1Kings 10
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.H4436H7614H8085H8088H8010H8034H3068H935H5254H24202She 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.H935H3389H3966H3515H2428H1581H5375H1314H3966H7227H2091H3368H68H935H8010H1696H38243Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her.H8010H5046H1697H1697H5956H4428H50464When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built,H4436H7614H7200H8010H2451H1004H11295she 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.H3978H7979H4186H5650H4612H8334H4403H8248H5930H5927H1004H3068H73076She exclaimed to the king, "Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true!H559H4428H571H1697H8085H776H1697H24517I 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.H539H1697H935H5869H7200H2677H5046H2451H2896H3254H8052H80858How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom!H835H582H835H5650H5975H8548H6440H8085H24519Praise 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."H1288H3068H430H2654H5414H3678H3478H3068H160H3478H5769H7760H4428H6213H4941H666610Then 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.H5414H4428H3967H6242H3603H2091H1314H3966H7235H3368H68H935H1931H7230H1314H4436H7614H5414H4428H801011(In addition, Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood and precious jewels.H590H2438H5375H2091H211H935H211H3966H7235H484H6086H3368H6812The 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.)H4428H6213H484H6086H4552H1004H3068H4428H1004H3658H5035H7891H935H484H6086H7200H311713King 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.H4428H8010H5414H4436H7614H2656H7592H8010H5414H4428H3027H6437H3212H776H565014Each year Solomon received about 25 tons of gold.H4948H2091H935H8010H259H8141H8337H3967H8346H8337H3603H209115This did not include the additional revenue he received from merchants and traders, all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the land.H582H8446H4536H7402H4428H6153H6346H77616King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold, each weighing more than fifteen pounds.H4428H8010H6213H3967H6793H7820H2091H8337H3967H2091H5927H259H679317He 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.H7969H3967H4043H7820H2091H7969H4488H2091H5927H259H4043H4428H5414H1004H3293H384418Then the king made a huge throne, decorated with ivory and overlaid with fine gold.H4428H6213H1419H3678H8127H6823H6338H209119The 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.H3678H8337H4609H7218H3678H5696H310H3027H4725H7675H8147H738H5975H681H302720There 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!H8147H6240H738H5975H8337H4609H3651H6213H446721All 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!H4428H8010H4945H3627H2091H3627H1004H3293H3844H5462H2091H3701H3972H2803H3117H801022The 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.H4428H3220H590H8659H590H2438H259H7969H8141H935H590H8659H5375H2091H3701H8143H6971H850023So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on earth.H4428H8010H1431H4428H776H6239H245124People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him.H776H1245H6440H8010H8085H2451H430H5414H382025Year after year everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.H935H376H4503H3627H3701H3627H2091H8008H5402H1314H5483H6505H1697H8141H814126Solomon 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.H8010H622H7393H6571H505H702H3967H7393H8147H6240H505H6571H5148H5892H7393H4428H338927The 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.H4428H5414H3701H3389H68H730H5414H8256H8219H723028Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from Cilicia; the king's traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price.H8010H5483H4161H4714H4723H4428H5503H3947H4723H424229At 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
1Kings 11
11Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh's daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites.H4428H8010H157H7227H5237H802H1323H6547H4125H5984H130H6722H28502The 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.H1471H3068H559H1121H3478H935H935H403H5186H3824H310H430H8010H1692H1573He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD.H7651H3967H802H8282H7969H3967H6370H802H5186H38204In 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.H6256H8010H2209H802H5186H3824H310H312H430H3824H8003H3068H430H3824H1732H15Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites.H8010H3212H310H6253H430H6722H310H4445H8251H59846In 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.H8010H6213H7451H5869H3068H4390H310H3068H1732H17On 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.H8010H1129H1116H3645H8251H4124H2022H6440H3389H4432H8251H1121H59838Solomon built such shrines for all his foreign wives to use for burning incense and sacrificing to their gods.H6213H5237H802H6999H2076H4309The 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.H3068H599H8010H3824H5186H3068H430H3478H7200H647110He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the LORD's command.H6680H1697H3212H310H312H430H8104H3068H668011So 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.H3068H559H8010H8104H1285H2708H6680H7167H7167H4467H5414H565012But 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.H3117H6213H1732H1H7167H3027H112113And 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."H7535H7167H4467H5414H259H7626H1121H1732H5650H3389H97714Then the LORD raised up Hadad the Edomite, a member of Edom's royal family, to be Solomon's adversary.H3068H6965H7854H8010H1908H130H4428H2233H12315Years 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.H1732H123H3097H8269H6635H5927H6912H2491H5221H2145H12316Joab and the army of Israel had stayed there for six months, killing them.H8337H2320H3097H3427H3478H3772H2145H12317But Hadad and a few of his father's royal officials escaped and headed for Egypt. (Hadad was just a boy at the time.)H111H1272H582H130H1H5650H935H4714H1908H6996H528818They 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.H6965H4080H935H6290H3947H582H6290H935H4714H6547H4428H4714H5414H1004H559H3899H5414H77619Pharaoh grew very fond of Hadad, and he gave him his wife's sister in marriage—the sister of Queen Tahpenes.H1908H4672H3966H2580H5869H6547H5414H802H269H802H269H8472H137720She bore him a son named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh's palace among Pharaoh's own sons.H269H8472H3205H1592H1121H8472H1580H8432H6547H1004H1592H6547H1004H8432H1121H654721When 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."H1908H8085H4714H1732H7901H1H3097H8269H6635H4191H1908H559H6547H7971H3212H77622"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."H6547H559H2638H1245H3212H776H559H7971H797123God also raised up Rezon son of Eliada as Solomon's adversary. Rezon had fled from his master, King Hadadezer of Zobah,H430H6965H7854H7331H1121H450H1272H113H1909H4428H667824and had become the leader of a gang of rebels. After David conquered Hadadezer, Rezon and his men fled to Damascus, where he became king.H6908H582H8269H1416H1732H2026H3212H1834H3427H4427H183425Rezon 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.H7854H3478H3117H8010H7451H1908H6973H3478H4427H75826Another 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.H3379H1121H5028H673H6868H8010H5650H517H8034H6871H490H802H7311H3027H442827This is the story behind his rebellion. Solomon was rebuilding the supporting terraces and repairing the walls of the city of his father, David.H1697H7311H3027H4428H8010H1129H4407H5462H6556H5892H1732H128Jeroboam 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.H376H3379H1368H2428H8010H7200H5288H6213H4399H6485H5447H1004H313029One 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,H6256H3379H3318H3389H5030H281H7888H4672H1870H3680H2319H8008H8147H770430and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces.H281H8610H2319H8008H7167H8147H6240H716831Then 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!H559H3379H3947H6235H7168H559H3068H430H3478H7167H4467H3027H8010H5414H6235H762632But 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.H259H7626H5650H1732H3389H5892H977H7626H347833For 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.H5800H7812H6253H430H6722H3645H430H4124H4445H430H1121H5983H1980H1870H6213H3477H5869H2708H4941H1732H134"'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.H3947H4467H3027H7896H5387H3117H2416H1732H5650H977H8104H4687H270835But I will take the kingdom away from his son and give ten of the tribes to you.H3947H4410H1121H3027H5414H6235H762636His 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.H1121H5414H259H7626H1732H5650H5216H3117H6440H3389H5892H977H7760H803437And I will place you on the throne of Israel, and you will rule over all that your heart desires.H3947H4427H5315H183H4428H347838If 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.H8085H6680H1980H1870H6213H3477H5869H8104H2708H4687H1732H5650H6213H1129H539H1004H1129H1732H5414H347839Because of Solomon's sin I will punish the descendants of David—though not forever.'"H6031H2233H1732H311740Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to King Shishak of Egypt and stayed there until Solomon died.H8010H1245H4191H3379H3379H6965H1272H4714H7895H4428H4714H4714H4194H801041The 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.H3499H1697H8010H6213H2451H3789H5612H1697H801042Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.H3117H8010H4427H3389H3478H705H814143When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king.H8010H7901H1H6912H5892H1732H1H7346H1121H4427
Unknown
, she came to test him with hard questions.H4436
