10When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, which brought honor to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.H4436H7614H8085H8088H8010H8034H3068H935H5254H2420 2She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind.H935H3389H3966H3515H2428H1581H5375H1314H3966H7227H2091H3368H68H935H8010H1696H3824 3Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.H8010H5046H1697H1697H5956H4428H5046 4When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built,H4436H7614H7200H8010H2451H1004H1129 5she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD.H3978H7979H4186H5650H4612H8334H4403H8248H5930H5927H1004H3068H7307 6She exclaimed to the king, "Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true!H559H4428H571H1697H8085H776H1697H2451 7I didn't believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told.H539H1697H935H5869H7200H2677H5046H2451H2896H3254H8052H8085 8How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!H835H582H835H5650H5975H8548H6440H8085H2451 9Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness."H1288H3068H430H2654H5414H3678H3478H3068H160H3478H5769H7760H4428H6213H4941H6666 10Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.H5414H4428H3967H6242H3603H2091H1314H3966H7235H3368H68H935H1931H7230H1314H4436H7614H5414H4428H8010 11(In addition, Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood and precious jewels.H590H2438H5375H2091H211H935H211H3966H7235H484H6086H3368H68 12The king used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.)H4428H6213H484H6086H4552H1004H3068H4428H1004H3658H5035H7891H935H484H6086H7200H3117 13King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land.H4428H8010H5414H4436H7614H2656H7592H8010H5414H4428H3027H6437H3212H776H5650 14Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold.H4948H2091H935H8010H259H8141H8337H3967H8346H8337H3603H2091 15This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land.H582H8446H4536H7402H4428H6153H6346H776 16King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds.H4428H8010H6213H3967H6793H7820H2091H8337H3967H2091H5927H259H6793 17He also made 300 smaller shields of hammered gold, each weighing nearly four pounds. The king placed these shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.H7969H3967H4043H7820H2091H7969H4488H2091H5927H259H4043H4428H5414H1004H3293H3844 18Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.H4428H6213H1419H3678H8127H6823H6338H2091 19The throne had six steps and a rounded back. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side of the throne.H3678H8337H4609H7218H3678H5696H310H3027H4725H7675H8147H738H5975H681H3027 20There were also twelve other lions, one standing on each end of the six steps. No other throne in all the world could be compared with it!H8147H6240H738H5975H8337H4609H3651H6213H4467 21All of King Solomon's drinking cups were solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made of silver, for silver was considered worthless in Solomon's day!H4428H8010H4945H3627H2091H3627H1004H3293H3844H5462H2091H3701H3972H2803H3117H8010 22The king had a fleet of trading ships that sailed with Hiram's fleet. Once every three years the ships returned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.H4428H3220H590H8659H590H2438H259H7969H8141H935H590H8659H5375H2091H3701H8143H6971H8500 23So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.H4428H8010H1431H4428H776H6239H2451 24People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.H776H1245H6440H8010H8085H2451H430H5414H3820 25Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.H935H376H4503H3627H3701H3627H2091H8008H5402H1314H5483H6505H1697H8141H8141 26Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem.H8010H622H7393H6571H505H702H3967H7393H8147H6240H505H6571H5148H5892H7393H4428H3389 27The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.H4428H5414H3701H3389H68H730H5414H8256H8219H7230 28Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king's traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price.H8010H5483H4161H4714H4723H4428H5503H3947H4723H4242 29At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver, and horses for 150 pieces of silver. They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.H4818H5927H3318H4714H8337H3967H3701H5483H3967H2572H4428H2850H4428H758H3318H3027
11Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.H4428H8010H157H7227H5237H802H1323H6547H4125H5984H130H6722H2850 2The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, 'You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.' Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway.H1471H3068H559H1121H3478H935H935H403H5186H3824H310H430H8010H1692H157 3He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD.H7651H3967H802H8282H7969H3967H6370H802H5186H3820 4In Solomon's old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the LORD his God, as his father, David, had been.H6256H8010H2209H802H5186H3824H310H312H430H3824H8003H3068H430H3824H1732H1 5Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites.H8010H3212H310H6253H430H6722H310H4445H8251H5984 6In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the LORD's sight; he refused to follow the LORD completely, as his father, David, had done.H8010H6213H7451H5869H3068H4390H310H3068H1732H1 7On the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, he even built a pagan shrine for Chemosh, the detestable god of Moab, and another for Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites.H8010H1129H1116H3645H8251H4124H2022H6440H3389H4432H8251H1121H5983 8Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.H6213H5237H802H6999H2076H430 9The LORD was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.H3068H599H8010H3824H5186H3068H430H3478H7200H6471 10He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the LORD's command.H6680H1697H3212H310H312H430H8104H3068H6680 11So now the LORD said to him, "Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants.H3068H559H8010H8104H1285H2708H6680H7167H7167H4467H5414H5650 12But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son.H3117H6213H1732H1H7167H3027H1121 13And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city."H7535H7167H4467H5414H259H7626H1121H1732H5650H3389H977 14Then the LORD raised up Hadad the Edomite, a member of Edom's royal family, to be Solomon's adversary.H3068H6965H7854H8010H1908H130H4428H2233H123 15Years before, David had defeated Edom. Joab, his army commander, had stayed to bury some of the Israelite soldiers who had died in battle. While there, they killed every male in Edom.H1732H123H3097H8269H6635H5927H6912H2491H5221H2145H123 16Joab and the army of Israel had stayed there for six months, killing them.H8337H2320H3097H3427H3478H3772H2145H123 17But Hadad and a few of his father's royal officials escaped and headed for Egypt. (Hadad was just a boy at the time.)H111H1272H582H130H1H5650H935H4714H1908H6996H5288 18They set out from Midian and went to Paran, where others joined them. Then they traveled to Egypt and went to Pharaoh, who gave them a home, food, and some land.H6965H4080H935H6290H3947H582H6290H935H4714H6547H4428H4714H5414H1004H559H3899H5414H776 19Pharaoh grew very fond of Hadad, and he gave him his wife's sister in marriage—the sister of Queen Tahpenes.H1908H4672H3966H2580H5869H6547H5414H802H269H802H269H8472H1377 20She bore him a son named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh's palace among Pharaoh's own sons.H269H8472H3205H1592H1121H8472H1580H8432H6547H1004H1592H6547H1004H8432H1121H6547 21When the news reached Hadad in Egypt that David and his commander Joab were both dead, he said to Pharaoh, "Let me return to my own country."H1908H8085H4714H1732H7901H1H3097H8269H6635H4191H1908H559H6547H7971H3212H776 22"Why?" Pharaoh asked him. "What do you lack here that makes you want to go home?" "Nothing," he replied. "But even so, please let me return home."H6547H559H2638H1245H3212H776H559H7971H7971 23God also raised up Rezon son of Eliada as Solomon's adversary. Rezon had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah,H430H6965H7854H7331H1121H450H1272H113H1909H4428H6678 24and had become the leader of a gang of rebels. After David conquered Hadadezer, Rezon and his men fled to Damascus, where he became king.H6908H582H8269H1416H1732H2026H3212H1834H3427H4427H1834 25Rezon was Israel's bitter adversary for the rest of Solomon's reign, and he made trouble, just as Hadad did. Rezon hated Israel intensely and continued to reign in Aram.H7854H3478H3117H8010H7451H1908H6973H3478H4427H758 26Another rebel leader was Jeroboam son of Nebat, one of Solomon's own officials. He came from the town of Zeredah in Ephraim, and his mother was Zeruah, a widow.H3379H1121H5028H673H6868H8010H5650H517H8034H6871H490H802H7311H3027H4428 27This is the story behind his rebellion. Solomon was rebuilding the supporting terraces and repairing the walls of the city of his father, David.H1697H7311H3027H4428H8010H1129H4407H5462H6556H5892H1732H1 28Jeroboam was a very capable young man, and when Solomon saw how industrious he was, he put him in charge of the labor force from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph.H376H3379H1368H2428H8010H7200H5288H6213H4399H6485H5447H1004H3130 29One day as Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh met him along the way. Ahijah was wearing a new cloak. The two of them were alone in a field,H6256H3379H3318H3389H5030H281H7888H4672H1870H3680H2319H8008H8147H7704 30and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.H281H8610H2319H8008H7167H8147H6240H7168 31Then he said to Jeroboam, "Take ten of these pieces, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and I will give ten of the tribes to you!H559H3379H3947H6235H7168H559H3068H430H3478H7167H4467H3027H8010H5414H6235H7626 32But I will leave him one tribe for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.H259H7626H5650H1732H3389H5892H977H7626H3478 33For Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of the Ammonites. He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He has not obeyed my decrees and regulations as David his father did.H5800H7812H6253H430H6722H3645H430H4124H4445H430H1121H5983H1980H1870H6213H3477H5869H2708H4941H1732H1 34"'But I will not take the entire kingdom from Solomon at this time. For the sake of my servant David, the one whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees, I will keep Solomon as leader for the rest of his life.H3947H4467H3027H7896H5387H3117H2416H1732H5650H977H8104H4687H2708 35But I will take the kingdom away from his son and give ten of the tribes to you.H3947H4410H1121H3027H5414H6235H7626 36His son will have one tribe so that the descendants of David my servant will continue to reign, shining like a lamp in Jerusalem, the city I have chosen to be the place for my name.H1121H5414H259H7626H1732H5650H5216H3117H6440H3389H5892H977H7760H8034 37And I will place you on the throne of Israel, and you will rule over all that your heart desires.H3947H4427H5315H183H4428H3478 38If you listen to what I tell you and follow my ways and do whatever I consider to be right, and if you obey my decrees and commands, as my servant David did, then I will always be with you. I will establish an enduring dynasty for you as I did for David, and I will give Israel to you.H8085H6680H1980H1870H6213H3477H5869H8104H2708H4687H1732H5650H6213H1129H539H1004H1129H1732H5414H3478 39Because of Solomon's sin I will punish the descendants of David—though not forever.'"H6031H2233H1732H3117 40Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.H8010H1245H4191H3379H3379H6965H1272H4714H7895H4428H4714H4714H4194H8010 41The rest of the events in Solomon's reign, including all his deeds and his wisdom, are recorded in The Book of the Acts of Solomon.H3499H1697H8010H6213H2451H3789H5612H1697H8010 42Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.H3117H8010H4427H3389H3478H705H8141 43When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king.H8010H7901H1H6912H5892H1732H1H7346H1121H4427
12Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Israel had gathered to make him king.H7346H3212H7927H3478H935H7927H4427 2When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of this, he returned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt to escape from King Solomon.H3379H1121H5028H4714H8085H1272H6440H4428H8010H3379H3427H4714 3The leaders of Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to speak with Rehoboam.H7971H7121H3379H6951H3478H935H1696H7346H559 4"Your father was a hard master," they said. "Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects."H1H7185H5923H7185H7186H5656H1H3515H5923H5414H7043H5647 5Rehoboam replied, "Give me three days to think this over. Then come back for my answer." So the people went away.H559H3212H7969H3117H7725H5971H3212 6Then King Rehoboam discussed the matter with the older men who had counseled his father, Solomon. "What is your advice?" he asked. "How should I answer these people?"H4428H7346H3289H2205H5975H6440H8010H1H2416H559H3289H7725H1697H5971 7The older counselors replied, "If you are willing to be a servant to these people today and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects."H1696H559H5650H5971H3117H5647H6030H1696H2896H1697H5650H3117 8But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.H5800H6098H2205H3289H3289H3206H1431H5975H6440 9"What is your advice?" he asked them. "How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?"H559H3289H7725H1697H5971H1696H559H7043H5923H1H5414H7043 10The young men replied, "This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist!H3206H1431H1696H559H559H5971H1696H559H1H3513H5923H3513H7043H1696H6995H5666H1H4975 11Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!'"H1H6006H3515H5923H3254H5923H1H3256H7752H3256H6137 12Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to hear Rehoboam's decision, just as the king had ordered.H3379H5971H935H7346H7992H3117H4428H1696H559H7725H7992H3117 13But Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselorsH4428H6030H5971H7186H5800H2205H6098H3289 14and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, "My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!"H1696H6098H3206H559H1H3513H5923H3513H3254H5923H1H3256H7752H3256H6137 15So the king paid no attention to the people. This turn of events was the will of the LORD, for it fulfilled the LORD's message to Jeroboam son of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh.H4428H8085H5971H5438H3068H6965H1697H3068H1696H3027H281H7888H3379H1121H5028 16When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, "Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out for your own house, O David!" So the people of Israel returned home.H7725H3478H7200H4428H8085H5971H1697H4428H559H2506H1732H5159H1121H3448H168H3478H7200H1004H1732H3478H3212H168 17But Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the towns of Judah.H1121H3478H3427H5892H3063H7346H4427 18King Rehoboam sent Adoniram, who was in charge of the labor force, to restore order, but the people of Israel stoned him to death. When this news reached King Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.H4428H7346H7971H151H4522H3478H7275H68H4191H4428H7346H553H5927H4818H5127H3389 19And to this day the northern tribes of Israel have refused to be ruled by a descendant of David.H3478H6586H1004H1732H3117 20When the people of Israel learned of Jeroboam's return from Egypt, they called an assembly and made him king over all Israel. So only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the family of David.H3478H8085H3379H7725H7971H7121H5712H4427H3478H310H1004H1732H2108H7626H3063 21When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—180,000 select troops—to fight against the men of Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself.H7346H935H3389H6950H1004H3063H7626H1144H3967H8084H505H977H6213H4421H3898H1004H3478H7725H4410H7725H7346H1121H8010 22But God said to Shemaiah, the man of God,H1697H430H8098H376H430H559 23"Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,H559H7346H1121H8010H4428H3063H1004H3063H1144H3499H5971H559 24'This is what the LORD says: Do not fight against your relatives, the Israelites. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!'" So they obeyed the message of the LORD and went home, as the LORD had commanded.H559H3068H5927H3898H251H1121H3478H7725H376H1004H1697H1961H8085H1697H3068H7725H3212H1697H3068 25Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel.H3379H1129H7927H2022H669H3427H3318H1129H6439 26Jeroboam thought to himself, "Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David.H3379H559H3820H4467H7725H1004H1732 27When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the LORD, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead."H5971H5927H6213H2077H1004H3068H3389H3820H5971H7725H113H7346H4428H3063H2026H7725H7346H4428H3063 28So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, "It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!"H4428H3289H6213H8147H5695H2091H559H7227H5927H3389H430H3478H5927H776H4714 29He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom.H7760H259H1008H259H5414H1835 30But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.H1697H2403H5971H3212H6440H259H1835 31Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people—those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi.H6213H1004H1116H6213H3548H7098H5971H1121H3878 32And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah. There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices to the calves he had made, and he appointed priests for the pagan shrines he had made.H3379H6213H2282H8066H2320H2568H6240H3117H2320H2282H3063H5927H4196H6213H1008H2076H5695H6213H5975H1008H3548H1116H6213 33So on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day that he himself had designated, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel. He instituted a religious festival for Israel, and he went up to the altar to burn incense.H5927H4196H6213H1008H2568H6240H3117H8066H2320H2320H908H3820H6213H2282H1121H3478H5927H4196H6999
Dublin, OH
, she came to test him with hard questions.H4436
