Solomon's reign. His wisdom. He builds the Temple.
Solomon falls away from God, and dies.

OW the kingdom was established in the
hand of Solomon. And Solomon loved the

Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father. And the king went to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. And in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before Thee in truth and righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee. And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern. judgment; behold I have done according to thy words lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and power, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

So king Solomon was king over all Israel. And reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal. Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallow deer, and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings

on this side the river; and he had peace on all sides round about him, And Judah and Israel dweit safely, every man under his vine and under his figtree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And twelve officers provided victual for king Solomon. Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they into the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge. And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men, and his fame was in all nations round about.

And he spake three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall. He spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.

And Solomon sent to Hiram, king of Tyre, saying, Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the Lord his God for the wars which were about him on every side. But now the Lord my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is no adversary. And behold,

I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne, in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name. Now, therefore, command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; for thou knowest that there is none among us that hath skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians.

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And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for; and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar and timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea, and I will them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me. So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food for his household, and twenty measures of pure oil, thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him, and Solomon had three thousand and ten men that bare burdens, and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains. And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stone-squarers; so they prepared timber and stones to build the house. So Solomon built the house of the Lord and finished it, and he overlaid it within with pure gold. Seven years was he in building it. So was ended all the

work king Solomon made for the house of the Lord.

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and the heads of the tribes, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. And they came, and the priests came and took up the ark, and brought it into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims. And it came to pass when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister, for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord. Then spake Solomon, I have surely built Thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for Thee to abide in for ever. And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven, and he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like Thee, in heaven above or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before Thee with all their heart. But will God indeed dwell on earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee, how much less this house that I have builded? Yet have thou respect unto the prayers of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to-day; that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be