in the ship, which were good shipmen, and experienced in the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

And they came to Ophir, and took there four hundred and twenty talents of gold, and brought it unto king Solomon.
(1 Kings)
Chapter 10
The Queen of Imperial Arabia marvels at Solomon’s wisdom, wealth and glory.

And when the rumour of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD came before the queen of Arabia, she came to try him with riddles.

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great company, with camels bearing spices, and much gold and precious stones. And when she was come in unto king Solomon, she spake unto him all that she had undertaken.

And Solomon told her all things, and there was nothing hid from the king that he told her not.

And when the queen of Arabia saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

And the meat for his table, and for his servants’ dwelling, and for his servants’ service, and for their garments, and for his gifts, and for his burnt offerings, which he offered in the house of the LORD, she could no more abstain from them.

And he said unto the king: It is true what I have heard in my country of thy nature and of thy wisdom.

And I believed it not, till I came, and saw it with mine own eyes. And, behold, I was not told the half of it. Thou hast more wisdom and good than the rumour that I have heard.

Blessed are thy people, and thy servants, which stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath pleased thee to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loveth Israel for ever, and hath made thee king, to execute judgment and justice.

And she gave unto the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and very much spices and precious stones. And there came no more so much spices, as the queen of Arabia gave to king Solomon.

And the ships of Hiram, which brought gold out of Ophir, brought very much ebony and precious stones.

And the king made pillars of ebony in the house of the LORD, and in the king’s house, and harps, and psalteries for the singers. And the ebony came no more, neither was it seen unto this day.

And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all that she desired and asked, without that he gave her of himself. And she turned, and went into her own land with her servants.

And the weight of the gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents,

Without that which came from merchants and traders and apothecaries, and from all the kings of Arabia, and from the mighty men of the countries.

And king Solomon made two hundred shields of the best gold, and put six hundred pieces of gold for a shield;

And three hundred chargers of the best gold, three pounds of gold for every charger. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

And the king made a great chair of ivory, and overlaid it with the most precious gold.

And the chair had six steps, and the head of the chair was round behind. And there were rests on either side round about the buttocks; and two lions stood by the rests.

And twelve lions stood upon the six steps on either side. Such a thing is never done in any kingdom.

All the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of gold: for silver was not esteemed in the days of Solomon.

For the king’s ship that sailed in the sea with Hiram’s ship came once in three years, and brought gold, and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

So king Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the kings of the earth.

And all the world desired to see Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which God had put into his heart.

And every man brought him gifts of silver, and of vessels of gold, and of raiment, and of
armour, and of spices, and of horses, and of mouths yearly.

And Solomon brought chariots and horsemen in abundance, and had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen: and he left them in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

And the king made the silver of Jerusalem as much as the stones, and the cedar as much as the wild fig trees of the valley.

And they brought Solomon horses out of Egypt, and all manner of merchandise: and the king’s merchants bought the same merchandise.

And they brought them out of Egypt, a chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for an hundred and fifty. And they brought them by their hand unto all the kings of the Hittites, and to the kings of Syria.
(1 Kings)
Chapter 11
Solomon’s wives, idolatry, enemies and death.

But king Solomon loved many foreign wives, Pharaoh’s daughter, and Moabites, and Ammonites, and Edomites, and Zidonites, and Hittites,

Of such nations as the LORD had said unto the children of Israel, Go not unto them, neither let them come unto you: they will surely incline your hearts after their gods. To these Solomon clave with love.

And he had seven hundred wives to wife, and three hundred concubines: and his wives inclined his heart.

And when he was old, his wives inclined his heart after strange gods, so that his heart was not entire with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

So Solomon walked after Ashtoreth the god of Zidon, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed not the LORD
wholly, as David his father did.

Then Solomon built a high place for Kamos the abomination of Moab in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites.

So did Solomon to all his foreign wives, which burned incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

And the LORD was wroth with Solomon, because his heart was displeased with the LORD
God of Israel, which twice appeared unto him.

And had commanded him that he should not walk after other gods, and yet had not kept that which the LORD commanded him.

Therefore said the LORD unto Solomon, Because these things have been done unto thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my commandments which I commanded thee, I will also rend the kingdom from thee, and give it unto thy servant.

But in thy days I will not do it for David thy father’s sake; but from the hand of thy son will I pluck it.

But I will not cut off the whole kingdom. One tribe will I go unto thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, which I have chosen.

And the LORD raised up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, of royal seed, which was in Edom.

For when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the host went up to bury the slain, he smote all the men of Edom.

For Joab abode there six months, and all Israel, until he had cut off all that was manly in Edom.

And Hadad fled, and with him certain men of Edom, of his father’s servants, to come into Egypt. And Hadad was a young lad.

And they departed from Midian, and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and came into Egypt unto Pharaoh king of Egypt: and he gave him an house, and food, and settled him in the land.

And Hadad found great favour in the sight of Pharaoh, that he gave him also his wife’s sister
Tachpenes the queen to wife.

And the sister of Tachpenes bare him Genubath his son: and Tachpenes brought him up in Pharaoh’s house: and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh.

And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, he said unto Pharaoh, Let me go into my own land.

And Pharaoh said unto him, What lackest thou with me, that thou wilt go into thy land? And he said, Nothing: but let me go.

Also God raised up for him an adversary, Reson the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master Hadadezer king of Zobah.

And he gathered men against him, and became captain of the soldiers, when David slew them: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt there, and reigned in Damascus.

And he was Israel’s adversary all the days of Solomon. This is the harm that Hadad suffered: therefore he had a loathing against Israel, and reigned over Syria.

And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zareda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zerugah a widow, lifted up his hand against the king.

And this is the cause why he lifted up his hand against the king: When Solomon built Millo, he shut up a breach in the city of David his father.

And Jeroboam was a man of valour. And when Solomon saw that the lad was upright, he set him over all the burden of the house of Joseph.

And it came to pass in those days, that Jeroboam went out from Jerusalem, and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him in the way, having a new coat upon him: and they were alone in the field.

And Ahijah took hold of the new coat which he had on, and rent it into twelve pieces.

And he said unto Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces. For thus