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11 Solomon moved Pharaoh’s daughter up from the City of David[a] to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of King David of Israel, for the places where the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”
12 Then Solomon offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built in front of the temple’s porch.[b] 13 He observed the daily requirements for sacrifices that Moses had specified for Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and the three annual celebrations—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Shelters.[c] 14 As his father David had decreed, Solomon[d] appointed the divisions of the priests to do their assigned tasks, the Levitical orders to lead worship and help the priests with their daily tasks,[e] and the divisions of the gatekeepers to serve at their assigned gates.[f] This was what David the man of God had ordered.[g] 15 They did not neglect any detail of the king’s orders pertaining to the priests, Levites, and treasuries.[h]
16 All the work ordered by Solomon was completed, from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid until it was finished; the Lord’s temple was completed.
17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Elat on the coast in the land of Edom. 18 Huram sent him ships and some of his sailors, men who were well acquainted with the sea. They sailed with Solomon’s men to Ophir[i] and took from there 450 talents[j] of gold, which they brought back to King Solomon.
Solomon Entertains a Queen
9 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon,[k] she came to challenge[l] him[m] with difficult questions.[n] She arrived in Jerusalem with a great display of pomp,[o] bringing with her camels carrying spices,[p] a very large quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed with him everything that was on her mind. 2 Solomon answered all her questions; there was no question too complex for the king.[q] 3 When the queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon’s wisdom, the palace[r] he had built, 4 the food in his banquet hall,[s] his servants and attendants[t] in their robes, his cupbearers in their robes, and his burnt sacrifices which he presented in the Lord’s temple,[u] she was amazed.[v] 5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight[w] was true! 6 I did not believe these things until I came and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn’t hear even half the story![x] Your wisdom surpasses what was reported to me. 7 Your attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise sayings, are truly happy![y] 8 May the Lord your God be praised because he favored[z] you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his behalf.[aa] Because of your God’s love for Israel and his lasting commitment to them,[ab] he made you king over them so you could make just and right decisions.”[ac] 9 She gave the king 120 talents[ad] of gold and a very large quantity of spices and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched.[ae] 10 (Huram’s[af] servants, aided by Solomon’s servants, brought gold from Ophir, as well as[ag] fine[ah] timber and precious gems. 11 With the timber the king made steps[ai] for the Lord’s temple and royal palace as well as stringed instruments[aj] for the musicians. No one had seen anything like them in the land of Judah before that.[ak]) 12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she requested, more than what she had brought him.[al] Then she left and returned[am] to her homeland with her attendants.
Solomon’s Wealth
13 Solomon received 666 talents[an] of gold per year,[ao] 14 besides what he collected from the merchants[ap] and traders. All the Arabian kings and the governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures[aq] of hammered gold were used for each shield. 16 He also made 300 small shields of hammered gold; 300 measures[ar] of gold were used for each of those shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest.[as]
17 The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and a gold footstool was attached to the throne.[at] The throne had two armrests with a statue of a lion standing on each side.[au] 19 There were twelve statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.[av]
20 All of King Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the household items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in Solomon’s time.[aw] 21 The king had a fleet of large merchant ships[ax] manned by Huram’s men[ay] that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet[az] came into port with cargoes of[ba] gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[bb]
22 King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the earth.[bc] 23 All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see him display his God-given wisdom.[bd] 24 Year after year visitors brought their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, perfume, spices, horses, and mules.[be]
25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses[bf] and 12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and also with him in Jerusalem.[bg] 26 He ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River[bh] to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt. 27 The king made silver as plentiful[bi] in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was[bj] as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the foothills.[bk] 28 Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the lands.
Solomon’s Reign Ends
29 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded[bl] in the Annals of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Vision of Iddo the Seer pertaining to Jeroboam son of Nebat. 30 Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem for forty years. 31 Then Solomon passed away[bm] and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king.
The Northern Tribes Rebel
10 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in[bn] Shechem to make Rehoboam[bo] king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 They sent for him,[bp] and Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made us work too hard![bq] Now if you lighten the demands he made and don’t make us work as hard, we will serve you.”[br] 5 He said to them, “Go away for three days, then return to me.” So the people went away.
6 King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served[bs] his father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them,[bt] “How do you advise me to answer these people?” 7 They said to him, “If you are fair to these people, grant their request, and are cordial to them, they will be your servants from this time forward.”[bu] 8 But Rehoboam rejected their advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had grown up.[bv] 9 He asked them, “How do you advise me to respond to these people who said to me, ‘Lessen the demands your father placed on us’?”[bw] 10 The young advisers with whom Rehoboam[bx] had grown up said to him, “Say this to these people who have said to you, ‘Your father made us work hard, but now lighten our burden’[by]—say this to them: ‘I am a lot harsher than my father![bz] 11 My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them even heavier.[ca] My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.’”[cb]
12 Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, just as the king had ordered when he said, “Return to me on the third day.” 13 The king responded to the people harshly. He[cc] rejected the advice of the older men 14 and followed the advice of the younger ones. He said, “My father imposed heavy demands on you;[cd] I will make them even heavier.[ce] My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.”[cf] 15 The king refused to listen to the people, because God was instigating this turn of events[cg] so that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made[ch] through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16 When all Israel saw[ci] that the king refused to listen to them, the people answered the king, “We have no portion in David—no share in the son of Jesse![cj] Return to your homes, O Israel![ck] Now, look after your own dynasty, O David!”[cl] So all Israel returned to their homes.[cm] 17 (Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities of Judah.) 18 King Rehoboam sent Hadoram,[cn] the supervisor of the work crews, out after them, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very day.
9 You, however, are not in[a] the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but[b] the Spirit is your life[c] because of righteousness. 11 Moreover if the Spirit of the one[d] who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ[e] from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you.[f]
12 So then,[g] brothers and sisters,[h] we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh 13 (for if you live according to the flesh, you will[i] die),[j] but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are[k] the sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear,[l] but you received the Spirit of adoption,[m] by whom[n] we cry, “Abba,[o] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness to[p] our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)[q]—if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him.
18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared[r] to the coming glory that will be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly but because of God[s] who subjected it—in hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. 23 Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,[t] groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption,[u] the redemption of our bodies.[v] 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance.[w]
16 He reached down[a] from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me from the surging water.[b]
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy,[c]
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted[d] me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me.[e]
19 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me.[f]
20 The Lord repaid[g] me for my godly deeds;[h]
he rewarded[i] my blameless behavior.[j]
21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands;[k]
I have not rebelled against my God.[l]
22 For I am aware of all his regulations,[m]
and I do not reject his rules.[n]
23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning.[o]
24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds;[p]
he took notice of my blameless behavior.[q]
25 You prove to be loyal[r] to one who is faithful;[s]
you prove to be trustworthy[t] to one who is innocent.[u]
26 You prove to be reliable[v] to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive[w] to one who is perverse.[x]
27 For you deliver oppressed[y] people,
but you bring down those who have a proud look.[z]
28 Indeed,[aa] you light my lamp, Lord.[ab]
My God[ac] illuminates the darkness around me.[ad]
29 Indeed,[ae] with your help[af] I can charge against[ag] an army;[ah]
by my God’s power[ai] I can jump over a wall.[aj]
30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner;[ak]
the Lord’s promise[al] is reliable.[am]
He is a shield to all who take shelter[an] in him.
31 Indeed,[ao] who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector[ap] besides our God?[aq]
32 The one true God[ar] gives[as] me strength;[at]
he removes[au] the obstacles in my way.[av]
33 He gives me the agility of a deer;[aw]
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.[ax]
34 He trains my hands for battle;[ay]
my arms can bend even the strongest bow.[az]
35 You give me your protective shield;[ba]
your right hand supports me.[bb]
Your willingness to help[bc] enables me to prevail.[bd]
36 You widen my path;[be]
my feet[bf] do not slip.
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