The Holy Bible

[2:1] When David was about to die, he called his son Solomon and gave him his last instructions:

[2:2] “My time to die has come. Be confident and determined,

[2:3] and do what the Lord your God orders you to do. Obey all his laws and commands, as written in the Law of Moses, so that wherever you go you may prosper in everything you do.

[2:4] If you obey him, the Lord will keep the promise he made when he told me that my descendants would rule Israel as long as they were careful to obey his commands faithfully with all their heart and soul.

[2:5] “There is something else. You remember what Joab did to me by killing the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. You remember how he murdered them in time of peace as revenge for deaths they had caused in time of war. He killed innocent men, and now I bear the responsibility for what he did, and I suffer the consequences.

[2:6] You know what to do; you must not let him die a natural death.

[2:7] “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai from Gilead and take care of them, because they were kind to me when I was fleeing from your brother Absalom.

[2:8] “There is also Shimei son of Gera, from the town of Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me bitterly the day I went to Mahanaim, but when he met me at the Jordan River, I gave him my solemn promise in the name of the Lord that I would not have him killed.

[2:9] But you must not let him go unpunished. You know what to do, and you must see to it that he is put to death.”

[2:10] David died and was buried in David's City.

[2:11] He had been king of Israel for forty years, ruling seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

[2:12] Solomon succeeded his father David as king, and his royal power was firmly established.

[2:13] Then Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, went to Bathsheba, who was Solomon's mother. “Is this a friendly visit?” she asked. “It is,” he answered,

[2:14] and then he added, “I have something to ask of you.” “What is it?” she asked.

[2:15] He answered, “You know that I should have become king and that everyone in Israel expected it. But it happened differently, and my brother became king because it was the Lord's will.

[2:16] And now I have one request to make; please do not refuse me.” “What is it?” Bathsheba asked.

[2:17] He answered, “Please ask King Solomon—I know he won't refuse you—to let me have Abishag, the young woman from Shunem, as my wife.”

[2:18] “Very well,” she answered. “I will speak to the king for you.”

[2:19] So Bathsheba went to the king to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. The king stood up to greet his mother and bowed to her. Then he sat on his throne and had another one brought in on which she sat at his right.

[2:20] She said, “I have a small favor to ask of you; please do not refuse me.” “What is it, mother?” he asked. “I will not refuse you.”

[2:21] She answered, “Let your brother Adonijah have Abishag as his wife.”

[2:22] “Why do you ask me to give Abishag to him?” the king asked. “You might as well ask me to give him the throne too. After all, he is my older brother, and Abiathar the priest and Joab are on his side!”

[2:23] Then Solomon made a solemn promise in the Lord's name, “May God strike me dead if I don't make Adonijah pay with his life for asking this!

[2:24] The Lord has firmly established me on the throne of my father David; he has kept his promise and given the kingdom to me and my descendants. I swear by the living Lord that Adonijah will die this very day!”

[2:25] So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah, who went out and killed Adonijah.

[2:26] Then King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to your country home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not have you put to death now, for you were in charge of the Lord's Covenant Box while you were with my father David, and you shared in all his troubles.”

[2:27] Then Solomon dismissed Abiathar from serving as a priest of the Lord, and so made come true what the Lord had said in Shiloh about the priest Eli and his descendants.

[2:28] Joab heard what had happened. (He had supported Adonijah, but not Absalom.) So he fled to the Tent of the Lord's presence and took hold of the corners of the altar.

[2:29] When the news reached King Solomon that Joab had fled to the Tent and was by the altar, Solomon sent a messenger to Joab to ask him why he had fled to the altar. Joab answered that he had fled to the Lord because he was afraid of Solomon. So King Solomon sent Benaiah to kill Joab.

[2:30] He went to the Tent of the Lord's presence and said to Joab, “The king orders you to come out.” “No,” Joab answered. “I will die here.” Benaiah went back to the king and told him what Joab had said.

[2:31] “Do what Joab says,” Solomon answered. “Kill him and bury him. Then neither I nor any other of David's descendants will any longer be held responsible for what Joab did when he killed innocent men.

[2:32] The Lord will punish Joab for those murders, which he committed without my father David's knowledge. Joab killed two innocent men who were better men than he: Abner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, commander of the army of Judah.

[2:33] The punishment for their murders will fall on Joab and on his descendants forever. But the Lord will always give success to David's descendants who sit on his throne.”

[2:34] So Benaiah went to the Tent of the Lord's presence and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the open country.

[2:35] The king made Benaiah commander of the army in Joab's place and put Zadok the priest in Abiathar's place.

[2:36] Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Live in it and don't leave the city.

[2:37] If you ever leave and go beyond Kidron Brook, you will certainly die—and you yourself will be to blame.”

[2:38] “Very well, Your Majesty,” Shimei answered. “I will do what you say.” So he lived in Jerusalem a long time.

[2:39] Three years later, however, two of Shimei's slaves ran away to the king of Gath, Achish son of Maacah. When Shimei heard that they were in Gath,

[2:40] he saddled his donkey and went to King Achish in Gath, to find his slaves. He found them and brought them back home.

[2:41] When Solomon heard what Shimei had done,

[2:42] he sent for him and said, “I made you promise in the Lord's name not to leave Jerusalem. And I warned you that if you ever did, you would certainly die. Did you not agree to it and say that you would obey me?

[2:43] Why, then, have you broken your promise and disobeyed my command?

[2:44] You know very well all the wrong that you did to my father David. The Lord will punish you for it.

[2:45] But he will bless me, and he will make David's kingdom secure forever.”

[2:46] Then the king gave orders to Benaiah, who went out and killed Shimei. Solomon was now in complete control.

[3:1] Solomon made an alliance with the king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. He brought her to live in David's City until he had finished building his palace, the Temple, and the wall around Jerusalem.

[3:2] A temple had not yet been built for the Lord, and so the people were still offering sacrifices at many different altars.

[3:3] Solomon loved the Lord and followed the instructions of his father David, but he also slaughtered animals and offered them as sacrifices on various altars.

[3:4] On one occasion he went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices because that was where the most famous altar was. He had offered hundreds of burnt offerings there in the past.

[3:5] That night the Lord appeared to him in a dream and asked him, “What would you like me to give you?”

[3:6] Solomon answered, “You always showed great love for my father David, your servant, and he was good, loyal, and honest in his relation with you. And you have continued to show him your great and constant love by giving him a son who today rules in his place.

[3:7] O Lord God, you have let me succeed my father as king, even though I am very young and don't know how to rule.

[3:8] Here I am among the people you have chosen to be your own, a people who are so many that they cannot be counted.

[3:9] So give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?”

[3:10] The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this,

[3:11] and so he said to him, “Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly, instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies,

[3:12] I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again.

[3:13] I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king.

[3:14] And if you obey me and keep my laws and commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”

[3:15] Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. Then he went to Jerusalem and stood in front of the Lord's Covenant Box and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. After that he gave a feast for all his officials.

[3:16] One day two prostitutes came and presented themselves before King Solomon.

[3:17] One of them said, “Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a baby boy at home while she was there.

[3:18] Two days after my child was born, she also gave birth to a baby boy. Only the two of us were there in the house—no one else was present.

[3:19] Then one night she accidentally rolled over on her baby and smothered it.

[3:20] She got up during the night, took my son from my side while I was asleep, and carried him to her bed; then she put the dead child in my bed.

[3:21] The next morning, when I woke up and was going to nurse my baby, I saw that it was dead. I looked at it more closely and saw that it was not my child.”

[3:22] But the other woman said, “No! The living child is mine, and the dead one is yours!” The first woman answered back, “No! The dead child is yours, and the living one is mine!” And so they argued before the king.

[3:23] Then King Solomon said, “Each of you claims that the living child is hers and that the dead child belongs to the other one.”

[3:24] He sent for a sword, and when it was brought,

[3:25] he said, “Cut the living child in two and give each woman half of it.”

[3:26] The real mother, her heart full of love for her son, said to the king, “Please, Your Majesty, don't kill the child! Give it to her!” But the other woman said, “Don't give it to either of us; go on and cut it in two.”

[3:27] Then Solomon said, “Don't kill the child! Give it to the first woman—she is its real mother.”

[3:28] When the people of Israel heard of Solomon's decision, they were all filled with deep respect for him, because they knew then that God had given him the wisdom to settle disputes fairly.

[4:1] Solomon was king of all Israel,

[4:2] and these were his high officials: – The priest: Azariah son of Zadok

[4:3] The court secretaries: Elihoreph and Ahijah, sons of Shisha – In charge of the records: Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud

[4:4] Commander of the army: Benaiah son of Jehoiada – Priests: Zadok and Abiathar

[4:5] Chief of the district governors: Azariah son of Nathan – Royal Adviser: the priest Zabud son of Nathan

[4:6] In charge of the palace servants: Ahishar – In charge of the forced labor: Adoniram son of Abda

[4:7] Solomon appointed twelve men as district governors in Israel. They were to provide food from their districts for the king and his household, each man being responsible for one month out of the year.

[4:8] The following are the names of these twelve officers and the districts they were in charge of: – Benhur: the hill country of Ephraim

[4:9] Bendeker: the cities of Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh, Elon, and Beth Hanan

[4:10] Benhesed: the cities of Arubboth and Socoh and all the territory of Hepher

[4:11] Benabinadab, who was married to Solomon's daughter Taphath: the whole region of Dor

[4:12] Baana son of Ahilud: the cities of Taanach, Megiddo, and all the region near Beth Shan, near the town of Zarethan, south of the town of Jezreel, as far as the city of Abel Meholah and the city of Jokmeam

[4:13] Bengeber: the city of Ramoth in Gilead, and the villages in Gilead belonging to the clan of Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, and the region of Argob in Bashan, sixty large towns in all, fortified with walls and with bronze bars on the gates

[4:14] Ahinadab son of Iddo: the district of Mahanaim

[4:15] Ahimaaz, who was married to Basemath, another of Solomon's daughters: the territory of Naphtali

[4:16] Baana son of Hushai: the region of Asher and the town of Bealoth

[4:17] Jehoshaphat son of Paruah: the territory of Issachar

[4:18] Shimei son of Ela: the territory of Benjamin

[4:19] Geber son of Uri: the region of Gilead, which had been ruled by King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan Besides these twelve, there was one governor over the whole land.

[4:20] The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore; they ate and drank, and were happy.

[4:21] Solomon's kingdom included all the nations from the Euphrates River to Philistia and the Egyptian border. They paid him taxes and were subject to him all his life.

[4:22] The supplies Solomon needed each day were 150 bushels of fine flour and 300 bushels of meal;

[4:23] 10 stall-fed cattle, 20 pasture-fed cattle, and 100 sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and poultry.

[4:24] Solomon ruled over all the land west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah on the Euphrates as far west as the city of Gaza. All the kings west of the Euphrates were subject to him, and he was at peace with all the neighboring countries.

[4:25] As long as he lived, the people throughout Judah and Israel lived in safety, each family with its own grapevines and fig trees.

[4:26] Solomon had forty thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand cavalry horses.

[4:27] His twelve governors, each one in the month assigned to him, supplied the food King Solomon needed for himself and for all who ate in the palace; they always supplied everything needed.

[4:28] Each governor also supplied his share of barley and straw, where it was needed, for the chariot horses and the work animals.

[4:29] God gave Solomon unusual wisdom and insight, and knowledge too great to be measured.

[4:30] Solomon was wiser than the wise men of the East or the wise men of Egypt.

[4:31] He was the wisest of all men: wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame spread throughout all the neighboring countries.

[4:32] He composed three thousand proverbs and more than a thousand songs.

[4:33] He spoke of trees and plants, from the Lebanon cedars to the hyssop that grows on walls; he talked about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.

[4:34] Kings all over the world heard of his wisdom and sent people to listen to him.

[5:1] King Hiram of Tyre had always been a friend of David's, and when he heard that Solomon had succeeded his father David as king, he sent ambassadors to him.

[5:2] Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:

[5:3] “You know that because of the constant wars my father David had to fight against the enemy countries all around him, he could not build a temple for the worship of the Lord his God until the Lord had given him victory over all his enemies.

[5:4] But now the Lord my God has given me peace on all my borders. I have no enemies, and there is no danger of attack.

[5:5] The Lord promised my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will make king after you, will build a temple for me.’ And I have now decided to build that temple for the worship of the Lord my God.

[5:6] So send your men to Lebanon to cut down cedars for me. My men will work with them, and I will pay your men whatever you decide. As you well know, my men don't know how to cut down trees as well as yours do.”

[5:7] Hiram was extremely pleased when he received Solomon's message, and he said, “Praise the Lord today for giving David such a wise son to succeed him as king of that great nation!”

[5:8] Then Hiram sent Solomon the following message: “I have received your message, and I am ready to do what you ask. I will provide the cedars and the pine trees.

[5:9] My men will bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea and will tie them together in rafts to float them down the coast to the place you choose. There my men will untie them, and your men will take charge of them. On your part, I would like you to supply the food for my men.”

[5:10] So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the cedar and pine logs that he wanted,

[5:11] and Solomon provided Hiram with 100,000 bushels of wheat and 110,000 gallons of pure olive oil every year to feed his men.

[5:12] The Lord kept his promise and gave Solomon wisdom. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they made a treaty with each other.

[5:13] King Solomon drafted 30,000 men as forced labor from all over Israel,

[5:14] and put Adoniram in charge of them. He divided them into three groups of 10,000 men, and each group spent one month in Lebanon and two months back home.

[5:15] Solomon also had 80,000 stone cutters in the hill country, with 70,000 men to carry the stones,

[5:16] and he placed 3,300 foremen in charge of them to supervise their work.

[5:17] At King Solomon's command they cut fine large stones for the foundation of the Temple.

[5:18] Solomon's and Hiram's workers and men from the city of Byblos prepared the stones and the timber to build the Temple.