, and the name of the one on the left [v]Boaz.

Furnishings of the Temple(BK)

4 Moreover he made (BL)a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length, twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height.

2 (BM)Then he made the [w]Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. 3 (BN)And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 4 It stood on twelve (BO)oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. 5 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained [x]three thousand baths.

6 He also made (BP)ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the [y]Sea was for the (BQ)priests to wash in. 7 (BR)And he made ten lampstands of gold (BS)according to their design, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 8 (BT)He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred (BU)bowls of gold.

9 Furthermore (BV)he made the court of the priests, and the (BW)great court and doors for the court; and he overlaid these doors with bronze. 10 (BX)He set the Sea on the right side, toward the southeast.

11 Then (BY)Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of God: 12 the two pillars and (BZ)the bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 13 (CA)four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the pillars); 14 he also made (CB)carts and the lavers on the carts; 15 one Sea and twelve oxen under it; 16 also the pots, the shovels, the forks—and all their articles (CC)Huram his [z]master craftsman made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.

17 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between Succoth and [aa]Zeredah. 18 (CD)And Solomon had all these articles made in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

19 Thus (CE)Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God: the altar of gold and the tables on which was (CF)the showbread; 20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn (CG)in the prescribed manner in front of the inner sanctuary, 21 with (CH)the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold, of purest gold; 22 the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold. As for the entry of the [ab]sanctuary, its inner doors to the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the main hall of the temple, were gold.

The Ark Brought into the Temple

5 So (CI)all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and all the furnishings. And he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

The Ark Brought into the Temple(CJ)

2 (CK)Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up (CL)from the City of David, which is Zion. 3 (CM)Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with the king (CN)at the feast, which was in the seventh month. 4 So all the elders of Israel came, and the (CO)Levites took up the ark. 5 Then they brought up the ark, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. 6 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. 7 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the (CP)inner sanctuary of the [ac]temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 9 The poles extended so that the ends of the (CQ)poles of the ark could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And [ad]they are there to this day. 10 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets which Moses (CR)put there at Horeb, [ae]when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they had come out of Egypt.

11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had [af]sanctified themselves, without keeping to their (CS)divisions), 12 (CT)and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, (CU)and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets— 13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:

(CV)“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,”

that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not [ag]continue ministering because of the cloud; (CW)for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

6 Then (CX)Solomon spoke:

“The Lord said He would dwell in the (CY)dark cloud.
2 I have surely built You an exalted house,
And (CZ)a place for You to dwell in forever.”

Solomon’s Speech upon Completion of the Work(DA)

3 Then the king turned around and (DB)blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 4 And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, (DC)saying, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel. 6 (DD)Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I (DE)have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ 7 Now (DF)it was in the heart of my father David to build a [ah]temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart. 9 Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My (DG)name.’ 10 So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and (DH)sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 11 And there I have put the ark, (DI)in which is the covenant of the Lord which He made with the children of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication(DJ)

12 (DK)Then [ai]Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands 13 (for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven); 14 and he said: “Lord God of Israel, (DL)there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your (DM)covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. 15 (DN)You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 16 Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, (DO)‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, (DP)only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ 17 And now, O Lord God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.

18 “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? (DQ)Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this [aj]temple which I have built! 19 Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: 20 that Your eyes may be (DR)open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes (DS)toward this place. 21 And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, (DT)forgive.

22 “If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an (DU)oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, 23 then hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his (DV)righteousness.

24 “Or if Your people Israel are defeated before an (DW)enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.

26 “When the (DX)heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, 27 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

28 “When there (DY)is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever (DZ)sickness there is; 29 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: 30 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone (EA)know the (EB)hearts of the sons of men), 31 that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

32 “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, (EC)who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; 33 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [ak]this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

34 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

36 “When they sin against You (for there is (ED)no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them (EE)captive to a land far or near; 37 yet when they [al]come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’; 38 and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the (EF)city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name: 39 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You. 40 Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be (EG)open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place.

41 “Now(EH) therefore,
Arise, O Lord God, to Your (EI)resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
And let Your saints (EJ)rejoice in goodness.

42 “O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed;
(EK)Remember the mercies of Your servant David.”

Solomon Dedicates the Temple(EL)

7 When (EM)Solomon had finished praying, (EN)fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and (EO)the glory of the Lord filled the [am]temple. 2 (EP)And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. 3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying:

(EQ)“For He is good,
(ER)For His mercy endures forever.”

4 (ES)Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 (ET)And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the Lord, which King David had made to praise the Lord, saying, “For His mercy endures forever,” whenever David offered praise by their [an]ministry. (EU)The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood.

7 Furthermore (EV)Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat.

8 (EW)At that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly (EX)from the entrance of Hamath to (EY)the[ao] Brook of Egypt. 9 And on the eighth day they held a (EZ)sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. 10 (FA)On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel. 11 Thus (FB)Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house.

God’s Second Appearance to Solomon(FC)

12 Then the Lord (FD)appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, (FE)and have chosen this (FF)place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 (FG)When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are (FH)called by My name will (FI)humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, (FJ)then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now (FK)My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now (FL)I have chosen and [ap]sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and [aq]My eyes and [ar]My heart will be there perpetually. 17 (FM)As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, (FN)‘You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’

19 (FO)“But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, 20 (FP)then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have [as]sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a (FQ)byword among all peoples.

21 “And as for (FR)this [at]house, which [au]is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be (FS)astonished and say, (FT)‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’ 22 Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’ ”

Solomon’s Additional Achievements(FU)

8 It (FV)came to pass at the end of (FW)twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, 2 that the cities which [av]Hiram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them; and he settled the children of Israel there. 3 And Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and seized it. 4 (FX)He also built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities which he built in (FY)Hamath. 5 He built Upper Beth Horon and (FZ)Lower Beth Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, 6 also Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities and the cities of the cavalry, and all that Solomon (GA)desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

7 (GB)All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of Israel— 8 that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel did not destroy—from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day. 9 But Solomon did not make the children of Israel [aw]servants for his work. Some were men of war, captains of his officers, captains of his chariots, and his cavalry. 10 And others were chiefs of the officials of King Solomon: (GC)two hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people.

11 Now Solomon (GD)brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the vestibule, 13 according to the (GE)daily rate, offering according to the commandment of Moses, for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the (GF)three appointed yearly (GG)feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 14 And, according to the [ax]order of David his father, he appointed the (GH)divisions of the priests for their service, (GI)the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the (GJ)gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded. 15 They did not depart from the command of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the (GK)treasuries.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered [ay]from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to (GL)Ezion Geber and [az]Elath on the seacoast, in the land of Edom. 18 (GM)And Hiram sent him ships by the hand of his servants, and servants who knew the sea. They went with the servants of Solomon to (GN)Ophir, and acquired four hundred and fifty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba’s Praise of Solomon(GO)

9 Now (GP)when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 2 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her. 3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his (GQ)cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

5 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 6 However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard. 7 Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the Lord your God! Because your God has (GR)loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

9 And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, (GS)who brought gold from Ophir, brought [ba]algum wood and precious stones. 11 And the king made walkways of the [bb]algum wood for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers; and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.

12 Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

Solomon’s Great Wealth(GT)

13 (GU)The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 14 besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; [bc]three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the (GV)House of the Forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were [bd]armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 19 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king’s ships went to (GW)Tarshish with the servants of [be]Hiram. Once every three years the [bf]merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and [bg]monkeys.

22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, (GX)armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

25 Solomon (GY)had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 (GZ)So he reigned over all the kings (HA)from [bh]the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27 (HB)The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees (HC)as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 28 (HD)And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

Death of Solomon(HE)

29 (HF)Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of (HG)Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of (HH)Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 (HI)Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then Solomon [bi]rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

The Revolt Against Rehoboam(HJ)

10 And (HK)Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was in Egypt, (HL)where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), that Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 Then they sent for him and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 So he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people departed.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

8 (HM)But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [bj]scourges!’ ”

12 So (HN)Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” 13 Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, [bk]“My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [bl]scourges!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; (HO)for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His (HP)word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:

“What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Every man to your tents, O Israel!
Now see to your own house, O David!”

So all Israel departed to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of revenue; but the children of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem. 19 (HQ)So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Rehoboam’s Reign in Judah

11 Now (HR)when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.

2 But the word of the Lord came (HS)to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

5 So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6 And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities. 11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. 12 Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

Priests and Levites Move to Judah(HT)

13 And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him. 14 For the Levites left (HU)their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for (HV)Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the Lord. 15 (HW)Then he appointed for himself priests for the [bm]high places, for (HX)the demons, and (HY)the calf idols which he had made. 16 (HZ)And [bn]after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the Lord God of Israel, (IA)came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers. 17 So they (IB)strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

The Family of Rehoboam

18 Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of (IC)Eliah the son of Jesse. 19 And she bore him children: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he took (ID)Maachah the [bo]granddaughter of (IE)Absalom; and she bore him (IF)Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his (IG)wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 And Rehoboam (IH)appointed (II)Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king. 23 He dealt wisely, and [bp]dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every (IJ)fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He also sought many wives for them.

Egypt Attacks Judah(IK)

12 Now (IL)it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that (IM)he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him. 2 (IN)And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord, 3 with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, and people without number who came with him out of Egypt—(IO)the Lubim and the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians. 4 And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came to Jerusalem.

5 Then (IP)Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord: ‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.’ ”

6 So the leaders of Israel and the king (IQ)humbled themselves; and they said, (IR)“The Lord is righteous.”

7 Now when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, (IS)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. My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 8 Nevertheless (IT)they will be his servants, that they may distinguish (IU)My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”

9 (IV)So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house; he took everything. He also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had (IW)made. 10 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them (IX)to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. 11 And whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guard would go and bring them out; then they would take them back into the guardroom. 12 When he humbled himself, the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to destroy him completely; and things also went well in Judah.

The End of Rehoboam’s Reign(IY)

13 Thus King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned. Now (IZ)Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, (JA)the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an (JB)Ammonitess. 14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

15 The acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, (JC)and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? (JD)And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days. 16 So Rehoboam [bq]rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. Then (JE)Abijah[br] his son reigned in his place.

Abijah Reigns in Judah(JF)

13 In (JG)the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over (JH)Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was [bs]Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah set the battle in order with an army of valiant warriors, four hundred thousand choice men. Jeroboam also drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor.

4 Then Abijah stood on Mount (JI)Zemaraim, which is in the mountains of Ephraim, and said, “Hear me, Jeroboam and all Israel: 5 Should you not know that the Lord God of Israel (JJ)gave the dominion over Israel to David forever, to him and his sons, (JK)by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and (JL)rebelled against his lord. 7 Then (JM)worthless rogues gathered to him, and strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was (JN)young and inexperienced and could not withstand them. 8 And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hand of the sons of David; and you are a great multitude, and with you are the gold calves which Jeroboam (JO)made for you as gods. 9 (JP)Have you not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of other lands, (JQ)so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of (JR)things that are not gods? 10 But as for us, the Lord is our (JS)God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests who minister to the Lord are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites attend to their duties. 11 (JT)And they burn to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense; they also set the (JU)showbread in order on the pure gold table, and the lampstand of gold with its lamps (JV)to burn every evening; for we keep the command of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken Him. 12 Now look, God Himself is with us as our (JW)head, (JX)and His priests with sounding trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers, for you shall not prosper!”

13 But Jeroboam caused an ambush to go around behind them; so they were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked around, to their surprise the battle line was at both front and rear; and they (JY)cried out to the Lord, and the priests sounded the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it happened that God (JZ)struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. 17 Then Abijah and his people struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of Israel fell slain. 18 Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the children of Judah prevailed, (KA)because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers.

19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and (KB)Ephrain[bt] with its villages. 20 So Jeroboam did not recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the Lord (KC)struck him, and (KD)he died.

21 But Abijah grew mighty, married fourteen wives, and begot twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings are written in (KE)the [bu]annals of the prophet Iddo.

Asa Reigns over Judah

14 So Abijah rested with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David. Then (KF)Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land was quiet for ten years.

Asa Reigns in Judah(KG)

2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, 3 for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and (KH)the [bv]high places, and (KI)broke down the sacred pillars (KJ)and cut down the wooden images. 4 He commanded Judah to (KK)seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. 5 He also removed the [bw]high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him. 6 And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the Lord had given him (KL)rest. 7 Therefore he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them, 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 has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8 And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried [bx]shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew (KM)bows; all these were mighty men of (KN)valor.

9 (KO)Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to (KP)Mareshah. 10 So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. 11 And Asa (KQ)cried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it is (KR)nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and (KS)in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!”

12 So the Lord (KT)struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled. 13 And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them to (KU)Gerar. So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army. And they carried away very much [by]spoil. 14 Then they defeated all the cities around Gerar, for (KV)the fear of the Lord came upon them; and they plundered all the cities, for there was exceedingly much [bz]spoil in them. 15 They also [ca]attacked the livestock enclosures, and carried off sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

The Reforms of Asa

15 Now (KW)the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. 2 And he went out [cb]to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. (KX)The Lord is with you while you are with Him. (KY)If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but (KZ)if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3 (LA)For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a (LB)teaching priest, and without (LC)law; 4 but (LD)when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. 5 And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 (LE)So nation was [cc]destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity. 7 But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”

8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of [cd]Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities (LF)which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord. 9 Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and (LG)those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.

10 So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. 11 (LH)And they offered to the Lord [ce]at that time seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the [cf]spoil they had brought. 12 Then they (LI)entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; 13 (LJ)and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel (LK)was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 14 Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams’ horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and (LL)sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them (LM)rest all around.

16 Also he removed (LN)Maachah, the [cg]mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of [ch]Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron. 17 But (LO)the [ci]high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days.

18 He also brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils. 19 And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.

Asa’s Treaty with Syria(LP)

16 In the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Asa, (LQ)Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, (LR)that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, who dwelt in Damascus, saying, 3 “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as there was between my father and your father. See, I have sent you silver and gold; come, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”

4 So Ben-Hadad heeded King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. They attacked Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali. 5 Now it happened, when Baasha heard it, that he stopped building Ramah and ceased his work. 6 Then King Asa took all Judah, and they carried away the stones and timber of Ramah, which Baasha had used for building; and with them he built Geba and Mizpah.

Hanani’s Message to Asa

7 And at that time (LS)Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: (LT)“Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. 8 Were (LU)the Ethiopians and (LV)the Lubim not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your (LW)hand. 9 (LX)For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this (LY)you have done foolishly; therefore from now on (LZ)you shall have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer, and (MA)put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time.

Illness and Death of Asa(MB)

11 (MC)Note that the acts of Asa, first and last, are indeed written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he (MD)did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.

13 (ME)So Asa [cj]rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 They buried him in his own tomb, which he had [ck]made for himself in the City of David; and they laid him in the bed which was filled (MF)with spices and various ingredients prepared in a mixture of ointments. They made (MG)a very great burning for him.

Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah

17 Then (MH)Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 And he placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of (MI)Judah and in the cities of Ephraim (MJ)which Asa his father had taken. 3 Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought [cl]the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to (MK)the acts of Israel. 5 Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah (ML)gave presents to Jehoshaphat, (MM)and he had riches and honor in abundance. 6 And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord; moreover (MN)he removed the [cm]high places and wooden images from Judah.

7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent his leaders, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Michaiah, (MO)to teach in the cities of Judah. 8 And with them he sent Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah—the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. 9 (MP)So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the Lord with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

10 And (MQ)the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Also some of the Philistines (MR)brought Jehoshaphat presents and silver as tribute; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred male goats.

12 So Jehoshaphat became increasingly powerful, and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah. 13 He had much property in the cities of Judah; and the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem.

14 These are their numbers, according to their fathers’ houses. Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valor; 15 and next to him was Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and eighty thousand; 16 and next to him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, (MS)who willingly offered himself to the Lord, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor. 17 Of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him two hundred thousand men armed with bow and shield; 18 and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him one hundred and eighty thousand prepared for war. 19 These served the king, besides (MT)those the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

Micaiah Warns Ahab(MU)

18 Jehoshaphat (MV)had riches and honor in abundance; and by marriage he (MW)allied himself with (MX)Ahab. 2 (MY)After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. 3 So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?”

And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war.”

4 Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, (MZ)“Please inquire for the word of the Lord today.”

5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

So they said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of (NA)Him?”[cn]

7 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.”

And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”

8 Then the king of Israel called one of his officers and said, “Bring Micaiah the son of Imla quickly!”

9 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. 10 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made (NB)horns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’ ”

11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

12 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”

13 And Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, (NC)whatever my God says, that I will speak.”

14 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”

And he said, “Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!”

15 So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

16 Then he said, “I saw all Israel (ND)scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no (NE)shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”

17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

18 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His (NF)throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 20 Then a (NG)spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ 21 So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.’ 22 Therefore look! (NH)The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and (NI)struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go from me to speak to you?”

24 And Micaiah said, “Indeed you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!”

25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king: (NJ)“Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I return in peace.” ’ ”

27 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by (NK)me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”

Ahab Dies in Battle(NL)

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will (NM)disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.

30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”

31 So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat (NN)cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. 32 For so it was, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 33 Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the [co]joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 34 The battle increased that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening; and about the time of sunset he died.

Jehoshaphat’s Additional Reforms

19 Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned safely to his house in Jerusalem. 2 And Jehu the son of Hanani (NO)the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and (NP)love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the (NQ)wrath of the Lord is upon you. 3 Nevertheless (NR)good things are found in you, in that you have removed the [cp]wooden images from the land, and have (NS)prepared your heart to seek God.”

The Reforms of Jehoshaphat

4 So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the mountains of Ephraim, and brought them back to the Lord God of their (NT)fathers. 5 Then he set (NU)judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, 6 and said to the judges, “Take heed to what you are doing, for (NV)you do not judge for man but for the Lord, (NW)who is with you [cq]in the judgment. 7 Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for (NX)there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no (NY)partiality, nor taking of bribes.”

8 Moreover in Jerusalem, for the judgment of the Lord and for controversies, Jehoshaphat (NZ)appointed some of the Levites and priests, and some of the chief fathers of Israel, [cr]when they returned to Jerusalem. 9 And he commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall act (OA)in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a loyal heart: 10 (OB)Whatever case comes to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, whether of bloodshed or offenses against law or commandment, against statutes or ordinances, you shall warn them, lest they trespass against the Lord and (OC)wrath come upon (OD)you and your brethren. Do this, and you will not be guilty. 11 And take notice: (OE)Amariah the chief priest is over you (OF)in all matters of the Lord; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king’s matters; also the Levites will be officials before you. Behave courageously, and the Lord will be (OG)with the good.”

Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir Defeated

20 It happened after this that the people of (OH)Moab with the people of (OI)Ammon, and others with them besides the (OJ)Ammonites,[cs] came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from [ct]Syria; and they are (OK)in Hazazon Tamar” (which is (OL)En Gedi). 3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set [cu]himself to (OM)seek the Lord, and (ON)proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to ask (OO)help from the Lord; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, 6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not (OP)God in heaven, and (OQ)do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and (OR)in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not (OS)our God, who (OT)drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham (OU)Your friend forever? 8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 9 (OV)‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your (OW)name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’ 10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You (OX)would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but (OY)they turned from them and did not destroy them— 11 here they are, rewarding us (OZ)by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit. 12 O our God, will You not (PA)judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but (PB)our eyes are upon You.”

13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.

14 Then (PC)the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: (PD)‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, (PE)for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the [cv]brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 (PF)You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, (PG)for the Lord is with you.”

18 And Jehoshaphat (PH)bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.

20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: (PI)Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, (PJ)and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

(PK)“Praise the Lord,
(PL)For His mercy endures forever.”

22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, (PM)the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they [cw]had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, (PN)they helped to destroy one another.

24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the [cx]dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of [cy]Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had (PO)made them rejoice over their enemies. 28 So they came to Jerusalem, with stringed instruments and harps and trumpets, to the house of the Lord. 29 And (PP)the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. 30 Then the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his (PQ)God gave him rest all around.

The End of Jehoshaphat’s Reign(PR)

31 (PS)So Jehoshaphat was king over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 32 And he walked in the way of his father (PT)Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. 33 Nevertheless (PU)the [cz]high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not (PV)directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.

34 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, (PW)which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

35 After this (PX)Jehoshaphat king of Judah allied himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, (PY)who acted very (PZ)wickedly. 36 And he allied himself with him (QA)to make ships to go to Tarshish, and they made the ships in Ezion Geber. 37 But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, “Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has destroyed your works.” (QB)Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go (QC)to Tarshish.

Jehoram Reigns in Judah(QD)

21 And (QE)Jehoshaphat [da]rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place. 2 He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3 Their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

4 Now when Jehoram [db]was established over the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and killed all his brothers with the sword, and also others of the princes of Israel.

5 (QF)Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for he had the daughter of (QG)Ahab as a wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 7 Yet the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the (QH)covenant that He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and to his (QI)sons forever.

8 (QJ)In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves. 9 So Jehoram went out with his officers, and all his chariots with him. And he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots. 10 Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. At that time Libnah revolted against his rule, because he had forsaken the Lord God of his fathers. 11 Moreover he made [dc]high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to (QK)commit harlotry, and led Judah astray.

12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,

Thus says the Lord God of your father David:

Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have (QL)made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to (QM)play the harlot like the (QN)harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have (QO)killed your brothers, those of your father’s household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the Lord will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a (QP)disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.

16 Moreover the (QQ)Lord (QR)stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the (QS)Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. 17 And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king’s house, and also (QT)his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except [dd]Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18 After all this the Lord struck him (QU)in his intestines with an incurable disease. 19 Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no [de]burning for him, like (QV)the burning for his fathers.

20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one’s sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Ahaziah Reigns in Judah(QW)

22 Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made (QX)Ahaziah his youngest son king in his place, for the raiders who came with the (QY)Arabians into the camp had killed all the (QZ)older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned. 2 Ahaziah was [df]forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was (RA)Athaliah the [dg]granddaughter of Omri. 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother advised him to do wickedly. 4 Therefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction. 5 He also followed their advice, and went with [dh]Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. 6 (RB)Then he returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which he had received at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And [di]Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

7 His going to Joram (RC)was God’s occasion for Ahaziah’s [dj]downfall; for when he arrived, (RD)he went out with [dk]Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, (RE)whom the Lord had anointed to [dl]cut off the house of Ahab. 8 And it happened, when Jehu was (RF)executing judgment on the house of Ahab, and (RG)found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers who served Ahaziah, that he killed them. 9 (RH)Then he searched for Ahaziah; and they caught him (he was hiding in Samaria), and brought him to Jehu. When they had killed him, they buried him, “because,” they said, “he is the son of (RI)Jehoshaphat, who (RJ)sought the Lord with all his heart.”

So the house of Ahaziah had no one to assume power over the kingdom.

Athaliah Reigns in Judah(RK)

10 (RL)Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. 11 But [dm]Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took (RM)Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. 12 And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

Joash Crowned King of Judah(RN)

23 In (RO)the seventh year (RP)Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of (RQ)Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri. 2 And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the (RR)chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3 Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has (RS)said of the sons of David. 4 This is what you shall do: One-third of you (RT)entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors; 5 one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6 But let no one come into the house of the Lord except the priests and (RU)those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord. 7 And the Levites shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”

8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest had not dismissed (RV)the divisions. 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of hundreds the spears and the large and small (RW)shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of God. 10 Then he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king. 11 And they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, (RX)gave him the [dn]Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “Long live the king!”

Death of Athaliah(RY)

12 Now when (RZ)Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people in the temple of the Lord. 13 When she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance; and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, also the singers with musical instruments, and (SA)those who led in praise. So Athaliah tore her clothes and said, (SB)“Treason! Treason!”

14 And Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.” For the priest had said, “Do not kill her in the house of the Lord.”

15 So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance (SC)of the Horse Gate into the king’s house, and they killed her there.

16 Then Jehoiada made a (SD)covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord’s people. 17 And all the people went to the [do]temple of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and (SE)killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the Lord to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had (SF)assigned in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the (SG)Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David. 19 And he set the (SH)gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter.

20 (SI)Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

Joash Repairs the Temple(SJ)

24 Joash (SK)was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. 2 Joash (SL)did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3 And Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.

4 Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord. 5 Then he gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah, and (SM)gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you do it quickly.”

However the Levites did not do it quickly. 6 (SN)So the king called Jehoiada the chief priest, and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of (SO)Moses the servant of the Lord and of the assembly of Israel, for the (SP)tabernacle of witness?” 7 For (SQ)the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also presented all the (SR)dedicated things of the house of the Lord to the Baals.

8 Then at the king’s command (SS)they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the Lord. 9 And they made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the Lord (ST)the collection that Moses the servant of God had imposed on Israel in the wilderness. 10 Then all the leaders and all the people rejoiced, brought their contributions, and put them into the chest until all had given. 11 So it was, at that time, when the chest was brought to the king’s official by the hand of the Levites, and (SU)when they saw that there was much money, that the king’s scribe and the high priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and returned it to its place. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the Lord; and they hired masons and carpenters to (SV)repair the house of the Lord, and also those who worked in iron and bronze to restore the house of the Lord. 13 So the workmen labored, and the work was completed by them; they restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it. 14 When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; (SW)they made from it articles for the house of the Lord, articles for serving and offering, spoons and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.

Apostasy of Joash

15 But Jehoiada grew old and was full of days, and he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old when he died. 16 And they buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and His house.

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them. 18 Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served (SX)wooden images and idols; and (SY)wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass. 19 Yet He (SZ)sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

20 Then the Spirit of God [dp]came upon (TA)Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God: (TB)‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? (TC)Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’ ” 21 So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they (TD)stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his [dq]father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, “The Lord look on it, and (TE)repay!”

Death of Joash(TF)

23 So it happened in the spring of the year that (TG)the army of Syria came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the leaders of the people from among the people, and sent all their [dr]spoil to the king of Damascus. 24 For the army of the Syrians (TH)came with a small company of men; but the Lord (TI)delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they (TJ)executed judgment against Joash. 25 And when they had withdrawn from him (for they left him severely wounded), (TK)his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the [ds]sons of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died. And they buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

26 These are the ones who conspired against him: [dt]Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of [du]Shimrith the Moabitess. 27 Now concerning his sons, and (TL)the many oracles about him, and the repairing of the house of God, indeed they are written in the [dv]annals of the book of the kings. (TM)Then Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:3 Place for worship
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:5 Some authorities it was there
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:13 Place for worship
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit. by their hands
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:3 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 5:1
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:4 Lit. incense of spices
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:4 appointed
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:9 Lit. house
  9. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 5:1
  10. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Hiram, 1 Kin. 7:13
  11. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Lit. father, 1 Kin. 7:13, 14
  12. 2 Chronicles 2:16 Heb. Japho
  13. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Lit. He, following MT, Vg.; LXX the Lord; Tg. the Angel of the Lord
  14. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Araunah, 2 Sam. 24:16ff
  15. 2 Chronicles 3:4 The holy place, the main room of the temple, 1 Kin. 6:3
  16. 2 Chronicles 3:4 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Arab., some LXX mss., Syr. twenty
  17. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit. house
  18. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit. house
  19. 2 Chronicles 3:15 eighteen, 1 Kin. 7:15; 2 Kin. 25:17; Jer. 52:21
  20. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit. long
  21. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Lit. He Shall Establish
  22. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Lit. In It Is Strength
  23. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Great laver or basin
  24. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 8,000 gallons; two thousand, 1 Kin. 7:26
  25. 2 Chronicles 4:6 Great basin
  26. 2 Chronicles 4:16 Lit. father
  27. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Zaretan, 1 Kin. 7:46
  28. 2 Chronicles 4:22 Lit. house
  29. 2 Chronicles 5:7 Lit. house
  30. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Lit. it is
  31. 2 Chronicles 5:10 Or where
  32. 2 Chronicles 5:11 consecrated
  33. 2 Chronicles 5:14 Lit. stand to minister
  34. 2 Chronicles 6:7 Lit. house, and so in vv. 8–10
  35. 2 Chronicles 6:12 Lit. he
  36. 2 Chronicles 6:18 Lit. house
  37. 2 Chronicles 6:33 Lit. Your name is called upon this house
  38. 2 Chronicles 6:37 Lit. bring back to their hearts
  39. 2 Chronicles 7:1 Lit. house
  40. 2 Chronicles 7:6 Lit. hand
  41. 2 Chronicles 7:8 The Shihor, 1 Chr. 13:5
  42. 2 Chronicles 7:16 set apart
  43. 2 Chronicles 7:16 My attention
  44. 2 Chronicles 7:16 My concern
  45. 2 Chronicles 7:20 set apart
  46. 2 Chronicles 7:21 Temple
  47. 2 Chronicles 7:21 Or was
  48. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Heb. Huram, 2 Chr. 2:3
  49. 2 Chronicles 8:9 slaves
  50. 2 Chronicles 8:14 ordinance
  51. 2 Chronicles 8:16 So with LXX, Syr., Vg.; MT as far as
  52. 2 Chronicles 8:17 Heb. Eloth, 2 Kin. 14:22
  53. 2 Chronicles 9:10 almug, 1 Kin. 10:11, 12
  54. 2 Chronicles 9:11 almug, 1 Kin. 10:11, 12
  55. 2 Chronicles 9:16 three minas, 1 Kin. 10:17
  56. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit. hands
  57. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 10:22
  58. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Lit. ships of Tarshish, deep-sea vessels
  59. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Or peacocks
  60. 2 Chronicles 9:26 The Euphrates
  61. 2 Chronicles 9:31 Died and joined his ancestors
  62. 2 Chronicles 10:11 Scourges with points or barbs, lit. scorpions
  63. 2 Chronicles 10:14 So with many Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. (cf. v. 10; 1 Kin. 12:14); MT I
  64. 2 Chronicles 10:14 Lit. scorpions
  65. 2 Chronicles 11:15 Places for pagan worship
  66. 2 Chronicles 11:16 Lit. after them
  67. 2 Chronicles 11:20 Lit. daughter, but in the broader sense of granddaughter
  68. 2 Chronicles 11:23 distributed
  69. 2 Chronicles 12:16 Died and joined his ancestors
  70. 2 Chronicles 12:16 Abijam, 1 Kin. 14:31
  71. 2 Chronicles 13:2 Maachah, 1 Kin. 15:2; 2 Chr. 11:20, 21
  72. 2 Chronicles 13:19 Or Ephron
  73. 2 Chronicles 13:22 Or commentary, Heb. midrash
  74. 2 Chronicles 14:3 Places for pagan worship
  75. 2 Chronicles 14:5 Places for pagan worship
  76. 2 Chronicles 14:8 large shields
  77. 2 Chronicles 14:13 plunder
  78. 2 Chronicles 14:14 plunder
  79. 2 Chronicles 14:15 Lit. struck
  80. 2 Chronicles 15:2 Lit. before
  81. 2 Chronicles 15:6 Lit. beaten in pieces
  82. 2 Chronicles 15:8 So with MT, LXX; Syr., Vg. Azariah the son of Oded (cf. v. 1)
  83. 2 Chronicles 15:11 Lit. in that day
  84. 2 Chronicles 15:11 plunder
  85. 2 Chronicles 15:16 Or grandmother
  86. 2 Chronicles 15:16 A Canaanite deity
  87. 2 Chronicles 15:17 Places for pagan worship
  88. 2 Chronicles 16:13 Died and joined his ancestors
  89. 2 Chronicles 16:14 Lit. dug
  90. 2 Chronicles 17:4 LXX the Lord God
  91. 2 Chronicles 17:6 Places for pagan worship
  92. 2 Chronicles 18:6 Or him
  93. 2 Chronicles 18:33 Or scale armor and the breastplate
  94. 2 Chronicles 19:3 Or Asherim, Heb. Asheroth
  95. 2 Chronicles 19:6 Lit. in the matter of the judgment
  96. 2 Chronicles 19:8 LXX, Vg. for the inhabitants of Jerusalem
  97. 2 Chronicles 20:1 So with MT, Vg.; LXX Meunites (cf. 2 Chr. 26:7)
  98. 2 Chronicles 20:2 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Heb. mss., Old Lat. Edom
  99. 2 Chronicles 20:3 Lit. his face
  100. 2 Chronicles 20:16 streambed or wadi
  101. 2 Chronicles 20:23 had finished
  102. 2 Chronicles 20:25 A few Heb. mss., Old Lat., Vg. garments; LXX armor
  103. 2 Chronicles 20:26 Lit. Blessing
  104. 2 Chronicles 20:33 Places for pagan worship
  105. 2 Chronicles 21:1 Died and joined his ancestors
  106. 2 Chronicles 21:4 Lit. arose
  107. 2 Chronicles 21:11 Places for pagan worship
  108. 2 Chronicles 21:17 Ahaziah or Azariah, 2 Chr. 22:1
  109. 2 Chronicles 21:19 Burning of spices
  110. 2 Chronicles 22:2 twenty-two, 2 Kin. 8:26
  111. 2 Chronicles 22:2 Lit. daughter
  112. 2 Chronicles 22:5 Joram, v. 7; 2 Kin. 8:28
  113. 2 Chronicles 22:6 Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. Ahaziah and 2 Kin. 8:29
  114. 2 Chronicles 22:7 Lit. crushing
  115. 2 Chronicles 22:7 Joram, vv. 5, 7; 2 Kin. 8:28
  116. 2 Chronicles 22:7 destroy
  117. 2 Chronicles 22:11 Jehosheba, 2 Kin. 11:2
  118. 2 Chronicles 23:11 Law, Ex. 25:16, 21; 31:18
  119. 2 Chronicles 23:17 Lit. house
  120. 2 Chronicles 24:20 Lit. clothed
  121. 2 Chronicles 24:22 Foster father
  122. 2 Chronicles 24:23 plunder
  123. 2 Chronicles 24:25 LXX, Vg. son and vv. 20–22
  124. 2 Chronicles 24:26 Jozachar, 2 Kin. 12:21
  125. 2 Chronicles 24:26 Shomer, 2 Kin. 12:21
  126. 2 Chronicles 24:27 Or commentary, Heb. midrash
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2 Chronicles 1-11
New King James Version

Solomon Requests Wisdom(A)

1 Now (B)Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and (C)the Lord his God was with him and (D)exalted him exceedingly.

2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to (E)the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses. 3 Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to [a]the high place that was at (F)Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had (G)made in the wilderness. 4 (H)But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5 Now (I)the bronze altar that (J)Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, [b]he put before the tabernacle of the Lord; Solomon and the assembly sought Him there. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and (K)offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 (L)On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great (M)mercy to David my father, and have made me (N)king in his place. 9 Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, (O)for You have made me king over a people like the (P)dust of the earth in multitude. 10 (Q)Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may (R)go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

11 (S)Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as (T)none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

Solomon’s Military and Economic Power(U)

13 So Solomon came to Jerusalem from [c]the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tabernacle of meeting, and reigned over Israel. 14 (V)And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 (W)Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 16 (X)And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. 17 They also acquired and imported from Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty; thus, [d]through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple(Y)

2 Then Solomon (Z)determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal house for himself. 2 (AA)Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

3 Then Solomon sent to [e]Hiram king of Tyre, saying:

(AB)As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. 4 Behold, (AC)I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, (AD)to burn before Him [f]sweet incense, for (AE)the continual showbread, for (AF)the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the (AG)Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the [g]set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

5 And the temple which I build will be great, for (AH)our God is greater than all gods. 6 (AI)But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?

7 Therefore send me at once a man skillful to work in gold and silver, in bronze and iron, in purple and crimson and blue, who has skill to engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, (AJ)whom David my father provided. 8 (AK)Also send me cedar and cypress and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and indeed my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the [h]temple which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

10 (AL)And indeed I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, twenty thousand kors of ground wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

11 Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon:

(AM)Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.

12 [i]Hiram also said:

(AN)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, (AO)who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal house for himself!

13 And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, [j]Huram my [k]master craftsman 14 (AP)(the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

15 Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine which (AQ)my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants. 16 (AR)And we will cut wood from Lebanon, as much as you need; we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to [l]Joppa, and you will carry it up to Jerusalem.

17 (AS)Then Solomon numbered all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which (AT)David his father had numbered them; and there were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred. 18 And he made (AU)seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.

Solomon Builds the Temple(AV)

3 Now (AW)Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at (AX)Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [m]the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of (AY)Ornan[n] the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

3 This is the foundation (AZ)which Solomon laid for building the house of God: The length was sixty cubits (by cubits according to the former measure) and the width twenty cubits. 4 And the (BA)vestibule that was in front of [o]the sanctuary was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was [p]one hundred and twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. 5 (BB)The larger [q]room he (BC)paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it. 6 And he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim. 7 He also overlaid the house—the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors—with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.

8 And he made the (BD)Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. 9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper (BE)area with gold. 10 (BF)In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub; 12 one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward. 14 And he made the (BG)veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.

15 Also he made in front of the [r]temple (BH)two pillars [s]thirty-five cubits [t]high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made (BI)one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork. 17 Then he (BJ)set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand [u]Jachin, and the name of the one on the left [v]Boaz.

Furnishings of the Temple(BK)

4 Moreover he made (BL)a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length, twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height.

2 (BM)Then he made the [w]Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. 3 (BN)And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 4 It stood on twelve (BO)oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. 5 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained [x]three thousand baths.

6 He also made (BP)ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the [y]Sea was for the (BQ)priests to wash in. 7 (BR)And he made ten lampstands of gold (BS)according to their design, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 8 (BT)He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred (BU)bowls of gold.

9 Furthermore (BV)he made the court of the priests, and the (BW)great court and doors for the court; and he overlaid these doors with bronze. 10 (BX)He set the Sea on the right side, toward the southeast.

11 Then (BY)Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of God: 12 the two pillars and (BZ)the bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 13 (CA)four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the pillars); 14 he also made (CB)carts and the lavers on the carts; 15 one Sea and twelve oxen under it; 16 also the pots, the shovels, the forks—and all their articles (CC)Huram his [z]master craftsman made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.

17 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between Succoth and [aa]Zeredah. 18 (CD)And Solomon had all these articles made in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

19 Thus (CE)Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God: the altar of gold and the tables on which was (CF)the showbread; 20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn (CG)in the prescribed manner in front of the inner sanctuary, 21 with (CH)the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold, of purest gold; 22 the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold. As for the entry of the [ab]sanctuary, its inner doors to the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the main hall of the temple, were gold.

The Ark Brought into the Temple

5 So (CI)all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and all the furnishings. And he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

The Ark Brought into the Temple(CJ)

2 (CK)Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up (CL)from the City of David, which is Zion. 3 (CM)Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with the king (CN)at the feast, which was in the seventh month. 4 So all the elders of Israel came, and the (CO)Levites took up the ark. 5 Then they brought up the ark, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. 6 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. 7 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the (CP)inner sanctuary of the [ac]temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 9 The poles extended so that the ends of the (CQ)poles of the ark could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And [ad]they are there to this day. 10 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets which Moses (CR)put there at Horeb, [ae]when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they had come out of Egypt.

11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had [af]sanctified themselves, without keeping to their (CS)divisions), 12 (CT)and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, (CU)and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets— 13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:

(CV)“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,”

that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not [ag]continue ministering because of the cloud; (CW)for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

6 Then (CX)Solomon spoke:

“The Lord said He would dwell in the (CY)dark cloud.
2 I have surely built You an exalted house,
And (CZ)a place for You to dwell in forever.”

Solomon’s Speech upon Completion of the Work(DA)

3 Then the king turned around and (DB)blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 4 And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, (DC)saying, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel. 6 (DD)Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I (DE)have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ 7 Now (DF)it was in the heart of my father David to build a [ah]temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart. 9 Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My (DG)name.’ 10 So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and (DH)sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 11 And there I have put the ark, (DI)in which is the covenant of the Lord which He made with the children of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication(DJ)

12 (DK)Then [ai]Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands 13 (for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven); 14 and he said: “Lord God of Israel, (DL)there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your (DM)covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. 15 (DN)You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 16 Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, (DO)‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, (DP)only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ 17 And now, O Lord God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.

18 “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? (DQ)Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this [aj]temple which I have built! 19 Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: 20 that Your eyes may be (DR)open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes (DS)toward this place. 21 And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, (DT)forgive.

22 “If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an (DU)oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, 23 then hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his (DV)righteousness.

24 “Or if Your people Israel are defeated before an (DW)enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.

26 “When the (DX)heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, 27 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

28 “When there (DY)is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever (DZ)sickness there is; 29 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: 30 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone (EA)know the (EB)hearts of the sons of men), 31 that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

32 “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, (EC)who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; 33 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [ak]this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

34 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

36 “When they sin against You (for there is (ED)no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them (EE)captive to a land far or near; 37 yet when they [al]come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’; 38 and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the (EF)city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name: 39 then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You. 40 Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be (EG)open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place.

41 “Now(EH) therefore,
Arise, O Lord God, to Your (EI)resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
And let Your saints (EJ)rejoice in goodness.

42 “O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed;
(EK)Remember the mercies of Your servant David.”

Solomon Dedicates the Temple(EL)

7 When (EM)Solomon had finished praying, (EN)fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and (EO)the glory of the Lord filled the [am]temple. 2 (EP)And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. 3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying:

(EQ)“For He is good,
(ER)For His mercy endures forever.”

4 (ES)Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 (ET)And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the Lord, which King David had made to praise the Lord, saying, “For His mercy endures forever,” whenever David offered praise by their [an]ministry. (EU)The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood.

7 Furthermore (EV)Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat.

8 (EW)At that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly (EX)from the entrance of Hamath to (EY)the[ao] Brook of Egypt. 9 And on the eighth day they held a (EZ)sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. 10 (FA)On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel. 11 Thus (FB)Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house.

God’s Second Appearance to Solomon(FC)

12 Then the Lord (FD)appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, (FE)and have chosen this (FF)place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 (FG)When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14 if My people who are (FH)called by My name will (FI)humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, (FJ)then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now (FK)My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. 16 For now (FL)I have chosen and [ap]sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and [aq]My eyes and [ar]My heart will be there perpetually. 17 (FM)As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 18 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, (FN)‘You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’

19 (FO)“But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, 20 (FP)then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have [as]sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a (FQ)byword among all peoples.

21 “And as for (FR)this [at]house, which [au]is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be (FS)astonished and say, (FT)‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’ 22 Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’ ”

Solomon’s Additional Achievements(FU)

8 It (FV)came to pass at the end of (FW)twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, 2 that the cities which [av]Hiram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them; and he settled the children of Israel there. 3 And Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and seized it. 4 (FX)He also built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities which he built in (FY)Hamath. 5 He built Upper Beth Horon and (FZ)Lower Beth Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, 6 also Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities and the cities of the cavalry, and all that Solomon (GA)desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

7 (GB)All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of Israel— 8 that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel did not destroy—from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day. 9 But Solomon did not make the children of Israel [aw]servants for his work. Some were men of war, captains of his officers, captains of his chariots, and his cavalry. 10 And others were chiefs of the officials of King Solomon: (GC)two hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people.

11 Now Solomon (GD)brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the vestibule, 13 according to the (GE)daily rate, offering according to the commandment of Moses, for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the (GF)three appointed yearly (GG)feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 14 And, according to the [ax]order of David his father, he appointed the (GH)divisions of the priests for their service, (GI)the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the (GJ)gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded. 15 They did not depart from the command of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the (GK)treasuries.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered [ay]from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to (GL)Ezion Geber and [az]Elath on the seacoast, in the land of Edom. 18 (GM)And Hiram sent him ships by the hand of his servants, and servants who knew the sea. They went with the servants of Solomon to (GN)Ophir, and acquired four hundred and fifty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba’s Praise of Solomon(GO)

9 Now (GP)when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 2 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for Solomon that he could not explain it to her. 3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 4 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his (GQ)cupbearers and their apparel, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

5 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 6 However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard. 7 Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on His throne to be king for the Lord your God! Because your God has (GR)loved Israel, to establish them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

9 And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 Also, the servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, (GS)who brought gold from Ophir, brought [ba]algum wood and precious stones. 11 And the king made walkways of the [bb]algum wood for the house of the Lord and for the king’s house, also harps and stringed instruments for singers; and there were none such as these seen before in the land of Judah.

12 Now King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she desired, whatever she asked, much more than she had brought to the king. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

Solomon’s Great Wealth(GT)

13 (GU)The weight of gold that came to Solomon yearly was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 14 besides what the traveling merchants and traders brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 And King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred shields of hammered gold; [bc]three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the (GV)House of the Forest of Lebanon.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne; there were [bd]armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 19 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.

20 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 21 For the king’s ships went to (GW)Tarshish with the servants of [be]Hiram. Once every three years the [bf]merchant ships came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and [bg]monkeys.

22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, (GX)armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

25 Solomon (GY)had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 (GZ)So he reigned over all the kings (HA)from [bh]the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. 27 (HB)The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees (HC)as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 28 (HD)And they brought horses to Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.

Death of Solomon(HE)

29 (HF)Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of (HG)Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of (HH)Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30 (HI)Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then Solomon [bi]rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.

The Revolt Against Rehoboam(HJ)

10 And (HK)Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was in Egypt, (HL)where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), that Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 Then they sent for him and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 So he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people departed.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

8 (HM)But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [bj]scourges!’ ”

12 So (HN)Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” 13 Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, [bk]“My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [bl]scourges!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; (HO)for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His (HP)word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:

“What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Every man to your tents, O Israel!
Now see to your own house, O David!”

So all Israel departed to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of revenue; but the children of Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem. 19 (HQ)So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

Rehoboam’s Reign in Judah

11 Now (HR)when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.

2 But the word of the Lord came (HS)to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities

5 So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6 And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities. 11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:3 Place for worship
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:5 Some authorities it was there
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:13 Place for worship
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit. by their hands
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:3 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 5:1
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:4 Lit. incense of spices
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:4 appointed
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:9 Lit. house
  9. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 5:1
  10. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Hiram, 1 Kin. 7:13
  11. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Lit. father, 1 Kin. 7:13, 14
  12. 2 Chronicles 2:16 Heb. Japho
  13. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Lit. He, following MT, Vg.; LXX the Lord; Tg. the Angel of the Lord
  14. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Araunah, 2 Sam. 24:16ff
  15. 2 Chronicles 3:4 The holy place, the main room of the temple, 1 Kin. 6:3
  16. 2 Chronicles 3:4 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Arab., some LXX mss., Syr. twenty
  17. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit. house
  18. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit. house
  19. 2 Chronicles 3:15 eighteen, 1 Kin. 7:15; 2 Kin. 25:17; Jer. 52:21
  20. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit. long
  21. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Lit. He Shall Establish
  22. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Lit. In It Is Strength
  23. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Great laver or basin
  24. 2 Chronicles 4:5 About 8,000 gallons; two thousand, 1 Kin. 7:26
  25. 2 Chronicles 4:6 Great basin
  26. 2 Chronicles 4:16 Lit. father
  27. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Zaretan, 1 Kin. 7:46
  28. 2 Chronicles 4:22 Lit. house
  29. 2 Chronicles 5:7 Lit. house
  30. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Lit. it is
  31. 2 Chronicles 5:10 Or where
  32. 2 Chronicles 5:11 consecrated
  33. 2 Chronicles 5:14 Lit. stand to minister
  34. 2 Chronicles 6:7 Lit. house, and so in vv. 8–10
  35. 2 Chronicles 6:12 Lit. he
  36. 2 Chronicles 6:18 Lit. house
  37. 2 Chronicles 6:33 Lit. Your name is called upon this house
  38. 2 Chronicles 6:37 Lit. bring back to their hearts
  39. 2 Chronicles 7:1 Lit. house
  40. 2 Chronicles 7:6 Lit. hand
  41. 2 Chronicles 7:8 The Shihor, 1 Chr. 13:5
  42. 2 Chronicles 7:16 set apart
  43. 2 Chronicles 7:16 My attention
  44. 2 Chronicles 7:16 My concern
  45. 2 Chronicles 7:20 set apart
  46. 2 Chronicles 7:21 Temple
  47. 2 Chronicles 7:21 Or was
  48. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Heb. Huram, 2 Chr. 2:3
  49. 2 Chronicles 8:9 slaves
  50. 2 Chronicles 8:14 ordinance
  51. 2 Chronicles 8:16 So with LXX, Syr., Vg.; MT as far as
  52. 2 Chronicles 8:17 Heb. Eloth, 2 Kin. 14:22
  53. 2 Chronicles 9:10 almug, 1 Kin. 10:11, 12
  54. 2 Chronicles 9:11 almug, 1 Kin. 10:11, 12
  55. 2 Chronicles 9:16 three minas, 1 Kin. 10:17
  56. 2 Chronicles 9:18 Lit. hands
  57. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 10:22
  58. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Lit. ships of Tarshish, deep-sea vessels
  59. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Or peacocks
  60. 2 Chronicles 9:26 The Euphrates
  61. 2 Chronicles 9:31 Died and joined his ancestors
  62. 2 Chronicles 10:11 Scourges with points or barbs, lit. scorpions
  63. 2 Chronicles 10:14 So with many Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. (cf. v. 10; 1 Kin. 12:14); MT I
  64. 2 Chronicles 10:14 Lit. scorpions
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