Historical

Solomon’s Exploits Throughout the Land

8 It came to pass at the end of 20 years, during which Solomon built the House of Adonai and his own palace, ² that he built the cities which Huram had given to him and settled Bnei-Yisrael there. ³ Then Solomon marched against Hamath-zobah and overpowered it. ⁴ He built up Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities that he built in Hamath. ⁵ He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Bet-horon as fortified cities with walls, gates and bars, ⁶ as well as Baalath and all his store cities, and cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen—every thing that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land that he ruled.

⁷ All the people that were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, who were not of Israel, ⁸ that is, those of their descendants that were left after them in the land, whom Bnei-Yisrael did not destroy—these Solomon conscripted for forced labor, as it is to this day. ⁹ But Solomon did not make slaves of Bnei-Yisrael for his work. Rather, they were his soldiers, his chief officers and commanders of his chariots and horsemen. ¹⁰ These were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250 who ruled over the people.

¹¹ 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 dwell in the palace of King David of Israel, because the places where the Ark of Adonai has entered are holy.”

¹² At that time, Solomon offered burnt offerings to Adonai on the altar of Adonai which he had built before the porch, ¹³ according to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for Shabbatot, for New Moons and for the moadim three times a year—at the Feast of Matzot, at the Feast of Shavuot and at the Feast of Sukkot. ¹⁴ Following the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the kohanim for their avodah and the Levites for their duties—to praise and minister alongside the kohanim according to the daily assignment—and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate, because this is what David the man of God had commanded. ¹⁵ They did not depart from the king’s commandment to the kohanim and Levites in any matter, including the treasuries.

¹⁶ Thus all Solomon’s work was carried out from the day of the foundation of the House of Adonai until it was finished. So the House of Adonai was completed.

¹⁷ Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Elat on the coast of the land of Edom. ¹⁸ And Huram sent him ships commanded by his servants and servants that knew the sea. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and obtained from there 450 talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Jerusalem

9 When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions.^[a] Accompanied by a large caravan train, including camels carrying an abundance of spices and gold, and precious stones, she came to Solomon and spoke with him about all that was in her heart. ² Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not explain to her.

³ When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, ⁴ as well as the food on his table, the seating of his courtiers, the service and attire of his attendants, his cupbearers and their attire, and his procession with which he went up to the House of Adonai, it took her breath away.

⁵ She said to the king: “The report that I heard in my own land about your achievements and your wisdom is true. ⁶ But I did not believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. And behold, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom was described to me—you surpass the report that I heard! ⁷ How blessed are your men, how blessed are your courtiers who continually stand in your presence and hear your wisdom. ⁸ Blessed be Adonai your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king before Adonai your God. Because your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, He made you king over them to execute justice and righteousness.”

⁹ Then she gave the king 120 gold talents, large quantities of spices and precious stones. There had never been such quantities of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. ¹⁰ The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir also brought algumwood and precious stones. ¹¹ From the sandalwood the king made ramps for the House of Adonai and for the royal palace, and lyres and harps for the singers—nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah. ¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for—more than what she had brought to the king. Then she with her courtiers, returned, going back to her own land.

Solomon Exceeds All the Earth’s Kings

¹³ Now the weight of gold that Solomon received in one year was 666 gold talents, ¹⁴ besides what the traders and merchants brought and the gold and silver that all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the region brought to Solomon. ¹⁵ King Solomon made 200 shields of beaten gold, 600 shekels of beaten gold for each shield, ¹⁶ and also 300 shields of beaten gold, 300 shekels of gold for each shield. The king put them in the palace of the Lebanon Forest. ¹⁷ Furthermore, the king made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. ¹⁸ The throne had six steps and a golden footstool attached to it, and arms on each side of the seat. Two lions stood beside the arms ¹⁹ and 12 lions stood on the six steps, one at each end of each step. None like it was ever made for any kingdom. ²⁰ All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold and all the vessels of the palace of the Lebanon Forest were of pure gold—silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. ²¹ Because the king’s ships sailed to Tarshish with Huram’s servants once every three years, the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

²² So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. ²³ And all the kings of the earth sought an audience with Solomon to listen to the wisdom that God had put in his heart. ²⁴ Everyone brought his tribute—vessels of silver, vessels of gold, garments, armor, spices, horses and mules—in the due amount each year.

²⁵ Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen that he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. ²⁶ And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. ²⁷ The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as plentiful as the sycamore trees that are in the foothills. ²⁸ Horses were brought for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

Solomon Buried in David’s City

²⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, the beginning and the end, are they not written in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Jedo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? ³⁰ Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel 40 years. ³¹ Then Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David, and Rehoboam his son became king in his

place.

The Revolt Against Rehoboam at Shechem

10 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. ² Now it came to pass that when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard this—for he was in Egypt where he had fled from King Solomon—Jeroboam returned from Egypt. ³ So they sent and summoned him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came to Rehoboam and spoke to Rehoboam saying, ⁴ “Your father made our yoke grievous but now lighten the harsh labor of your father and his heavy yoke that he put on us—then we will serve you.”

⁵ He answered them, “Come back to me in three days.” So the people departed.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”

⁷ They answered him saying, “If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

⁸ But he disregarded the counsel that the elders had given him and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. ⁹ He said to them, “How do you advise me to answer this people who have spoken to me saying, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us?’”

¹⁰ The young men that grew up with him answered him saying: “Speak thus to the people who spoke to you saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us’. Thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins. ¹¹ Now, whereas my father laid a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will do so with scorpions.’”

¹² Then Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had said to them saying, “Come back to me on the third day.” ¹³ The king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam ignored the counsel of the elders ¹⁴ and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men saying, “I will make your yoke heavy—I will make it even heavier. My father punished you with whips, but I will punish you with scorpions.”

¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God so that Adonai might establish His word that He had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

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

So all Israel departed to their tents. ¹⁷ But Rehoboam continued to reign over Bnei-Yisrael who lived in the cities of Judah. ¹⁸ Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the forced labor, but men of Israel pelted him to death with stones. King Rehoboam, however, managed to mount his chariot and to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.