¹King David had grown very old, and even when they wrapped him in [heavy] clothes he couldn’t get warm.²So his servants said:‘Have them search for a young virgin girl who’ll wait on the king, treat him well, and lie with him… Who’ll keep him warm.’³So they searched for a pretty young woman throughout the borders of IsraEl, and they found AbiSag the Somanite and brought her to the king.⁴The young woman was extremely beautiful, and she treated the king very well and served him; but, he never [had sex] with her.⁵Meanwhile, AdoniJah (son of [David’s woman] AgGith) tried to elevate himself, saying:‘I will be the king!’So he prepared himself [by collecting] chariots and horses, and having 50 men run ahead of him. ⁶Yet [David] never discouraged him or asked him why he was doing this.AdoniJah was a very handsome man, to whom his mother had given birth after AbSalom. ⁷And he went to meet with JoAb son of ZeruJah and AbiAthar the Priest, who then they became his supporters.⁸However, neither the Priest ZaDok, nor BenaiJah son of JehoiAda, nor the prophet Nathan, nor Semei, nor Resi, nor any of David’s mighty men supported AdoniJah.⁹Then AdoniJah went to the Rock of ZoeLethi (near RogEl) to sacrifice sheep, calves, and lambs, and he called for [most of] his brothers, the king’s servants, and all the adult men of Judah…¹⁰But he didn’t invite the prophet Nathan, BenaiJah, any of the mighty men, or his brother Solomon.¹¹So, Nathan went to BathSheba (Solomon’s mother) and asked:‘Have you heard?‘AgGith’s son AdoniJah has started ruling. However, our lord David doesn’t know about it yet.¹²‘So, please allow me to offer you some council that will save your life and the life of your son Solomon.¹³‘Hurry and go to King David, then say to him:‘O my lord the king,‘Didn’t you swear to me (your handmaid) that my son Solomon would reign after you and sit on your throne? And if so, why is AdoniJah reigning?’¹⁴‘Then, while you’re still there speaking to the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm what you’re saying.’¹⁵As a result, BathSheba went to see the king in his bedroom.Well, the king was very old, and AbiSag (the Somanite) was there serving him... ¹⁶Then BathSheba bowed low before the king and he asked her:‘What do you want?’¹⁷And she replied:‘My lord,‘Didn’t you swear to your handmaid by Jehovah your God, saying:‘Your son Solomon will reign after me and sit on my throne?’¹⁸‘But look! AdoniJah has now started to rule, although you, my lord the king, don’t know anything about this!¹⁹‘He’s already sacrificed many calves, lambs, and sheep, and he’s invited all of the king’s sons, as well as AbiAthar the Priest and JoAb, the commander-in-chief of your army, to come with him.‘Of course, he didn’t invite your servant Solomon.²⁰‘So now, O my lord the king,‘All IsraEl is watching and waiting for you to tell them who’ll sit on your throne after you. ²¹And as it presently stands; after my lord the king goes to sleep with his fathers, my son Solomon and I shall be [in great jeopardy].’²²Then, {Look!} while she was still speaking to the king, the prophet Nathan arrived, which was reported to the king with the words:²³‘Look, the prophet Nathan has arrived.’So, Nathan went into the king’s presence and bowed to him with his face to the ground, ²⁴then he said:‘My lord, O king,‘Did you say that AdoniJah will reign after you and sit on your throne?²⁵‘For today he’s gone to sacrifice many calves, lambs, and sheep, and he’s invited all your sons, the chiefs of the army, and AbiAthar the Priest.‘Look! They’re eating and drinking before him now, saying:‘Long live King AdoniJah!’²⁶‘But he didn’t invite me, your servant, or the Priest ZaDok, or BenaiJah son of JehoiAda, or your servant Solomon.²⁷‘Has this matter been authorized by my lord the king, and have you failed to tell your servant who’ll succeed you on the throne?’²⁸Then King David said:‘Call BathSheba back in.’So she came in and stood before the king.²⁹Then the king swore [an oath to her], saying:‘As Jehovah, who saved my life from all danger, lives, ³⁰and as I swore to you by Jehovah the God of IsraEl, saying:‘Your son Solomon will reign after me and sit on my throne after me’...‘I’m saying the same thing today.’³¹And at that, BathSheba bowed low with her face to the ground, and said:‘May my lord King David live throughout the ages.’³²Then King David said:‘Call ZaDok the Priest, the prophet Nathan, and BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to me.’So they came in and stood before the king, ³³and the king said to them:‘Take my servants with you and mount my son Solomon on my personal mule, then take him to GiOn.³⁴‘There, ZaDok the Priest and the prophet Nathan should anoint him to be the king over IsraEl.‘Then you must blow the trumpets and shout:‘Long live King Solomon!’³⁵‘For he will sit on my throne and be the ruler in place of me… I’m giving the order that he will now be the leader over IsraEl and Judah!’³⁶Then BenaiJah son of JehoiAda said to the king:‘May it be so! May Jehovah, the God of my lord the king, make it so!³⁷‘And as Jehovah was with my lord the king, may He be with Solomon… May He raise his throne even higher than the throne of my lord King David.’³⁸So ZaDok the Priest, Nathan the prophet, BenaiJah son of JehoiAda, and the Cherethites and Phelethites went and mounted Solomon on King David’s mule, and led him away to GiOn.³⁹Then ZaDok took the horn of oil from the Sacred Tent, anointed Solomon with it, and blew the trumpets, as all the people started shouting:‘[Long] live King Solomon!’⁴⁰And thereafter, so many people came to him dancing and singing in joy that the ground literally shook with the sounds of their voices.⁴¹Well, when AdoniJah and his guests heard all the commotion, they stopped eating.And when JoAb heard the trumpets being blown, he asked:‘Why is the whole city in such an uproar?’⁴²Then, while he was still speaking, {Look!} JoNathan (AbiAthar the Priest’s son) came in. And AdoniJah said:‘Welcome!‘Since you’re such a powerful man, you must be bringing good news!’⁴³And JoNathan replied:‘It’s true! For our lord King David has made Solomon the king!⁴⁴‘He sent ZaDok the Priest, Nathan the prophet, BenaiJah son of JehoiAda, and the Cherethites and Phelethites, and they mounted him on the king’s mule; ⁴⁵then they anointed him in GiOn.‘So, the sounds that you’re hearing from the city are the sounds of rejoicing!⁴⁶‘For Solomon is now seated on the throne of the kingdom, ⁴⁷and the king’s servants are going in to praise our lord King David, saying:‘May God make the name of Solomon even better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!’‘Right now, the king is bowing before [God] from his bed and ⁴⁸saying:‘May Jehovah the God of IsraEl be praised, because today He’s appointed one of my offspring to sit on my throne while my eyes can still see it!’⁴⁹Well at that, all the guests of AdoniJah were shocked… And then they just left. ⁵⁰And because AdoniJah was afraid of Solomon, he got up and walked out, then he went and grabbed hold of the horns on the Altar.⁵¹Thereafter, when it was reported to Solomon that AdoniJah was afraid of him and that he was holding onto the horns of the Altar and saying:‘Let Solomon swear to me today that he won’t kill his servant with his sword,’⁵²Solomon said:‘If he’s an honorable man, not a single hair will fall to the ground; but if he’s evil, he will die.’⁵³So King Solomon sent and had him brought back from the Altar.Then [AdoniJah] bowed low before King Solomon, and Solomon said to him:‘Now, just go back home!’

¹Well, the time for David’s death drew near, so he spoke to his son Solomon and said:‘I’m going the way of all on the earth. ²Therefore, you must now be strong and prove that you’re a man.³‘Follow the instructions of Jehovah your God, walk in His ways, and follow the Commandments, rules and decisions that are written in the Law of Moses, so you’ll understand what you should do when it comes to all the things that I’ll tell you.⁴‘If you’ll do this, Jehovah will make the thing that He promised come true, when He said:‘If your children will pay attention to the way that they should walk before Me wholeheartedly and in truth, there’ll never fail to be a man from you who sits on the throne of IsraEl.’⁵‘Now, you know all the things that JoAb son of ZeruJah did to me and to the two generals of the army of IsraEl… To AbNer son of Ner, and to AmaSa son of JeTher.‘He murdered them and shed their blood like in wartime, even though we were at peace… He wrapped his waist and the sandals on his feet in innocent blood! ⁶So, deal with him as your wisdom directs, and don’t allow him to take his grey hair to the grave in peace.⁷‘However, I want you to deal kindly with the son of BarZelli the GileAdite… He should eat at your table, because [BarZelli] came to my aid when I had to run from your brother AbSalom.⁸‘And {Look!} there’s also Semei son of Gera, a BenJaminite of BaUrim, who’s still among us! He cursed me when he came down to the JorDan to meet me as I was returning to JeruSalem... Back then, I swore to him by Jehovah that I wouldn’t use the sword to put him to death. ⁹However, he isn’t free of guilt.‘Now, you’re a wise man, and you know what you must do to him… You must take his grey hair to the grave covered in blood.’¹⁰Then shortly thereafter, David went to sleep with his ancestors, and was entombed in the city of David. ¹¹David had reigned over IsraEl for 40 years… 7 years in HebRon and 33 years in JeruSalem.¹²But then Solomon came to sit upon the throne of his father David, and his kingdom became very great.¹³Well, [after David had died], AdoniJah (AgGith’s son) went to see BathSheba (Solomon’s mother).He bowed before her, and then she asked:‘Have you come in peace?’And he replied:‘Yes, in peace… ¹⁴For I have some business with you.’So she said:‘Then speak.’¹⁵And he said:‘You know that the kingdom was mine, because all IsraEl turned to me as their king. But the kingdom was taken away from me and it became my brother’s, because it was given to him by Jehovah.¹⁶‘So, I just want to ask one thing of you… And please don’t ignore me.’Then BathSheba said:‘Keep talking.’¹⁷And he said to her:‘I beg you to speak to King Solomon, because he won’t ignore you... Ask him to give AbiSag the Somanite to me, to be my woman.’¹⁸And BathSheba said:‘Well, I’ll speak to the king for you.’¹⁹So BathSheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of AdoniJah.Well, the king arose to meet her, then he kissed her and he sat down on his throne. Thereafter, he had a throne placed there for the mother of the king, so she sat down at his right hand.²⁰Then she said to him:‘I’d like to make one little request… And please don’t ignore me.’So the king said:‘Ask, my mother, and I won’t ignore you.’²¹And she said:‘Please give AbiSag the Somanite to your brother AdoniJah as his woman.’²²But King Solomon asked her:‘Why are you asking me to give AbiSag to AdoniJah?‘You could ask me to give him the kingdom also, because he’s my older brother… And his friends are the Priest AbiAthar and my commander-in-chief, JoAb son of ZeruJah!’²³Then King Solomon swore an oath by Jehovah, saying:‘May God curse me and add to it if AdoniJah hasn’t spoken these words against his own life!²⁴‘For now, as Jehovah lives – the One who established me, set me on the throne of my father David, and made me a house just as the Lord had promised – AdoniJah will die today!’²⁵So King Solomon sent out BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to kill him, and AdoniJah died that day.²⁶Then the king said to AbiAthar the Priest:‘You must quickly return to your farm in AnathOth, because you also deserve to die today!‘However, I’m not going to kill you, because you carried Jehovah’s Chest of the Sacred Agreement before my father, and because you also shared in all the sufferings of my father.’²⁷So Solomon removed AbiAthar as the Priest of Jehovah, which fulfilled the words that the Lord had spoken at Salem concerning the house of Eli. ²⁸And when the news of this reached JoAb son of ZeruJah – because he’d supported AdoniJah (not Solomon) – he ran to the Tent of Jehovah and grabbed hold of the horns on the Altar.²⁹Well when Solomon was told that JoAb had fled to the Tent of Jehovah and he was hanging onto the horns of the Altar, he sent [a message] to JoAb, asking:‘What’s wrong with you?‘Why have you fled to the Altar?’And JoAb replied:‘I fled to Jehovah for refuge because I’m afraid of you!’So Solomon told BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to go and kill him, then bury him.³⁰Well, when BenaiJah son of JehoiAda reached JoAb at the Tent of Jehovah, he said to him:‘The king had commanded that you to come away from there!’But JoAb said:‘I’m not coming… For I’d rather die right here!’So then, BenaiJah son of JehoiAda returned to the king and told him what JoAb said, ³¹and the king told him:‘Then, go and do what he told you to do… Kill him there, and then bury him!‘That way, you’ll remove the blood that he shed for no reason from me and from the house of my father... ³²For, Jehovah has brought the blood of his unrighteousness down upon his own head, because he attacked two men who were more righteous and better than himself, killing them with his sword…‘Although my father David didn’t know that he’d kill AbNer son of Ner the commander-in-chief of IsraEl, and Amesa son of JeTher, the commander-in-chief of Judah.³³‘Now, their blood is on his head and on the head of his offspring throughout the ages! But upon David, his offspring, and his house and throne, may there be peace from Jehovah throughout the ages.’³⁴So BenaiJah son of JehoiAda went back and killed him, and then he converted his house in the desert into his tomb.³⁵Well thereafter, the king appointed BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to be the commander-in-chief of his army, and his kingship became firm in JeruSalem.As for ZaDok the Priest, the king appointed him as the High Priest in place of AbiAthar.So, Solomon son of David started reigning over both IsraEl and Judah from JeruSalem, and Jehovah gave Solomon as much wisdom, understanding, and greatness of heart as there’s sand on the seashore! For the wisdom of Solomon was greater than that of all the ancient peoples, and it was far greater than the wise men of Egypt.³⁶Then the king called for Semei and said this to him:‘You may build yourself a house in JeruSalem and live there… However, you must not leave it!³⁷‘For I want you to know that on the day you cross the Cedar (Kidron) Valley, you’re going to die and your blood will be on your own head!’³⁸And Semei said to the king:‘What you’ve said is good, O my lord the king… And that’s what your servant will do.’Then the king made him swear an oath to this.So Semei lived in JeruSalem for the next 3 years. ³⁹But after the three years, two of his slaves ran away (to Anchus son of MaAcha, the king of Geth)... And when Semei was told that his slaves were in Geth, ⁴⁰he saddled his burros and went to Anchus in Geth to bring his slaves back!⁴¹But when Solomon was told that Semei had left JeruSalem and gone to Geth to bring back his slaves, ⁴²the king sent for Semei and said to him:‘Didn’t you swear by Jehovah, and didn’t I warn you that if you left JeruSalem (whether to the right or to the left) you will surely die?⁴³‘So, why haven’t you kept your oath to Jehovah and followed the instructions that I gave you?’⁴⁴Then the king told Semei:‘In your heart you know of all the bad things you’ve done, and of the bad things that you did to my father David!‘So now, Jehovah is bringing your badness down upon your own head, ⁴⁵while King Solomon will be blest and the throne of David will be established before Jehovah throughout the ages.’⁴⁶Then Solomon commanded BenaiJah son of JehoiAda to take him out and kill him.

¹Well, under Solomon, the kingdom was united.Then Solomon contracted a marriage with PharaOh, the king of Egypt... He took PharaOh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David. He did this after he’d finished building his palace, the Temple of Jehovah, and after building the wall around JeruSalem.²Now, before the Temple was built, the people had been burning incense [to Jehovah] in the high places. ³And since Solomon loved Jehovah (and because he was following the orders of his father David), he also offered his sacrifices and burned incense there.⁴So Solomon then got up and went to offer sacrifices at GibeOn (since that was the highest place at the time). There he had 1,000 whole burnt offerings placed on the Altar.⁵And then the Lord appeared to Solomon while he was sleeping that night, and said to him:‘Solomon,‘Ask for whatever you wish for yourself.’⁶So Solomon replied:‘You’ve shown great mercy to your servant, my father David, and he walked with You in truth, justice, and with a pure heart... Then You guarded him and showed him great mercy by allowing his son, to sit upon his throne, which has come true today.⁷‘And now, O Jehovah my God; although You have appointed Your servant in place of my father David, I’m still just a boy that doesn’t know when to enter or when to leave!⁸‘Yet Your servant [now rules] in the midst of this mighty [nation] that You’ve chosen, which has [so many people] that they can’t be counted... ⁹Therefore, please give your servant a heart to listen so as to make [wise] decisions for Your people in justice, and to recognize the difference between what’s good and what’s bad.‘For, who could possibly bear the weight of such judgments?’¹⁰Well, this thing that Solomon asked of Jehovah was pleasing to Him, ¹¹so He replied:‘Because you’ve asked this thing from Me and you didn’t ask for a long life, or for wealth, or for the lives of your enemies, and all you asked for yourself is the understanding to judge righteously... ¹²{Look!} I’ve done what you asked!‘{Look!} I’m giving you an intelligent and wise heart… There has never been anyone before you, nor will there ever be anyone who shall arise after you who’ll be like you!¹³‘And I’m also giving you the things that you didn’t ask for… Including wealth and glory; for there’s never been a king like you.¹⁴‘And if you’ll do things My way and obey My Commandments and instructions as did your father David, I’ll also grant you a long life.’¹⁵Well, after Solomon awoke, he remembered the dream.So he got up and returned to JeruSalem; and there he went and stood before the Altar that was in front of the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah in Zion. Then he sacrificed whole burnt offerings and peace offerings, and he held a great banquet for himself and for all his servants.¹⁶It was sometime later that two women who were prostitutes came to stand before the king for a [judgment].¹⁷One of the women said:‘Hear me, my lord!‘This woman and I both live in the same house and we both gave birth to [sons] there... ¹⁸It was three days after I gave birth that this woman also gave birth in the same place while no one else was around… There was just the two of us in the house.¹⁹‘Then this woman’s son died during the night when she rolled over on top of him! ²⁰So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my arms and put him to her breasts; then she took her son who’d died and laid him at my breasts!²¹‘Well, when I got up in the morning to nurse my son, I saw the one who had died... But I studied him, and then I realized that this wasn’t my son to whom I’d given birth.’²²But then the other woman shouted:‘That isn’t true!‘The living one is my son, and the dead one is hers!’²³Then the king said to her:‘So you’re saying that the living son is yours, and the dead one is hers... And she’s saying that isn’t true; hers is the living son, and yours is the one who’s dead.’²⁴Then the king said:‘Now, bring me a sword!’And they brought him a sword.²⁵Then he said:‘Cut this living, nursing child in halves, and give half to this one and the other half to that one.’²⁶Well, the real mother of the living son spoke to the king, because she was disturbed to the womb about what was going to happen to her son!So she said:‘Hear me, O lord!‘Give the child to her… Don’t kill him!’But the other [woman] said:‘May he be neither mine nor hers…‘Cut him in two!’²⁷Then the king said:‘I’m giving the child to the woman who said, ‘Give it to her, don’t kill him,’ because she’s his mother.’²⁸Well, all IsraEl soon came to hear of this decision of the king, and they were in fear whenever they were in his presence! For they knew that the intelligence of God was in him, and that justice would prevail.

¹Back when King Solomon was reigning in IsraEl, ²these are the men who were with him and that were in charge:• AzariAh (son of ZaDok) was the [High] Priest.³• EliAm and AhiJah (the sons of Saba) were his scribes.• JehoShaphat (the son AchiLud) was the recorder.⁴• BenaiJah (son of JehoiAda) was the commander-in-chief of the army.• ZaDok and AbiAthar were the Priests.⁵• AzariAh (son of Nathan) directed his staff.• ZaboUth (son of Nathan) was the king’s right-hand man.⁶• AciSar was his manager.• EliAb (son of Saph) was over his family.• AdoniRam (son of AphDon) was in charge of the tributes.⁷So Solomon assigned 12 men over all IsraEl to handle matters for him and his house.⁸Then there were others who were assigned to [bring the things that Solomon required] for just 1 month each year, and these are their names:• The son of Or was responsible in the mountains of Ephraim.⁹• The son of DaKar was responsible in MachEmas, SalaBin, BethSamus, AiLon, and BethAnan.¹⁰• The son of Esdi was responsible in ArabOth, SochOth, and all the land of Opher.¹¹• The son of AmiNadab (who was married to Solomon’s daughter) was responsible in all of NephthaDor and TephAth.¹²• BaAna (son of AchiLouth) was responsible in IthAnak, MegidDo, and over the whole house of San near SesaThan and below EsraE, from BethSan to SebelMaula, to MaEber and Lucam.¹³• The son of Gaber from GileAd was over a piece of measured land around EreGaba (which is in BaShan) and which included 60 great walled cities that were [protected by] bronze bars.¹⁴• AchiNadab (son of SadDo) was responsible in MaAnaim.¹⁵• AchimaAs (who was married to Solomon’s daughter BasEmath) was responsible in [the land of] NaphTali.¹⁶• BaAnah (son of HushAi) was in charge of BaAlOth and [the land of] Asher.¹⁷• JehoShaphat (son of ParuAh) was responsible in [the land of] IsSachar.¹⁸• Shemei (son of ElAh) was responsible in [the land of] BenJamin.¹⁹• Gaber (son of AdAi) was responsible in the land of GileAd, [the land of] King SeOn of HeshBon, [the land of] King Og of BaShan, and [the land of] NaSeb (in the land of Judah).²⁰Now, Judah and IsraEl had grown so large that [their people] were as the sands of the seas in number, and they all ate, drank, and rejoiced; ²¹for Solomon was the ruler in all their kingdoms from the river in the land of the Philistines to the borders of Egypt.They also brought Solomon many gifts, and they served him throughout all the days of his life.²²These are the things that Solomon required at his table each day:• 200 bushels of fine flour, • 400 bushels of beaten flour, ²³• 10 choice calves, • 20 grass-fed oxen, • 100 sheep, plus • Well-fed male and female antelope.²⁴Solomon was also the ruler of all the land on the [east] side of the [JorDan], and there was peace throughout the whole country. ²⁵[So, during all the days of Solomon, the people] in Judah and IsraEl (from Dan to BeerSheba) harvested their own grapevines and [lived] under their own fig trees.²⁶During his lifetime, Solomon had gathered some 40,000 breeding horses for his chariots and 12,000 more for his cavalry.²⁷Those whom he put in charge brought the required things to the king’s table (each one in his own month) did just as they were told and they didn’t change a word... ²⁸They brought barley and hay for the horses, and they took the chariots wherever the king needed them and arranged for them to be.²⁹Well, Jehovah gave intelligence and great wisdom to Solomon, and it kept growing in his heart like the sands of the seas! ³⁰Solomon’s intelligence grew greater than that of all the men of ancient times, including all the wise men of Egypt… ³¹His understanding was greater than everyone, so he was wiser than GaitThan the Zarite, or AiNan, or ChalKal, or DarDa (the sons of Mal).³²[During his lifetime], Solomon spoke 3,000 parables and he [wrote] 5,000 songs!³³He spoke of the cedars of Lebanon, of the hyssop, and of [plants that grow] through walls. He spoke about cattle, flying creatures, things that crawl, and about things that live in the water… ³⁴And people from everywhere on the earth would come to hear the wisdom of Solomon.Also, all their kings, when they heard of his wisdom, would bring him gifts.

¹Then King HiRam [I] of Tyre sent his servants to anoint Solomon in place of his father David; for HiRam loved David throughout his whole life.²And Solomon sent [a message] to HiRam, saying:³‘You know that my father David was unable to build a Temple to the Name of my God Jehovah, because he was fighting the wars that were going on around him, until Jehovah finally put his enemies under the soles of his feet.⁴‘And now, my God Jehovah has provided rest for me all around [my land], for there are no more plotters or wicked people anywhere near me... ⁵So now I’m talking about building a Temple to the Name of my God who once said to my father David:‘Your son whom I’ll put on your throne after you will build a Temple to My Name.’⁶‘Therefore, please have your men cut some timber for me from the trees in Lebanon, and I’ll pay whatever you ask for their wages... {Look!} I’ll also send my servants to go with your servants; for no one understands timber cutting better than the Sidonians!’⁷Well, when HiRam received Solomon’s message, he was overjoyed and said:‘May the God who gave David such an intelligent son to rule over this great people be praised today!’⁸So he sent [a message] to Solomon replying:‘I’ve heard everything that you asked of me, and I’ll send all the pine and cedar lumber that you’ve requested! ⁹My servants will cut it in Lebanon then carry it to the sea and haul it all on barges to wherever you tell me to drop it off… You can carry it on from there.‘All I ask from you in return, is that you send me some loaves of bread for my house.’¹⁰So HiRam gave Solomon all the cedars and pines that he wanted, ¹¹and Solomon sent HiRam 130,000 bushels of wheat and 120,000 gallons (450,000l) of beaten olive oil for his house.In fact, he sent that amount to HiRam every year after that!¹²Well, Jehovah gave Solomon all the wisdom that he’d asked for, and there was peace between HiRam and Solomon, for they’d concluded a treaty between themselves. ¹³And the king sent him (as a tribute from all IsraEl) 30,000 men… ¹⁴He would send 10,000 of them to Lebanon each month in rotation, and they’d thereafter spend a month in Lebanon and 2 months at home.AdoniRam was the person whom he’d put in charge of this tribute.¹⁵Meanwhile, Solomon had 70,000 laborers and 80,000 stonecutters [working] in the mountains... ¹⁶And in addition to those whom Solomon placed in charge of his construction project, he had 3,600 supervisors on the job, ¹⁷whom the king had instructed to set huge, valuable stone blocks in place as the foundations for the building.¹⁸Also, the sons of Solomon and HiRam [were in charge of] assembling everything after all the blocks and timbers had been cut (which took three years).

¹It was 400 and [80] years after the sons of IsraEl had left Egypt (in the 4th year and 2nd month of King Solomon’s reign over IsraEl) that the Temple of Jehovah [began construction].²It was [going to be]:• 90 feet (27.4m) long, • 30 feet (9.1m) wide, and • 30 feet (9.1m) tall.³The Temple had a columned front entryway that was about 30 feet (9.1m) deep and it was as wide as the building.⁴There was also a window in the Temple that was hidden, because it leaned inward... ⁵And there was an eve along [the top] of the wall that ran all the way around the Temple Sanctuary to the entryway.He then built side [rooms] around the structure.⁶The lowest [part of the] side [room] was 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) wide, the one in the middle was 9 feet (2.75m) wide, and the one at the [top] was 10-1/2 feet (3.2m) wide... He built the rooms around the Temple on the outside, so they wouldn’t touch the Temple walls.⁷The Temple was constructed from rough-chiseled stone; for the sound of hammers, axes, and other metal tools wasn’t to be heard during its construction.⁸There was a vestibule that was attached to the right side of the bottom room of the building, which had a winding stairway in the middle that led up to the third story.⁹Then, after the [exterior] was built, Solomon had the [interior walls] covered with cedar [panels]. ¹⁰He also built the interior chamber in the middle of the Temple, which stood 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) high, and it was held together with cedar beams.¹¹Thereafter, Jehovah sent word to Solomon, saying:¹²‘Regarding this Temple that you’re building for Me... If you’ll follow My instructions and decisions, and obey all My Commandments, the thing that I said to your father David will prove true; ¹³I will camp in the midst of the sons of IsraEl, and I won’t abandon My people IsraEl.’¹⁴Well after that, Solomon went on to finish the Temple.¹⁵He covered all its interior walls with cedar panels, from its floors to its beams. It was vaulted with timbers on the inside, and the walls were ribbed with pine.¹⁶So inside, the measurement from the floor to the ceiling beams was 30 feet (9.1m). And inside the entryway, he built the Holy of Holies.¹⁷However, the Temple Sanctuary itself was 60 feet (18.3m) in front of the entrance.¹⁸Now, the interior cedar panels were all carved with decorations of gourds and spread leaves, and none of the stonework could be seen from the inside.¹⁹Also, [they made] the entrance within in the center of the Temple, to make a place to hold the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah. ²⁰That room was 30 feet (9.1m) long, 30 feet (9.1m) wide, and 30 feet (9.1m) tall, and it was totally enclosed and covered in gold.²¹Then he built an Altar in front of the entrance and he covered it with gold. ²²In fact, by the time of its completion, the whole Temple [interior] was covered with gold!²³He also made two wooden cherubs of cypress, which he placed in the entrance. These stood 15 feet (4.6m) tall, ²⁴each of their wings were 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) long, and the distance from wing-tip to wing-tip was 15 feet (4.5m). ²⁵Both of these cherubs were the same size.²⁶He [also made] a 17-foot (5.2m) tall cherub, along with a second one, and he placed these in the innermost part of the Temple. ²⁷They too had spread wings that touched each other and ran to the walls on either side of the building’s interior.²⁸These cherubs were also covered in gold, ²⁹and the walls around the Temple were engraved with cherubs and palms… Both the innermost and outermost portions. ³⁰And he even covered the floors of the whole building with gold… Both the innermost portions and the outermost portions.³¹For the entrance doorway, he made doors of juniper wood. Now, there were [a total of] 5 doorways... ³²Two of the doors were made of pines that were carved with cherubs and palms, panels that could open and spread out. And everything was covered with gold, including the engraved cherubs and palms.³³The Temple Sanctuary vestibule had juniper doorposts and 4 columns. ³⁴Both of the doors were made of pine, and they were hinged into a bi-fold configuration. ³⁵They also had panels that were carved with cherubs and palm leaves, and then they were entirely covered in gold.³⁶Thereafter, [Solomon] built the inner courtyard... It had three rows of uncut stones who were surrounded by cedar posts.³⁷So, it was in the 4th year [of his reign], during the month of Ziv, that the Temple foundation was laid... ³⁸And it was in the 11th year and the 8th month (Bul) that the Temple was finally completed per [Solomon’s] instructions and design.So he took 7 years to build it.

¹Then over the next 13 years, Solomon finished building his palace, ²which was also constructed of wood from the forests of Lebanon.It was:• 150 feet (45.7m) long, • 75 feet (22.8m) wide, • 40 feet (12.2m) tall, and • It had 4 rows of cedar columns that ran up to cedar rafters.³The whole building was decorated with latticework on the upper parts of the columns, and there were 45 columns in rows of fives and tens. ⁴There were also three windows on each of three sides, to provide lighting, ⁵and the windows and doorways were four-cornered, with arches over the three doorways.⁶The palace had a columned entryway that was 75 feet (22.8m) long and 40 feet (12.2m) wide, which had a porch in front with columns and thick beams.⁷This was where [Solomon’s] throne was located and where he did his judging. There was a [special] columned porch for his judgment seat, ⁸and then there was a courtyard in front of the place where he sat, which could be expanded whenever needed.He also built a house for the daughter of PharaOh whom he’d taken as his woman, which looked a lot like his columned porch.⁹Everything was constructed of valuable stones that had been chiseled at intervals on the insides (from the foundations to the windows) and on the outsides, up to the great courtyard.¹⁰The foundation was constructed of valuable stones that were each 12 feet (3.65m) by 15 feet (4.6m) wide, ¹¹and the roof was made of valuable stones of the same size, which were mounted over cedar beams.¹²In addition, there was also a large courtyard that was circled by three rows of uncut stones and a row of carved cedar posts... It was built much like the courtyard and the columned porch at the Temple of Jehovah.¹³Solomon had called for HiRam at Tyre ¹⁴(who was a widow’s son from the tribe of NaphTali and his father was a Tyranian man); for he was gifted when it came to working bronze (as well as at other crafts), and he was filled with knowledge on how to do all sorts of metalwork.So he was brought to King Solomon, because he was able to do everything that needed to be done.¹⁵It was [HiRam] who smelted and cast the two columns for the Temple’s columned porch. They were both 24 feet (7.3m) tall, 18 feet (5.5m) in circumference, and grooved to a depth of 4 fingers.¹⁶He also molded two bronze capitals for the tops of the columns that were each 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) tall. ¹⁷Then he made bronze decorations for each capital, ¹⁸which consisted of rows of hanging pomegranates, ¹⁹and the top of each column was shaped like a lily.Thereafter, he finished off the columns for the porch with a ridge that ran between the capitals. It was 6 feet (1.8m) wide ²⁰and it was covered with 200 rows of pomegranates.²¹He then erected these columns at the columned porch of the Temple Sanctuary, and he named one column JaKin, and the other BoAz.²²He also topped [the rest of] the columns with [bronze] lilies. And with that, he finally finished his work on the columns.²³Next, he cast the [Sacred] Sea.It was round and 15 feet (4.6m) wide from rim to rim. It was 7-1/2 feet (2.3m) tall and [about] 45 feet (13.7m) in circumference. ²⁴The base beneath it was 15 feet (4.6m) wide, and it was made of 2 rows of supports that were cast in a foundry furnace.²⁵The Sea itself was supported by 12 metal oxen, three of which faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east... The Sea was then placed on top of them, ²⁶and of course, all the posteriors faced inward. The middle of the Sea was shaped like a palm, but its rim was like that of a cup, with lily buds around the top.It had a capacity of about 1,100 gallons (4,100l).²⁷Then [HiRam] made 10 bronze carts.They were each 6 feet (1.8m) long, 6 feet (1.8m) wide, and 4-1/2 feet (1.4m) tall. ²⁸The carts were made of panels that were joined into frames ²⁹that were [engraved with] lions, oxen, and cherubs. In fact, lions, oxen, and cherubs covered all parts of the carts, including their bases.³⁰Each of the carts had 4 bronze wheels, and all their fastenings were made of brass. Then, coming up from the base were 4 supports that held the washtubs, each of which were 20 inches (50cm) long. ³¹[The tub supports] were round, 2 feet (60cm) wide at the top, and they were covered with engravings.However, the 4 supports were rectangular, not round.³²There were bronze wheels mounted at the base of the supports, and the wheels each had spokes that were 2 feet long… ³³In fact, they looked like chariot wheels. And all the spokes were joined to cast axels.³⁴There were supports that stuck out at the corners of each of the cart’s bases as handles, ³⁵and they were mounted along the top of each base. They were 9 inches (23cm) around and stood high enough [to serve as] handholds.³⁶All these connecting parts [were carved] with cherubs, lions, and palms that were standing next to each other on the front, on the inside, and all around. ³⁷He made all 10 carts exactly alike and to the same dimensions.³⁸Then he made the 10 bronze washtubs.They each held 230 gallons (870l) [of water], and they were 8 feet (2.4m) long. Each of the washtubs was then mounted on a cart. ³⁹5 were placed on the Temple’s right side, and the other 5 on its left side.The [Sacred] Sea was placed to the right of the Temple, on its southeast corner.⁴⁰Next, HiRam made the cooking pots, the tongs, and the bowls.⁴¹And soon he’d completed making all the things for King Solomon at the Temple of Jehovah… The two columns, the twisted decorations that were put on the capitals of the two columns, the carvings for the tops of the columns, ⁴²and the pomegranates (400 of which were used as decorations).Two rows of [pomegranates] were put on each column, and the rest were used as decorations ⁴³for the carts, the metal washtubs that were mounted on them, and their axels, rims, and spokes, as well as for ⁴⁴the [Sacred] Sea and its 12 oxen that supported it, ⁴⁵and for the cooking pots, tongs, and bowls.He [personally] made all these things for King Solomon and for the Temple of Jehovah.Altogether, he [decorated] 48 columns for the palace of the king and for the Temple of Jehovah. And everything that HiRam made for the king was entirely of bronze.⁴⁶He did all his casting near the JorDan River, underground, in a place that was located between SokChoth and ZarEthan. ⁴⁷Solomon already had all the materials stored away, since he’d received so much bronze.⁴⁸Then Solomon went on to make the rest of the items [used] in the Temple of Jehovah… The gold Altar, the gold table for the showbread, ⁴⁹the solid-gold lampstands that were placed at the entrance (5 on the right side and 5 on the left side), as well as their gold bowls, lamps, and oil funnels, ⁵⁰plus the gold thresholds, fasteners, bowls, saucers, and incense pans.The doorways for the Temple’s doors to the innermost [room] (the Holy of Holies) and the doors of the Temple’s Inner Sanctuary were [both covered with] gold.⁵¹So, Solomon finally finished all his work for Jehovah’s Temple.Then he carried in all of his father David’s holy things, plus all of his own holy things, including much silver and gold, and other things for the treasury of the Temple of Jehovah.

¹Thereafter, King Solomon held a meeting of all the elders of IsraEl there on [Mount] Zion, to talk about bringing the Chest of the Sacred Agreement of Jehovah out of the city of David (which was on Mount Zion).²This was in the month of Athanim (the 7th month), and because it was a holiday, all the elders of IsraEl were already there.³Then the Priests removed the Chest ⁴from the Tent of Proofs (along with all the holy items that were there), ⁵and the king and all IsraEl stood before the Chest and sacrificed multitudes of oxen and sheep.⁶Thereafter, the Priests carried the Chest and put it into its place inside the Holy of Holies (which was near the entrance of the Temple) under the wings of the cherubs ⁷(for the cherubs had open, spread wings that covered the Chest and the other holy things that were on its lid).⁸And the only parts that stuck out of the Holy [of Holies] were the sacred carrying poles… But even these couldn’t be seen from outside [the Temple].⁹Of course, there was nothing in the Chest except the two stone tablets of the Sacred Agreement that Jehovah made with the sons of IsraEl after they had left the land of Egypt, and which were put there by Moses at the Dry Place (Horeb).¹⁰Well, as the Priests were coming out of the Holy Place, a mist then filled the whole building! ¹¹So the Priests were unable to stand and officiate before the mist, because the glory of Jehovah filled the whole Temple!¹²Then Solomon said this concerning the Temple after he’d completed its construction:‘Jehovah made the sun in the sky, and [yet] said he would live in a dimly-lit place.¹³‘[He said:]‘You [must] build a House for me.’‘[Yes,] a good, brand-new house for you to live in!‘Look! Isn’t this written in the song scroll?’¹⁴Then he turned around, and all IsraEl started praising the king; for the whole gathering of IsraEl was standing there.¹⁵And [the king] said:‘Praise Jehovah, the God of IsraEl, who spoke with His mouth about my father David, and that filled his hands, saying:‘From the day that I led My people IsraEl out of Egypt, I had never chosen a city [for Myself] in one of the chiefdoms of IsraEl where a Temple would be built to My Name. ¹⁶But now, I’ve chosen JeruSalem as the place to put My Name, and I’ve chosen David to lead My people IsraEl.’¹⁷And that’s why the heart of my father David was moved to build a Temple to the Name of Jehovah, the God of IsraEl.¹⁸‘Then the Lord said to my father David:‘Because your heart was moved to build a Temple to My Name, you’ve done a good thing, since it came from your heart! ¹⁹However, you may not personally build the Temple… It will be built by a son who comes from you.’‘He will build the Temple to My Name.’²⁰‘So Jehovah caused these things that He spoke of, to happen. I replaced my father David and sat down on the throne of IsraEl, just as Jehovah said...‘And now I’ve built the Temple to the Name of the Lord God of IsraEl.²¹‘I’ve also created a place for the Chest that contains the Sacred Agreement that Jehovah made with our ancestors when He led them out of the land of Egypt.’²²Then Solomon stood before the Altar of Jehovah, there in front of the whole gathering of IsraEl, and he raised his arms towards heaven, ²³and said:‘O Jehovah, God of IsraEl,‘There are no gods in the skies above or on the earth below who are like You.‘For You’ve kept Your promise and shown mercy to Your servant… The one who’s walked before You with his whole heart, Your servant David, my father.²⁴‘You spoke to him with Your mouth, and with Your hands, You’ve fulfilled what [You promised to him].²⁵‘And now, O Jehovah, God of IsraEl,‘Keep [the promise] that You made with my father David when You said:‘There will always be a man who sits before Me on the throne of IsraEl for as long as your children continue to follow Me the same as you have followed Me.’²⁶‘So now, O Jehovah, God of IsraEl,‘May the words that You said to my father David prove to be true.²⁷‘However, will You really live on the earth with men, when the heavens of the heavens can’t contain You? Therefore, how can this Temple that I built to Your Name expect to do so?²⁸‘Please listen to my prayer, O Jehovah, God of IsraEl… Hear the prayer that Your servant is praying before You today!²⁹‘May Your eyes watch over this Temple both day and night... For it’s the place where You said that You’d put Your Name.‘Then from Your home in the heavens, please listen to the prayers that Your servants will pray in this place both day and night, ³⁰and provide the things for which Your servant and all Your people IsraEl will ask when they pray here…‘Answer them and provide!³¹‘And if they should sin against their neighbors by vowing an oath to curse them, and then they come and openly confess such a thing before Your Altar in this Temple, ³²may You listen from the heavens and act… Judge Your people IsraEl!‘Declare the lawless one lawlessness and bring his [evil] ways down upon his own head; but, give justice to the righteous… Treat the righteous with righteousness!³³‘And when Your people IsraEl sin against You; may they fall before their enemies until they return and acknowledge Your Name, and then pray and beg before You in this Temple.³⁴‘Please listen to them from the heavens and forgive the sins of Your people IsraEl, and return them to this land that You gave to their ancestors.³⁵‘And when You hold back the sky and don’t allow rain to fall because of their sins against You, and then they come to pray in this place and acknowledge Your Name and turn away from their sins after You’ve humbled them...³⁶‘Please listen from the heavens and forgive the sins of Your servants… Your people IsraEl. Show them a better way to act, and then provide rain for this land that You’ve given to Your people as their inheritance.³⁷‘And if there should be a famine, a plague, a fire, an infestation of locusts, or a blight [on the crops], or if an enemy should come against one of our cities (no matter what the event or misery)...‘May all the prayers and supplications of every man be heard, so that You’ll come to know the pain in their hearts.³⁸‘And whenever a man spreads out his arms in this ³⁹Temple that’s been prepared for You; may You hear him from the heavens, forgive him, and act.‘Give each man what he deserves according to the way that he behaves; for, only You can know what’s really in their hearts.‘Yes, You alone know what’s in the hearts of all the sons of men. ⁴⁰So, they should fear You all the days of their lives that they spend on this land that You’ve given to our ancestors.⁴¹‘And as for the aliens who are not from Your people...⁴²‘When they come to this place that’s been prepared as Your Home to pray, ⁴³please listen to them from the heavens and do everything that they ask, so that all the people on the earth will know Your Name and come to fear You…‘Just as Your people IsraEl should know that Your Name has been called upon this Temple that I built.⁴⁴‘And if Your people must go to war against their enemies (following Your directions), and if they pray in the Name of the Lord in this city that You’ve chosen and in this Temple that I’ve built to Your Name... ⁴⁵Please listen to their prayers and supplications from heaven and bring them justice.⁴⁶‘And when they sin against You (for there’s no man who doesn’t sin) and You hand them over to their enemies who thereafter carry them away as captives into a land that’s nearby or far away;⁴⁷‘And if, in the land where they are, they turn back and start begging for Your [help], saying:‘We have sinned; we have done wrong; we have acted lawlessly!’⁴⁸‘And they turn back to You with their whole hearts and souls – there in the land of their enemies who took them there, and pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their ancestors, to the city that You’ve chosen, and to the Temple that I built to Your Name... ⁴⁹Please listen from the heavens and from the home that has been prepared for You.⁵⁰‘Forgive the wrongs that they did when they sinned against You, and for the wicked ways in which they’ve disregarded You, then give compassion to the ones who took them as captives so they’ll pity them.⁵¹‘For they’re Your people and Your inheritance… They’re the ones whom You led out of the land of Egypt and from the midst of that iron-foundry furnace.⁵²‘May Your eyes and Your ears [always] be open to the cries of Your servants and to the pleas of Your people, IsraEl.‘Please listen to them, no matter why they’re calling to You... ⁵³Because, You’ve drawn them and set them apart for Yourself as an inheritance from among all the peoples of the earth, and You spoke to them through Your servant Moses when You led our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, O Lord Jehovah.’⁵⁴And after Solomon finished his prayer and his requests to Jehovah, he stood up before the Altar of Jehovah (because he’d been kneeling before it), then he raised his arms towards heaven ⁵⁵and he blest the whole assembly of IsraEl in a loud voice, saying:⁵⁶‘Praise Jehovah, for He’s brought rest to His people IsraEl today, just as He promised among all the many things that He said. For, not a word of the many things that He said through His servants has failed to come true!⁵⁷‘May Jehovah our God be with us, as He’s been with our ancestors.‘May He not abandon us or turn from us.⁵⁸‘May He move our hearts towards Him, so we’ll follow in all His ways and keep the Commandments and orders that He gave to our ancestors.⁵⁹‘And may all the things that I’ve begged for here before Jehovah our God come true today!‘May they be heard by Jehovah our God day and night, and may He always do the right thing for His servant and for His people IsraEl, day in and day out, ⁶⁰so that all the people on the earth will come to know that Jehovah is The God, and that there is no other!⁶¹‘May our hearts become perfect to Jehovah our God, and may we follow His orders and keep His Commandments in holiness, as we are doing today.’⁶²Then the king and all the sons of IsraEl offered sacrifices before Jehovah.⁶³King Solomon offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep as a peace offering to Jehovah.Then the king inaugurated the Temple of Jehovah before all the sons of IsraEl.⁶⁴On that holy day, the king stood in the middle of the courtyard (in front of the Temple of Jehovah) and prepared whole burnt offerings as sacrifices. He offered the fat of the peace offerings there, since the bronze Altar that was before Jehovah was just too small and it couldn’t handle all the whole burnt-offerings, gift offerings, and peace-offering sacrifices.⁶⁵Thereafter, Solomon held a holiday feast that was attended by all in IsraEl.It was a huge gathering, for people had come from as far away as HaMath and the [Nile] River to stand before Jehovah God at the Temple that [Solomon] had built.They ate, drank, and rejoiced before Jehovah their God for 7 days!⁶⁶Then on the 8th day, [Solomon] sent the people away, and they offered ages of blessings to the king as they left... So they all returned to their tents rejoicing over all the good things that Jehovah had done for His servant David and for His people IsraEl.

¹Well, after Solomon had finished building the Temple of Jehovah, his own palace, and all the other things that he wanted to do, ²the Lord appeared to him a second time (like He had appeared to him in GibeOn) ³and said to him:‘I heard what you said in your prayer, and of the things that you asked and begged of Me. So, I’ve now done everything that you asked for in your prayer… I’ve made this Temple (which you built to [honor] My Name) holy throughout the ages, and I’ll [always] watch over it and keep it in My heart.⁴‘And if you’ll continue to follow Me uprightly with holiness in your heart like your father David did, and do everything that I told him to do –following My orders and Commandments– ⁵I’ll lift the throne of your kingdom over IsraEl throughout the ages, as I promised to your father.‘For I told him:‘There will always be a man [descended from you] to lead IsraEl.’⁶‘However, if you or your descendants should turn away from Me and fail to keep My Commandments and orders that Moses set before you, and you then go and serve other gods and bow before them... ⁷I’ll remove IsraEl from the land that I’ve given to them, and I’ll turn My face away from this Temple that I’ve made holy to My Name!‘Then IsraEl will become extinct and a topic of discussion among all the people!⁸‘And everyone who passes this lofty Temple will be amazed and whistle, asking:‘Why did Jehovah do such a thing to this land and to this Temple?’⁹‘And they’ll be told:‘Because they abandoned their God – the God of their ancestors, Jehovah – who led them out of the house of slavery in Egypt!‘Then they took hold of alien gods, and bowed before them and served them… This is why Jehovah brought all these bad things upon them!’¹⁰Well, this all took place some 20 years after Solomon had [started] construction of the two houses – the Temple of Jehovah and the palace of the king.¹¹King HiRam of Tyre had helped Solomon by providing the cedar and pine boards, [some of] the gold, and everything else [that Solomon had asked for]. So King Solomon gave HiRam 20 cities in the land of Galilee. ¹²But when HiRam traveled from Tyre to Galilee to look at the cities that Solomon had given to him, he wasn’t pleased with them.¹³And he asked:‘What kind of cities have you given to your brother?’So from then on, he just referred to them as ‘the border lands.’¹⁴Now, HiRam had sent Solomon 4-1/2 tons (4,000kg) of gold ¹⁵that he’d plundered for the construction of the Temple of Jehovah, the king’s palace, the walls around JeruSalem (to fortify the city of David), as well as the cities of MegidDo and GeZer.¹⁶Also, after PharaOh, the king of Egypt, took GeZer (he burned it and killed all the CanaAnites who lived in the city), he then gave it to Solomon as a dowry for his daughter when he gave her to Solomon.¹⁷Thereafter, Solomon rebuilt GeZer, ¹⁸as well as Lower BethHoron, BaAlAth, and TadMor (which is in the desert). ¹⁹He also built many other fortified cities, as well as forts for his chariots and cavalry; and he had many other construction projects in JeruSalem, Lebanon, and throughout all the land that he ruled.²⁰However, the Hittites, Amorites, Pherezites, CanaAnites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Gergesites (all those who weren’t sons of IsraEl) ²¹and their children remained in the land, because the sons of IsraEl weren’t able to wipe them out; so, Solomon forced them to pay a tribute to him, which they’ve continued to do down to this day.²²And many of these non-IsraElites served Solomon as soldiers and as lieutenants over his chariots and cavalry. ²³Also, many of them (some 550 of them) were put in charge over Solomon’s construction projects and they supervised the people who were doing the work.²⁴The daughter of PharaOh didn’t actually live in the city of David, for she lived in a house that Solomon had built for her.And thereafter, he built MilLo.²⁵Well, three times each year, Solomon would sacrifice whole burnt offerings and peace offerings on the Altar that he’d built to Jehovah. He also burned incense upon it there before Jehovah, until he had completed the Temple.²⁶Then King Solomon built a ship at GeBer (which is next to the seaport of ElAth on the border of Edom), ²⁷and HiRam sent some of his servants who were mariners and knew the sea [both] to do the rowing and as assistants to the servants of Solomon.²⁸Then they [attacked] SopheRam and brought back gold to King Solomon – some 16 tons (14,500kg) of it!

¹Well, the Queen of SheBa had heard of Solomon’s fame and of the Name Jehovah; so, she came to test him with problems.²When she came to JeruSalem, she brought a very large contingent [of servants], as well as camels that were carrying spices, a huge amount of gold, and many valuable gems.Then she went to King Solomon and spoke to him about all the things that were in her heart... ³And Solomon answered all her questions… He didn’t overlook a thing, but explained everything to her!⁴And when the Queen of SheBa saw how knowledgeable Solomon was and the palace that he’d built, ⁵as well as all the food that he had, the ways that his servants were assigned, the jobs that his officials were given, how they were dressed, and all of his wine servers and the whole burnt offerings that he sacrificed at the Temple of Jehovah... She was beside herself!⁶Then she said to King Solomon:‘Everything that I’ve heard about you in my land and about your knowledge is true! ⁷I had to come here, because I didn’t believe the things that I was being told.‘However, I’ve found that it’s all beyond what was reported in my land!⁸‘Your wives and servants are blest to be able to stand before you all the time and listen to your wisdom. ⁹And your God Jehovah, who chose you and put you on the throne of IsraEl, must love IsraEl and [plan to] watch over it throughout the ages, since He’s the One who set you as king over them and to righteously hear and judge their cases.’¹⁰Then she gave Solomon 1-1/2 tons (1,300kg) of gold, a huge amount of spices, and many precious gems... Never before had anyone brought so many spices as those that the Queen of SheBa brought to King Solomon.¹¹Thereafter, HiRam also sent a ship carrying gold from Ophir, as well as cut lumber and valuable stones. ¹²The king then used this timber to fortify the Temple of Jehovah and the king’s palace, and to make stringed instruments and lutes for the musicians.Never before had such wood been seen in the land (or anywhere else, for that matter).¹³Then King Solomon gave the Queen of SheBa everything that she asked for and desired… In addition to all the other gifts that King Solomon gave to her.And thereafter, she returned to her land with all her servants.¹⁴Well, the weight of the gold that came to Solomon that year was about 32 tons (29,000kg)… ¹⁵Which didn’t include the tributes that the people or the merchants brought, or that which was brought by kings on the other side of the JorDan or from the governors of the land.¹⁶Thereafter, King Solomon had 300 spears made from hammered gold, each of which was made from 600 gold coins. ¹⁷And he also had 300 small shields made of hammered gold that was equal to the weight of three large gold coins.Then the king had them all mounted in his Palace of the Forests of Lebanon.¹⁸The king also had a huge throne made from ivory that was plated with pure gold, ¹⁹which had 6 stairs that led up to the throne!There were [carved] reliefs of young bulls on its back, and handrails on each side, with [carved] lions standing beside them… ²⁰Plus 12 [more] lions on both sides, next to the six steps.There had never been anything like it in any kingdom!²¹Also, all the [dishes, cups, and bowls] that were used by Solomon were entirely made of gold, as were the bathtubs and vases in the Palace of the Forests of Lebanon.Nothing there was made of silver, because it was too common in the days of Solomon.²²In addition, Solomon owned a ship that sailed the sea from TarShish along with the ships of HiRam [the king of Tyre]. And once every three years, the ship would carry gold, silver, and cut gems to the king.²³So Solomon became greater than all the other kings of the earth in both wealth and in intelligence... ²⁴And all the kings of the earth came to Solomon to hear the wisdom that Jehovah had put into his heart.²⁵Each one brought gifts of silver, gold, clothing, balsam, spices, horses, and mules every year.²⁶Solomon also obtained chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, which he kept in forts throughout the land and with himself in JeruSalem.²⁷The king’s silver was as common as stones in JeruSalem, and his cedars were as common as trees in the plains.²⁸Solomon’s horses were from Egypt and the king’s merchants were from Kue, and they could come out from Kue [and pass through Israel] for a fee. ²⁹So those [traders] who left Egypt [to pass through Israel] would pay [at least]:• 100 large silver coins for each chariot [of goods], and • 50 large silver coins for each horse [carrying goods].So all the Hittite and Syrian kings came out by sea [to avoid paying the fees].

¹King Solomon was also very fond of women, so he took several foreigners as wives, such as the daughter of PharaOh, as well as some:• MoAbites, • AmMonites, • Idumeans, • Sidonians, and • Hittites…²...which Jehovah had forbidden the sons of IsraEl to do!For He said:‘You must not [marry] them and they must not come to you, because they will turn your hearts to their idols.’However, Solomon [was a slave] to love... ³So before long, he’d taken 700 [wives] as well as 300 concubines!These foreign women changed his heart; ⁴they quickly turned his heart to bowing before other gods, and his heart was no longer perfect towards his God Jehovah, as was the heart of his father David.⁵For Solomon started serving Astarte, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Melchom, the disgusting thing of the AmMonites!⁶So Solomon started doing evil things before Jehovah, and he no longer followed he Lord, as did his father David.⁷Then Solomon built high places to Camus (the idol of MoAb) and to Melchom (the idol of the sons of AmMon) on the mountain across from JeruSalem. ⁸And there, all his foreign wives were burning incense and sacrificing to their idols!⁹Of course, this made Jehovah very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned from Jehovah the God of IsraEl, who had actually appeared before him twice, ¹⁰warning him not to serve other gods and to be careful to do everything that the Lord God had told him.¹¹So, the Lord said to Solomon:‘Because you’ve done these things and you haven’t followed My Commandments or the instructions that I gave to you; I will take your kingdom from your hands and rip it in two, then I’ll give it to your servant.¹²‘However, I won’t do this during your lifetime [out of respect for] David your father. Rather, I’ll take it from the hands of your son. ¹³I won’t take your whole kingdom; I’ll leave your son as chief over part of it because of My servant David and because of JeruSalem, the city that I’ve chosen.’¹⁴So, Jehovah sent an enemy against Solomon under Ader (who was from the offspring of the kingdom of the Idumeans). ¹⁵David had wiped out [many of] the Edomites, and when his General JoAb went to [their land] to bury his dead, he also cut down more of their men, ¹⁶because JoAb had stayed there for the next 6 months.Yet, although JoAb had destroyed all the men there, ¹⁷Ader (who was just a small boy then) got away, along with many of his father’s servants, and they headed to Egypt... ¹⁸Then, after the men of Media attacked Pharan, the [people there] also went with him as he was on his way to the PharaOh (the king of Egypt).¹⁹Well, when Ader went to PharaOh, he was given a house, food, and some land, because he was well-liked by PharaOh. He also gave him his sister-in-law as his woman (the older sister of [Queen] ThekeMina), ²⁰and she gave birth to GaneBath, whom ThekeMina raised in her house as one of the sons of PharaOh.²¹But when word reached Ader in Egypt that David had gone to sleep with his ancestors and that JoAb (the commander of his army) had been killed, Ader said to PharaOh:‘Please allow me to return to my country.’²²And PharaOh asked him:‘What have I failed to give you that you now wish to return to your country?’To which Ader replied:‘Not a single thing! But please send me away.’²³Meanwhile, Jehovah had also raised another enemy against [Solomon]: Rezon (son of EliAdah), who had run away from his master HadadEzer, the king of ZoBah.²⁴He then gathered an army and became the ruler of a confederation that captured Damascus, where he settled in and started ruling as king, ²⁵and where he (as the ruler of the land of Edom) remained an enemy to IsraEl during all the days of Solomon.²⁶Then one of Solomon’s servants, JeroBoam (son of NaBat the Ephrathite from SariRa), whose mother was a widow, ²⁷rebelled against King Solomon. This happened after King Solomon had built the Akra (high fort) and after he’d completed the outer wall around the city of his father David.²⁸Now, JeroBoam was a mighty man, and when Solomon noticed that this young man was someone who could get things done, he put him in charge of the tributes from the house of JoSeph.²⁹But one day, as JeroBoam was coming from JeruSalem, he met the prophet AhiJah (the Selonite), who stopped along the road to talk to him.Well at the time, AhiJah was wearing a new cape and they were alone there in the plain. ³⁰Then AhiJah took off the cape that he was wearing and tore it into 12 pieces.³¹And he said to JeroBoam:‘Take 10 of these pieces for yourself, because this is what Jehovah the God of IsraEl said:‘{Look!} I’m ripping the kingdom from the hands of Solomon and giving 10 of its [tribes] to you!³²‘However, two of the [tribes] will remain his because of My servant David and on account of JeruSalem, the city that I’ve chosen from among all the tribes of IsraEl. ³³[I’m doing this] because [Solomon] has abandoned Me and is now making offerings to Astarte, the disgusting thing of the Sidonians, to Camus, the idol of MoAb, and to Melchom, the loathsome thing of the sons of AmMon!‘He is no longer walking in My ways or doing the right things before Me as did his father David.³⁴‘I’m not going to remove the kingdom from him entirely, but I’ll oppose him throughout the rest of the days of his life... It was only because of My servant David that I chose him. ³⁵But now, I’m going to take the kingdom from the hands of his son and give 10 of the [tribes] to you!³⁶‘I will still give his son two [tribes], so that a descendant of My servant David will always stand before Me in JeruSalem, the city where I’ve chosen to put My Name.³⁷‘Now, you may take and rule over whatever your soul desires, for you’ll be the king over IsraEl!³⁸‘And if you’ll watch over all that I’m putting you in charge of, if you’ll walk in My ways and always do the right things before Me, and if you’ll follow My orders and Commandments (as did My servant David)... Then I will build you a house that’s as sure as the one that I built for David!³⁹‘I’m giving you IsraEl, and I will mistreat the offspring of David because of these things [that Solomon is doing]!‘However, I won’t keep on doing this throughout the ages.’⁴⁰Well after that, Solomon started looking for ways to kill JeroBoam… But [JeroBoam] got up and ran away to Egypt (to SusAkim, the king of Egypt), and he stayed there until Solomon died.⁴¹{Look!} The rest of the words of Solomon – all the many things [that he said] and did in his wisdom – have been written about in the scrolls of the sayings of Solomon.⁴²So, Solomon reigned over all IsraEl from JeruSalem for 40 years, ⁴³and then he went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in the city of David his father.⁴⁴And thereafter, his son RehoBoam started reigning in his place.

¹Well, King RehoBoam had gone to Sikima (because that’s where all IsraEl went to coronate him), ²and JeroBoam (son of NaBat) heard about it.At the time, he was still living in Egypt, where he settled after he had to run from Solomon. ³But the people of IsraEl called for him, and JeroBoam came back to them.For the people had spoken to King RehoBoam and told him:⁴‘Your father oppressed us and kept our necks in a yoke!‘So now, lighten the load of our service to you... For your father was a hard taskmaster and he kept us under a heavy load!‘If you’ll do this, we’ll always serve you!’⁵And he replied:‘Give me three days [to think about it]!’So they left.⁶Then King RehoBoam went to the elders who used to stand before his father Solomon while he was alive, and he asked for their advice about what he should say to the people.⁷And they told him:‘If you wish to serve [as king] over these people today, do as they ask, and they’ll always be your servants.’⁸However, he chose not to listen to the advice that the elders had given to him, and he took the advice of some young men whom he’d grown up around and whom he’d selected to be his advisors.⁹So when he asked what they recommended he tell the people who came to him and told him to lighten the neck-yoke that his father had put on them, ¹⁰these young men (who’d grown up with him) said:‘You should tell those people who said that your father put a heavy yoke on them and that you should lighten it:‘My thinnest part is thicker than the hips of my father!¹¹‘Therefore, as my father saddled you to a heavy yoke, I’ll add more weight to it!‘And as my father disciplined you with whips, I’ll discipline you with scorpions!’¹²So when all IsraEl came before King RehoBoam on the 3rd day (the king of IsraEl had told them, ‘Return to me on the 3rd day’), ¹³the king spoke harshly to them and chose not to follow the advice that the older men had given to him.¹⁴Rather, he told them what his young men had told him to say:‘Although my father oppressed you with a neck yoke, I will now add to it!‘And although my father disciplined you with whips, I will discipline you with scorpions!’¹⁵So the king just wouldn’t listen to the people, because Jehovah had moved his heart to allow what He’d said (through the prophet AhiJah the Selonite) concerning JeroBoam (son of NaBat) to come true.¹⁶And when all IsraEl knew that the king wasn’t listening to them, they gave him this reply:‘What do we owe to David?‘We have no inheritance in JesSe’ son [David]!‘So, O IsraEl, run to you tents… Now!‘Let the house of David do its own grazing!’And with that, all IsraEl went back home to their tents.¹⁷Therefore, RehoBoam only ruled over the sons of IsraEl who lived in the cities of Judah after that... [spurious text; what it says is true, but the words are not in our LXX source manuscript]¹⁸Now, when the king sent AdoniRam to collect the tribute from them, all IsraEl stoned him to death… Even King RehoBoam had to get on his chariot and flee to JeruSalem!¹⁹So from that day on, [the 10 tribes of] IsraEl annulled its allegiance to the house of David.²⁰And when [the people of] IsraEl heard that JeroBoam had returned from Egypt, they called for him to come to a meeting, where they gave him the rulership over IsraEl. So they no longer followed the house of David after that… Only the tribes of Judah and BenJamin continued to do so.²¹Well, after RehoBoam got back to JeruSalem, he held a meeting with the armies of Judah and the tribe of BenJamin – 120,000 young warriors – and he talked about going to war with the house of IsraEl so as to return them to the kingdom of RehoBoam, son of Solomon.²²However, Jehovah sent word to His servant ShemaiJah… He told him:²³‘Speak to RehoBoam, son of Solomon, the king of Judah, as well as to the houses of Judah, BenJamin, and the rest of the people, and tell them that ²⁴this is what Jehovah has decreed:‘You must not go to war against your brothers, the sons of IsraEl. Return to your homes, because I’m the One who caused these things to happen.’So they paid attention to words of Jehovah, for they didn’t want to oppose what He said.²⁵Thereafter, JeroBoam built Sikima in the hills of Ephraim and ruled from there, and then he built PenuEl.²⁶But later, JeroBoam said this in his heart:‘{Look!} I’m not going to return the kingdom to the house of David; ²⁷but if I let these people go to offer sacrifices at the Temple of Jehovah in JeruSalem, they’ll soon turn their hearts towards Jehovah and to RehoBoam the king of Judah, and then they’ll kill me!’²⁸So the king held a meeting, and after that, he had two gold heifers made.Then he said to the people:‘I don’t want you going to JeruSalem anymore!‘Look, here are your gods who led you out of the land of Egypt, O IsraEl!’²⁹Then he put one [of the idols] in BethEl, and the other in Dan... ³⁰And because of this sin, the people started worshiping the [idol] that he put in Dan, and they no longer went to the Temple of Jehovah.³¹The king also had temples built on the hilltops, and he appointed priests from among those who weren’t of the sons of Levi.³²Then JeroBoam appointed the 15th day of the 8th month as a holiday, the same as it had been in the land of Judah.Thereafter, he went to BethEl, where he built an altar for [his people] to offer sacrifices to his heifers. And it was there in BethEl that he appointed the priests to be in charge of the high places that he’d created.³³And on the 15th day of the 8th month (which was the holiday that he’d created in his own heart for the sons of IsraEl), he went up to the altar that he’d created to offer some sacrifices.

¹Well at that, {Look!} a man of God came to BethEl from Judah with a message from Jehovah.He climbed on top of the sacrificial altar there ²and shouted these words of the Lord:‘O altar, O altar,‘Hear what Jehovah has said!‘{Look!} In the house of David, a son has been born, Who’s been given the name, JosiAh. Then on these high places, he’ll offer the priests Who now lay the sacrifices upon it; And upon these [same altars], he’ll burn up their bones.’³Then he performed a miracle...He said:‘This is what Jehovah told me:‘{Look!} The altar has now been torn down, And all the fat upon it has spilled [on the ground]!’⁴Well, when King JeroBoam heard what the man of God said as he stood there on the altar in BethEl, he reached out towards the altar and shouted:‘Seize him!’But just as he said that, the hand that he stuck out started to wither, and he wasn’t able to draw it back! ⁵And then the altar miraculously cracked and spilled all the fat that had been placed there, just as the man of God had told them that Jehovah said!⁶So King JeroBoam said to the man of God:‘Go before the face of Jehovah your God and beg Him to return my hand to me!’And the man of God [did speak before] the face of Jehovah, and the king’s hand did return to him, becoming the same as it was before.⁷Well after that, the king said to the man of God:‘Come with me to my palace and dine with me, and I’ll give you a gift.’⁸But the man of God said to the king:‘Even if you were to give me half of everything that’s [in] your palace, I wouldn’t go with you, nor would I eat food or drink water in this place!⁹‘For, this is what the Lord told me:‘Don’t eat any bread or drink any water, And don’t return by the way that you came.’¹⁰So when he left BethEl, he traveled towards home by another route.¹¹Well and at the time, there was another prophet living in BethEl (an older man)... So when his sons came to him and told him everything that the man of God had done that day in BethEl and of the things that the king had said, the face of their father changed, ¹²and he asked them:‘Which way did he go?’So his sons pointed out the way that the man of God was traveling (towards Judah), ¹³and he said to his sons:‘Saddle my burro for me!’¹⁴So they saddled his burro and he mounted it; then he went after the man of God and he found him sitting under an oak tree.And he asked:‘Are you the man of God who came from Judah?’And he replied:‘I am.’¹⁵So [the prophet] said:‘Come with me and have something to eat.’¹⁶But [the man of God] replied:‘There’s no way that I can come with you, nor may I eat bread or drink water in this place!¹⁷‘For Jehovah told me:‘Don’t eat any bread, nor drink any water, And don’t return by the way that you came.’¹⁸However, the other man replied:‘But, I’m a prophet just like you! And a messenger [of God] came and gave me these words from Jehovah…‘He said:‘Take him back to your house and give him some food and water!’However, he was lying.¹⁹So [the man of God] went back with him and he ate bread and drank water there in [the prophet’s] house. ²⁰But, as they were sitting down at the table, the word of Jehovah came to the prophet that did the inviting, ²¹and he said to the man of God who had come from Judah:‘This is what the Lord just told me:‘Because you disobeyed the Lord’s instructions and you didn’t do as you were commanded by Jehovah your God ²²when you returned to eat bread and drink water in this place where He told you not to eat any bread or drink any water... There’s no way that your body will be buried with your ancestors.’²³And that’s what happened.For, after he ate bread, drank water, and saddled his burro for the return, ²⁴he was found by a lion and killed along the road! Then his body just laid there in the road with the burro standing next to it, as the lion stood nearby.²⁵Well, when some men came along and found the body starting to decay, they pushed it off the road… But then the lion returned to it.Well thereafter, they went back and reported the matter in the city where the elderly prophet lived. ²⁶And when the prophet heard what had happened to the man of God along the road, he said:‘This is what happens to those who rebel against the Word of Jehovah.‘For it was the Lord who sent the lion… It attacked him and killed him, just as Jehovah foretold.’²⁷Then he spoke to his sons and said:‘Now, saddle my burro for me!’So they saddled it, ²⁸and he went and found the body that had been tossed alongside the road next to his burro… And there was the lion standing by the body.However, the lion hadn’t eaten the body of the man of God, nor had it attacked his burro. ²⁹So the prophet picked up the body, placed it on his own burro, and he carried it back to his city and buried him ³⁰in his own tomb, as [the people] beat their chests over him, saying:‘Woe, O brother!’³¹Then, after beating their chests over him, the prophet said this to his sons:‘When I die, I want you to bury me in the tomb where we’ve put this man of God... Put me next to his bones, so that my bones will be preserved along with his bones.³²‘For Jehovah used him to speak against the altar in BethEl and against the temples on the hilltops in Samaria.’³³Meanwhile, what [the man of God] had said to JeroBoam didn’t really turn him from his evil ways. For he went and appointed any man who wanted the position to be a priest in the high places, and the posts were filled by all whom he chose.³⁴This was the sin that eventually brought the house of JeroBoam to its ruin and extinction from the face of the earth.

¹Well, after some time, AbiJah (JeroBoam’s son) became ill.²So [King] JeroBoam said to his wife:‘Get up and make yourself up, so people won’t recognize you as my wife, then go to ShiLoh and look for AhiJah the prophet, because he’s the one who first spoke to me about ruling over these people.³‘Carry along some bread for this man of God, and some small cakes for his children, as well as some raisins and a jar of honey.‘Go to him and ask him to tell you what will happen to our child.’⁴So JeroBoam’s wife did as he said. She got up and went the house of AhiJah in ShiLoh.Now, the man was too old to see well and [he had developed cataracts].⁵But Jehovah said to AhiJah:‘{Look!} JeroBoam’s wife is coming to you to ask about her son, because he’s very ill. This is what you should say to her…’⁶Therefore, when she got there (although she couldn’t be recognized) and AhiJah heard the sound of her feet coming up to his door, he said:‘Come on in, you woman of JeroBoam.‘Why are you coming as a stranger?’Then he said:‘I have a harsh message for you!⁷‘Return to JeroBoam and tell him that this is what Jehovah the God of IsraEl has said:‘I’m the One who elevated you from the midst of your people and appointed you over the sons of IsraEl… ⁸Yes, I’m the One who tore the kingship from the house of David and gave it to you!‘Yet you haven’t become like My servant David who kept My Commandments and followed me with his whole heart by doing what’s right in My eyes.⁹‘Rather, you’ve acted wickedly in everything that’s before you, and you’ve gone and made other gods and molded images to anger Me… You’ve pushed Me aside! ¹⁰And it’s because of this that {Look!} I will be bringing evil things upon the house of JeroBoam!‘For I will destroy all those of JeroBoam who can urinate against a wall… Those who are now living in IsraEl and those who are yet to come… They’ll all be treated like manure!¹¹‘Then, those [who come from] JeroBoam who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and the flying creatures of the sky will eat those who die in the fields!’‘Yes, this is what Jehovah has declared!¹²‘So now, get up and go back home! Then, as your feet are entering your city, your child will die.¹³‘However, [his body] will be put in a tomb and all IsraEl will mourn him. He’s the only one of JeroBoam’s [children] who’ll be put in a tomb, because he’s the only one in the house of JeroBoam that [would have] said something good about Jehovah the God of IsraEl.¹⁴‘Also today – in fact, right now – Jehovah is raising a king for Himself over IsraEl who’ll cut down the house of JeroBoam. ¹⁵Then Jehovah will strike IsraEl as someone who stirs water with a reed.‘He will pluck IsraEl from the good land that He gave to their ancestors and toss them to the other side of the river because of all the sacred poles that they’ve erected to anger Jehovah!’¹⁶That’s how Jehovah actually showed His [dis]favor upon IsraEl because of the sins of JeroBoam. For, not only had he sinned, but he also led IsraEl into sin. ¹⁷Well after that, JeroBoam’s woman got up and returned to SariRa.As she stepped onto the threshold of her house, her child died.¹⁸However they put [his body] in a tomb and all IsraEl mourned for him, just as Jehovah said they would through His servant AhiJah the prophet.¹⁹Now, all the other things that JeroBoam did (the wars that he fought and the things that he said during his reign) are written about in the words of the scrolls of the lives of the kings of IsraEl. ²⁰JeroBoam reigned for 22 years, then he went to sleep with his ancestors, and his son NaDab started ruling in his place.²¹And at the time, RehoBoam (Solomon’s son) was reigning over Judah.He was 41 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem (the city where Jehovah chose to put His Name for all the tribes of IsraEl) for 17 years. His mother’s name was NaAma, and she was an AmMonite.²²But, during this time, Judah was also acting wickedly before Jehovah and making Him jealous with all the things they were doing, just as their ancestors did when they sinned... ²³The [people] were building high places [of worship] for themselves and erecting monuments and sacred poles on every high hill and under every shady tree.²⁴They got together throughout the land and started doing all the disgusting things that the nations which Jehovah had removed from before the sons of IsraEl were doing!²⁵So, in the 5th year of the reign of RehoBoam, the king of Egypt attacked JeruSalem ²⁶and took all the treasures in the Temple of Jehovah, as well as all the treasures in the king’s palace!He took the gold spears that David had taken from the children of AdraZar the king of Suba, and carried them [from] JeruSalem.He took everything!He even took the gold shields that Solomon had made and he carried them all back to Egypt.²⁷Well after that, King RehoBoam had some shields made of bronze to replace [the gold shields], and they were set in place by the captains of his bodyguards (those who guarded the king’s palace). ²⁸But one day, while the king was at the Temple of Jehovah, the bodyguards took them down and mounted them in their own barracks.²⁹All the rest of the things that RehoBoam said and did are written about in the scrolls of the words and days of the kings of Judah.³⁰And during the entire time, there was war between [king of Judah] RehoBoam and [king of Israel] JeroBoam! ³¹Then RehoBoam went to sleep with his ancestors, and they buried him in the tomb of his fathers in the city of David.So his son AbiJam started ruling in place of him.

¹It was in the 18th year of the reign of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) that AbiJam (son of RehoBoam) started ruling over Judah, ²but he only reigned in JeruSalem for three years. His mother’s name was MaAcha, and she was the daughter of AbSalom.³For he followed in the sins that his father had committed before him, and his heart wasn’t perfect towards Jehovah his God, as was the heart of his grandfather David.⁴But, because of David, Jehovah God had allowed him to establish his line of [kings] in JeruSalem (⁵for David had done the right things before Jehovah and he didn’t turn away from all that he was told to do during his lifetime, ⁶except in the matter of UriAh the Hittite).⁷And the rest of the things that AbiJam said and did {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of the words of the days of the kings of Judah.Now, there was always a state of war between AbiJam and JeroBoam... ⁸But then, AbiJam went to sleep with his ancestors (in the 24th year of the reign of JeroBoam), and he was buried in the tomb of his fathers in the city of David.After him, his son Asa started ruling as king over Judah. ⁹That was in the 24th year of the reign of JeroBoam the king of IsraEl. ¹⁰He then reigned in JeruSalem for 41 years. The name of his mother was Ana, and she was also a daughter of AbSalom.¹¹Now, Asa did what was right before Jehovah as his ancestor David had done.¹²For he removed all the mystic rites from the land and drove out all the bad practices that his fathers had established. ¹³He also removed his mother Ana after she’d held a meeting in her field of sacred poles and tried to seize power.Asa cut off her retreat and burned [her followers] in a fire next to the Cedar (Kidron) Wadi!¹⁴And even though he failed to remove the high places of worship, the heart of Asa was perfect towards Jehovah all the days of his life. ¹⁵For Asa returned the huge columns of silver and gold to the Temple of Jehovah, as well as its silver and gold utensils.¹⁶Then there was war between Asa and BaAsha (the king of IsraEl) that lasted as long as they both lived. ¹⁷BaAsha had attacked Judah and built Rama in order to cut off Asa the king of Judah.¹⁸But then, Asa took all the silver and gold that he found in the treasury of the Temple of Jehovah and in the treasuries of the palace of the king (he entrusted them to his servants), and he sent all the treasure to BenHader (son of TaberEma) the king of Syria in Damascus.¹⁹He said:‘May there be a treaty between you and me as there was between your father and my father!‘Look! I’m sending you gifts of silver and gold.‘So now, end your treaty with BaAsha the king of IsraEl, then come and drive him away from me!’²⁰As a result, BenHader sent his officials along with an army to King Asa, and they attacked Ain in Dan, AbelMa and the house of MaAcah, and all of ChenNereth in the land of NaphTali! ²¹Then when BaAsha heard of it, he stopped building Rama and returned to TirZah.²²Thereafter, King Asa gave instructions to the army of Judah to tear down every stone in Rama and all of its building timbers and to take it to the hills of BenJamin, where they thereafter built a high fortification and a lookout post.²³{Look!} All the rest of the words and deeds of Asa and his kingdom, and the information about all the cities that he built, is written in the scrolls of the words of the days of the kings of Judah.Then in his old age, he developed pain in his feet... ²⁴And thereafter Asa went to sleep with his ancestors and he was buried in the tomb of his fathers in the city of David.So his son JehoShaphat started ruling in place of him.²⁵Meanwhile, NaDab (son of JeroBoam) had started ruling in IsraEl in the 2nd year of Asa (the king of Judah). He only reigned in IsraEl for 2 years, ²⁶for he also acted wickedly before Jehovah and he followed in the steps of his father, committing the same sins and leading IsraEl into sin.²⁷Then BaAsha (son of AhiJah) laid siege against him [because of what he’d done to] the house of BelaAn (son of AhiJah), and he cut him down at the Philistine city of GabaThon… For NaBat and [the army of] IsraEl had been laying siege to GabaThon.²⁸So, BaAsha killed him in the 3rd year of the reign of Asa (son of AbiJah) the king of Judah, and thereafter, BaAsha became the ruler [of IsraEl].²⁹Well, during BaAsha’s reign, he murdered the entire house of JeroBoam!He didn’t leave anyone alive… He killed them all, just as Jehovah had said through His servant AhiJah the Selonite, ³⁰because of JeroBoam’s part in leading IsraEl into sin and provoking the anger of Jehovah the God of IsraEl.³¹All the rest of the things that NaDab said and did {Look!} are written about in the scrolls of the words of the days of the kings of IsraEl.³²Well, there was war between [King] Asa [of Judah] and King BaAsha of IsraEl for as long as they both lived.³³It was in the 3rd year of the reign of King Asa of Judah that BaAsha (son of AhiJah) started ruling over IsraEl from TirZah. He reigned for 24 years, and he also acted wickedly before Jehovah, for he followed in the footsteps of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) by sinning and leading IsraEl into sin.

¹Then Jehovah sent word to BaAsha by Jehu (son of AnaNi), saying:²‘Even though I elevated you to be over the land and gave you the leadership of My people IsraEl, you’ve still chosen to follow in ways of JeroBoam and to lead My people IsraEl into sin, provoking Me to anger with your foolishness!³‘So, {Look!} I’m arousing enemies against BaAsha and his house, and I’m going to do to your house [the same] as I did to the house of JeroBoam (son of NaBat). ⁴For when those of BaAsha die in the city, dogs will eat them; and when they die in the fields, they’ll be eaten by the flying creatures of the skies.’⁵Well, the rest of the things that BaAsha said and did, and the areas of his conquests {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.⁶Then BaAsha went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in TirZah; and his son ElAh started reigning after him. ⁷For Jehovah had sent a proclamation against BaAsha and his house through Jehu (son of AnaNi) because of all the bad things that he was doing before Jehovah.These things made Jehovah very angry; so BaAsha’s house would soon become like the house of JeroBoam, whom he’d slaughtered.⁸It was in the 28th year of the reign of King Asa of Judah, after ElAh (BaAsha’s son) had ruled IsraEl for 2 years in TirZah, ⁹that ElAh’s servants plotted a coup by getting together with ZimRi, the captain over half of [the king’s] cavalry...And it was while [the king] was in TirZah, drinking and getting drunk in the house of Osa (the Mayor of TirZah), ¹⁰that ZimRi went in and stabbed him to death! Thereafter, he became the ruler [of IsraEl].¹¹Then when he took over, he killed the entire house of BaAsha… He didn’t leave anyone who could urinate against a wall, including [BaAsha’s] friends and relatives... ¹²So, ZimRi wiped out the whole house of BaAsha, just as Jehovah had foretold through the prophet Jehu.¹³He did this because of all the sins of BaAsha and of his son ElAh, who had made Jehovah the God of IsraEl angry by leading IsraEl into sin with all their foolishness.¹⁴The rest of the things that ElAh said and did {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.¹⁵Well, ZimRi only ruled in TirZah for 7 days!You see, at the time, IsraEl’s army was camped at the Philistine city of GabaThon;
¹⁶and when the people in the camp heard about how ZimRi had rebelled and killed their king, they appointed the commander of IsraEl’s army, OmRi, to be the king that day – there, in the camp!¹⁷So OmRi ascended to the throne, and all IsraEl met with him at GabaThon;
then they went and besieged TirZah! ¹⁸Now, when ZimRi realized that his city was lost, he went inside the king’s palace and set it on fire, burning it down around him, killing himself!¹⁹This happened because of all the sins that ZimRi had committed. For he’d also acted wickedly before Jehovah and he followed in the ways of JeroBoam (son of NaBat), committing the same sins and leading IsraEl into sin.²⁰The rest of the story of ZimRi and of the people who supported him {Look!} has been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.²¹Thereafter, the people of IsraEl became divided, for half of them started following TibNi (son of GoNath), wanting him to be their king, while the other half followed OmRi!²²However, the people who followed OmRi won out over the followers of TibNi (son of GiNath). Then TibNi died, leaving OmRi as the only remaining ruler.²³(This all happened in the 31st year of the reign of [Judean] king Asa.)And thereafter, OmRi reigned over IsraEl for 12 years, 6 of which were from TirZah. ²⁴Then he acquired Mount SemerOn from Semer (who owned the mountain) for a 150 pounds (68kg) of silver, and there he built [his city], which he named Semer [later to be named Samaria], after the man who’d owned SemerOn.²⁵Well, OmRi also acted wickedly before Jehovah... In fact, he was worse than all those who’d come before him!²⁶He followed in the ways of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) and committed all of his sins by leading IsraEl into foolishness and sin, which made Jehovah the God of IsraEl very angry.²⁷The rest of the things that OmRi said and did, and the areas of his rulership {Look!} have been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.²⁸Then OmRi went to sleep with his ancestors and they buried him in a tomb in Samaria. So his son Ahab started ruling after him.²⁹Ahab (son of OmRi) started his rule over IsraEl in the 38th year of Judah’s King Asa, and he reigned over IsraEl from Samaria for 22 years.³⁰However, he also acted wickedly before Jehovah… Even more wicked than all those who’d come before him! ³¹For the sins of JeroBoam (son of NaBat) weren’t bad enough for him.Then he took a woman, JezeBel (daughter of IthoBaAl, the king of the Sidonians), and he went and started serving BaAl, bowing before him.³²He also erected an Altar to BaAl in the disgusting temple that he’d built in Samaria, ³³and he set up fields of sacred poles, doing everything that he could to anger Jehovah the God of IsraEl, and to bring about his own destruction!He was much worse than all the other kings of IsraEl that had come before him.³⁴It was during Ahab’s reign that AchiEl the BethElite rebuilt JeriCho with the loss of his first-born son AbiRon (for laying its foundation), and with the loss of his youngest son SegUb for erecting its gates, just as Jehovah had said through JoShua (son of NaWeh).

¹Then the prophet EliJah (the Tishbite from Tishbon of GileAd) went to Ahab and said:‘As Jehovah the Almighty – the God of IsraEl before whom I stand – lives, there won’t be any dew or rain in the land for years, unless I call for it!’²And then Jehovah told EliJah:³‘Now, leave this place and head east!‘Go and hide near the Cherith Wadi, where it empties into the JorDan... ⁴There you’ll drink your water from the wadi, and I’ll send crows to feed you!’⁵So EliJah did what Jehovah said and he settled in by the Cherith Wadi near the JorDan. ⁶There, crows brought him bread loaves in the morning and meat in the afternoon, and he drank water from the wadi.⁷However, before long the wadi also dried up, because there was no rain in the land.⁸So Jehovah told EliJah:⁹‘Now, get up and go to the Sidonian [city of] SarEpta… {Look!} I’ve instructed a widow woman there to provide food for you.’¹⁰So he got up and went to SarEpta; and as he neared the city gate, {Look!} he saw a widow woman collecting wood.Then EliJah called out to her and said:‘Please take a little water from your jar and give me something to drink!’¹¹However, she just started carrying [her wood] inside.So EliJah shouted at her again, saying:‘May I please have a little bit of your bread to eat?’¹²Then the woman said:‘As Jehovah your God lives; what good is a cake that must be baked in hot ashes?‘All I’ve got is a handful of flour in a jar and a little bit of olive oil in a pitcher!‘Look at this! I’ve just collected two sticks so I can go home and cook what’s left for my children and myself…‘Then we can eat it and die!’¹³But EliJah said:‘Don’t get discouraged... Just go on ahead and do what you said you’re going to do. However, bake a small loaf and bring it to me first. And after that, you and your children may eat.¹⁴‘For, this is what Jehovah the God of IsraEl has said:‘Her jar of flour will never fail, Nor will her pitcher of oil Until the day that Jehovah appointed For rain to fall on the ground.’¹⁵So the woman went inside and did as EliJah told her… She fed him first, and then she and her children ate. ¹⁶And thereafter, her jar of flour never became empty and her pitcher of olive oil never ran low… Just as the Lord had told her through EliJah!¹⁷But later, the lady’s son became very ill, and he kept getting worse until he finally stopped breathing.¹⁸So she asked EliJah:‘What have I done to you, O man of God, that you should be reminded of all my sins and kill my son?’¹⁹And EliJah said to the woman:‘Bring your son to me.’So she picked him up and held him to her breasts, and she carried him to [EliJah’s] bed in an upstairs room and laid him there.²⁰Then EliJah yelled out and said:‘O Jehovah!‘Since You’ve seen how well this widow has treated me, why have You sent evil to kill her son?’²¹And after that, he breathed into the boy’s [mouth] three times as he called to Jehovah, saying:‘O my God!‘Give back this boy’s life!’²²And at that, the boy suddenly shouted aloud!²³Then EliJah led him downstairs and gave him to his mother, and said:‘See, your son is alive!’²⁴And the woman said to EliJah:‘Now I know that you’re a man of God and that the words of Jehovah that come from your mouth are all true.’

¹Then after three years, the Lord came to EliJah and said:‘You must now go and speak to Ahab, for I’m going to allow rain to fall on his land once again!’²So EliJah went to appear before [King] Ahab... And by then, the famine had become very severe in Samaria. ³Well at the time, Ahab had called for his Prime Minister AbDiu, who was a man who had great respect for Jehovah.⁴For, back when JezeBel had many of the prophets of Jehovah killed, he was the one who gathered 100 of them and hid them in two caves in groups of fifties, and sent food and water to them.⁵Then [King] Ahab said to AbDiu:‘Come!‘Let’s travel throughout the land and search all the streams and springs to see if we can find a pasture that has water where I can take my horses and mules, so they don’t die in their stalls!’⁶And at that, they parted company along the road, with [King] Ahab going one way and [Prime Minister] AbDiu going the other... ⁷So AbDiu was by himself when EliJah arrived.And when AbDiu saw him, he ran and fell to his face and asked:‘Are you my lord EliJah?’⁸And EliJah said:‘I am!‘Now, go tell your master that EliJah is here.’⁹But AbDiu replied:‘What has your servant done that you would hand me over to Ahab, for he will kill me! As Jehovah your God lives; there isn’t a nation or kingdom where my master hasn’t searched for you!¹⁰‘And when they said that you weren’t there, he burned the kingdoms and their cities when he couldn’t find you. ¹¹So you just want me to just go and tell my master that EliJah is here?!¹²‘What if, after I leave you, Jehovah sends a wind that picks you up and carries you into an unknown land? Then, if I were to go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you here, he would kill me!‘Now, your servant has feared Jehovah since his youth... ¹³And perhaps you haven’t been told, my master, about what I did when JezeBel killed the prophets of Jehovah; I took 100 of them and hid them in caves in groups of fifties. Thereafter, I fed them with bread loaves and provided them with water.¹⁴‘But now you say that I should just go and tell my master that EliJah is here?!‘He’ll kill me!’¹⁵And EliJah said:‘As the Almighty Jehovah that stands before me lives; I’ll appear before him today.’¹⁶So AbDiu went to find Ahab and he reported what had happened.Then Ahab ran to meet with EliJah, ¹⁷and when he saw him, he asked:‘Are you finally going to [stop plaguing] IsraEl?’¹⁸And EliJah said:‘No. I’m not going to [stop plaguing] IsraEl!‘For you and the house of your fathers have left Jehovah your God and started following the BaAls!¹⁹‘But now, you must gather all IsraEl to Mount CarMel along with all the prophets of BaAl – all 450 of them – and all the prophets of the sacred poles – all 400 of them who eat at the table of JezeBel!’²⁰Therefore, Ahab sent word throughout all IsraEl to call those prophets to Mount CarMel.²¹[And when they got there] EliJah stood up in front of all the people and said:‘How much longer are you going to be lame on both of your hams?‘If Jehovah is God, then you should follow Him!‘But if BaAl is God, he’s the one you should follow!’Well at that, no one said a word.²²Then EliJah said:‘I’m the only prophet of Jehovah who is left [in the land]... But here are 450 prophets of the BaAl and 400 prophets of the sacred poles!²³‘So now, have them bring two oxen to us, then let those men choose which one they want and cut it up, and put it on the Altar.‘Also pile some wood there, but don’t light the fire.‘I’ll do the same thing to the other ox, and I won’t light the fire either.²⁴‘Then, they can call in the names of their gods, and I’ll call upon the Name of my God Jehovah! Whichever one is able to light the fire [will prove to be] the true God!’And at that, all the people said:‘What you’ve proposed is very good!’²⁵So EliJah then turned to those prophets of shame and said:‘Now, choose the calf you want and get it ready.‘There are many of you, so you should all call on the names of your gods and have them light the fire!’²⁶So they selected the calf and prepared it for offering, and they started calling on the name of the BaAl from morning until noon saying:‘Listen to us, O BaAl! Hear us!’However, there was no reply, because there was no one who could really hear them! So then they started dancing around the Altar that they’d made...²⁷Well, by noon, EliJah (the Tishbite) had started making fun of them.He was saying:‘Keep on shouting!‘Perhaps he’s just thinking about it, or maybe he’s off handling some business… Or perhaps he’s sleeping and he hasn’t gotten up yet!’²⁸But they kept on shouting and cutting themselves with knives and spears (which was their custom) until they were all running with blood! ²⁹They kept [acting like] prophets until midday.But after their sacrifice had stayed there until noon without any reply, ³⁰EliJah said to the people:‘Now, come here to me!’And all the people came to him.Then EliJah rebuilt an old Altar that had been knocked down. ³¹He took 12 stones (to represent the tribes of IsraEl), just as Jehovah told him to do. For this was the very same place where the Lord had once told [Jacob]:‘IsraEl will be your Name.’³²And these were the same stones that [Jacob himself had] erected in the Name of the Lord… It was the same broken-down Altar of Jehovah that he rebuilt that day!Then he dug a moat around it that was deep enough to hold two sacks of seeds, and he put wood on the Altar that he’d erected... ³³He then cut up the whole burnt offering and placed it over the wood (he piled it all on the Altar), and said:‘Now, bring four buckets of [sea] water and pour them over the offering and the wood!’³⁴Then he told them to do it a second time, and they did it again.And he said:‘Now, do it a third time!’And they did it a third time.³⁵And thereafter, EliJah filled the moat around the Altar with water.³⁶Then he shouted into the sky, saying:‘Jehovah,‘The God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and IsraEl!‘Hear me today and send fire so that all these people will know that You are Jehovah the God of IsraEl!‘[Show them] that I’m Your servant and that the things I’m doing are Your works!³⁷‘Hear me, O Jehovah,‘Send fire, so these people will know that You are the Lord God, and so that the hearts of these people will turn back to You!’³⁸Well at that, Jehovah sent fire that fell from the sky, and it consumed the whole burnt offering, the wood, the water in the moat, the stones… And even the dirt around [the Altar] was all licked up by the fire!³⁹Then all the people fell to their faces and said:‘Jehovah is truly God… The God!’⁴⁰And EliJah said to the people:‘Now, seize all the prophets of BaAl… Don’t let any of them escape!’So they grabbed them, and EliJah took them down to the Kishon Wadi and killed them all there.⁴¹Well after that, Elijah told Ahab:‘Get up and eat and drink, for there’s the sound of rain coming!’So Ahab got up to eat and drink, while EliJah then walked up Mount CarMel, where he bowed to the ground with his face between his knees.⁴²Then he said his servant:‘Now, climb to the top of the mountain and look towards the sea!’⁴³So his servant climbed to the mountaintop and looked towards the sea, and [when he reported back, he] said:‘I didn’t see anything.’And EliJah said:‘Then, go back [and check again].’[He did this] seven times.⁴⁴So the servant went back [to check] seven times; and on the seventh time he [reported back and] said:‘Look! I can see a cloud that’s as small as the sole of a man’s foot arising from the water in the sea.’So he said:‘Go to Ahab and tell him to get his chariot ready and hurry off, or the rain will overtake him!’⁴⁵Well all of a sudden, the sky got dark with clouds, the wind started to blow, and a tremendous rainstorm began!So Ahab wept, and went off back to JezreEl... ⁴⁶Then the hand of Jehovah came over EliJah, and he tightened his belt and ran to JezreEl ahead of Ahab.

¹Well, [when he got home], Ahab told his woman JezeBel (the one who had the prophets killed with swords) about everything that EliJah did.²So JezeBel sent [a message] to EliJah that said:‘May the gods curse me and add to it if by this time tomorrow your life won’t be the same as the lives [of the prophets I killed]!’³Well, this frightened EliJah, so he got up and ran for his life!And when he got to BeerSheba, he left his servant there ⁴and traveled along the desert road for a day’s journey, where [he spent the night] under a broom bush.That’s when he prayed for his life to end, saying:‘It’s now fitting for You to take my life, O Jehovah, because I’m no better than my ancestors!’⁵And after that, he bedded down and went to sleep under that bush.However, {Look!} someone then came and touched him and said:‘Now, get up and eat!’⁶And when he looked around, he saw a loaf of oat bread that had been baked in ashes lying next to his head, along with a jar of water... So EliJah got up and ate and drank, then he went back to sleep.⁷But the messenger of Jehovah returned a second time and touched him, saying:‘Get up and eat!‘You’ll need this for your long journey!’⁸So he got up and ate and drank again, and he gained enough strength from the food to last the whole trip of 40 days and 40 nights to the Dry Mountain (Horeb).⁹And when he got there, he went into a cave to rest.But then, {Look!} Jehovah sent word to him.He asked:‘Why are you here, EliJah?’¹⁰And EliJah replied:‘Because of my zeal… Because I’m zealous for Jehovah the Almighty.‘Yet, all the sons of IsraEl have abandoned You… They’ve cut down Your Altars and they’ve killed Your prophets with swords; so, now I’m the only one left, and they’re looking [to kill] me too!’¹¹Then he was told:‘Go outside and stand on the mountain before Jehovah.‘There {Look!} the Lord will pass by you in a strong wind that will split the mountain and break its rocks.’[So he went outside and stood] before Jehovah, and the wind blew…
But it wasn’t [just the] wind, it was Jehovah!Then after the wind blew, the ground shook…
But it wasn’t an earthquake, it was Jehovah.¹²And after the ground shook, there was fire…
But it wasn’t fire, it was Jehovah.And after the fire, there was a sound that came from a soft breeze...
Which was Jehovah.¹³Well after that, EliJah covered his face with a sheepskin and he went back inside the cave.But then {Look!} a voice again asked:‘Why are you here, EliJah?’¹⁴And EliJah once more replied:‘Because of my zeal… Because I’m zealous for Jehovah the Almighty!‘Yet, the sons of IsraEl have abandoned Your Sacred Agreement with them… They’ve demolished Your Altars and they’ve killed Your prophets with swords, and now I’m the only one left and they’re looking [to kill] me too!’¹⁵Then The Lord said to him:‘Continue on with your journey; and when you reach the desert road to Damascus, [I want you to] anoint HazaEl to be the king over Syria.¹⁶‘Also, anoint Jehu (son of NaMesSi) to be the king over IsraEl, and anoint EliSha (son of ShaPhat from AbelMaoOla) to replace you as [My] prophet.¹⁷‘Thereafter, all those who are saved from the broadsword of HazaEl will be killed by Jehu, and all who are saved from the broadsword of Jehu will be killed by EliSha.¹⁸‘However, there are still 7,000 men in IsraEl who haven’t bent their knees to the BaAl, and none of them have spoken reverently of him.’¹⁹So then he went and found EliSha (son of ShaPhat), who at the time was leading 12 teams of oxen that were pulling a plough... He went up to him and placed his sheepskin over him.²⁰Then EliSha left his oxen and ran after EliJah, and he said:‘First let me kiss my father [goodbye]… And then I’ll follow you!’And [EliJah] told him:‘Go on then, and return here… For I’ve [got lots] for you to do!’²¹So [when he] came back to follow him, he took the teams of oxen and sacrificed them. He cooked them with the wood [of their yokes], and he gave [the meat] to his people, which they ate.Then he got up and followed EliJah, serving him.

¹Well after that, King BenHader of Syria gathered his whole army along with 32 [vassal] kings and all their horses and chariots, and they went to lay siege against Samaria… They all went to Samaria to wage war against it.²Then he sent messengers into the city of King Ahab of IsraEl, who told him:‘This is what BenHader says:³‘Your silver and your gold are all mine. Also, your wives, children, and all the good things that you have are mine!’⁴And the king of IsraEl replied:‘Just as you have said, O my master, O king, I and all that is mine is yours.’⁵Then BenHader sent his messengers again, that said:‘I sent you the message telling you that you’re to give your silver, gold, wives, and children to me.⁶‘So at this time tomorrow, I will send my servants to you, and then they’ll search your palace and the homes of your servants and take anything that their eyes desire… Whatever they put in their hands, they can take!’⁷So the king of IsraEl called all the elders of the land and said:‘I want you to know of all the evil that this man intends to do... For even though I’ve offered him all my silver, gold, wives, sons, and daughters, he’s now asking for [everything else].’⁸And at that, the elders and all the people said:‘Don’t listen to him… And don’t worry!’⁹So he replied to the messengers of BenHader:‘Tell your master that I’ll give him all that he asked for at first, but I won’t be able to do this [other] thing that he’s asking.’And his people carried that message back.¹⁰But BenHader said this:‘May the gods curse me and add to it if the dirt of the foxes of Samaria and all its people is good enough for the feet of my soldiers!’¹¹Then the king of IsraEl replied:‘That’s enough!‘May the hunchback not boast as though he were able to stand erect!’¹²Well, at the time that this message reached [King BenHader], he and all the other kings were inside his tent drinking. So he told his servants to go and build a siege mound around the city, which they did.¹³Then {Look!} a prophet came to Ahab (the king of IsraEl) and told him:‘This is what Jehovah has said:‘You’ve now seen how large an army they have, but {Look!} today I’m giving them all into your hands… And then you will know that I am Jehovah!’¹⁴So Ahab asked him:‘Who will accomplish this?’And he was told:‘This is what Jehovah said:‘It will happen at the hands of the young princes of this region.’And Ahab asked:‘Then, who’ll join them in this war?’And he was told:‘You will!’¹⁵So Ahab counted the sons of the rulers of his realm and found out that there were 230 of them... Then he counted his troops and found that there were 7,000 of them… All mighty men.¹⁶So, he started his attack at noon.Meanwhile, BenHader and the other kings (all 32 of them) that were his allies, were in SokChoth, and they were all drunk.¹⁷Then in the first wave, [Ahab] sent the young princes to attack... And when King BenHader of Syria received word that men were coming from Samaria, ¹⁸he said:‘Whether they’re coming in peace or for war, let’s capture them alive!’¹⁹Well, the young princes then came out of the city (with the whole army following them), ²⁰and each one cut down the soldier who faced him! Thereafter, they did it again… Each one cut down the soldier who came against him.So, the Syrians turned and ran, and the IsraElites started chasing after them! However, King BenHader of Syria grabbed a cavalryman’s horse and got away... ²¹But the king of IsraEl went and collected all their horses and chariots, which was a great calamity for Syria.²²Then, [after the battle], the prophet went to the king of IsraEl again and said:‘Now, strengthen your forces and consider what you must do, for King BenHader of Syria will attack you once again this year!’²³And after that, the servants of the king of Syria went to him and told him this:‘The God of IsraEl is a God of mountains, not a God of valleys, and that’s why they beat us. However, if you go to war with them in the straight plains, you can beat them!²⁴‘So, this is what you should do:‘Send all the kings home and appoint governors to replace them... ²⁵Then you must replace the men who were killed, get more horses, build more chariots, and go back and fight them in the plains, and you’ll overpower them.’Well, the king listened to them and went along with their proposal.²⁶So, towards the end of the year, BenHader again gathered an army in Syria and marched them towards Apheka to war against IsraEl, ²⁷and the sons of IsraEl gathered for war and went out to meet them.Then, like two flocks of goats, IsraEl stood opposite them on the right, while Syria literally filled the land on the left.²⁸Then the man of God went to the king of IsraEl once more and told him:‘This is what Jehovah has said:‘Because Syria says that Jehovah the God of IsraEl is a God of the mountains, not a God of the valleys, I’m going to give his huge army into your hands…‘And then you will know that I am Jehovah!’²⁹Well, both armies just sat there camped against each other for 7 days...Then on the 7th day, the war started, and IsraEl cut down the Syrians… 100,000 foot soldiers in one day! ³⁰All the rest retreated to the city of Apheka.But then its walls crumbled, killing 27,000 of the remaining men, and BenHader ran away and hid in a bedroom in the inner part of a house.³¹There he said to his servants:‘I know that the kings of IsraEl are merciful... So, dress yourselves in sackcloth and wrap your heads with ropes; then go to the king of IsraEl and see if he will allow us to live.’³²So they wrapped sackcloth around their loins and wrapped ropes around their heads, and they went to the king of IsraEl and said:‘Your servant BenHader says:‘Please allow me to live!’And [IsraEl’s king Ahab] asked:‘Is my brother still alive?’³³Then the men quickly got together and discussed what to say, and they replied:‘Yes, BenHader your brother [is still alive].’And he said:‘Well then, go get him.’So BenHader was brought [to the king of IsraEl] on a chariot.³⁴And he said [to Ahab]:‘I’ll return all the cities that my father took from your father, and you may name the streets that my father built in Damascus after yourself, the same as my father did in Samaria.’And [the king of IsraEl said]:‘If you’ll sign a peace treaty with me, I’ll send you home.’So they signed a treaty, and he was allowed to return home.³⁵Well after that, a man who was one of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor (by [the inspiration] of Jehovah):‘Strike me!’But his neighbor wouldn’t knock him down.³⁶So he said to him:‘Because you didn’t listen to the voice of Jehovah... {Look!} after you leave me, a lion will strike you down!’And after he left him, a lion did in fact kill him.³⁷So then, [the prophet] went and found another man and said:‘Strike me!’And this time the man struck him and wounded him.³⁸Then the prophet went to see the king of IsraEl, and on the way, he wrapped a cloth around his eyes.³⁹And when he got to the king, he shouted this at him:‘Your servant was in the army and we were in a battle; then {Look!} someone brought a prisoner to me and told me to guard him, and he told me that if he got away, I’d either have to pay with my life or I’d have to pay him 60 pounds (27kg) of silver.⁴⁰‘But when I turned around, the prisoner had disappeared!’And the king of IsraEl said to him:‘{Look!} You were responsible, so you’ll have to pay!’⁴¹And that’s when the man removed the cloth from over his eyes, and the king recognized him as one of the prophets.⁴²Then the prophet said to him:‘This is what Jehovah has declared:‘Because you allowed a man who escaped from you to live, your life will be required for his life, and your people’s lives must be paid for his people’s lives!’⁴³Well at that, the king of IsraEl left dumbfounded and shaking, and he went back home to Samaria.

¹Then there came the matter of the vineyard of NabOth the JezreElite.His vineyard was located near the threshing floor of King Ahab of Samaria [the northern 10-tribe Kingdom of Israel]. ²And Ahab had spoken to NabOth and asked him to trade vineyards with him, because [NabOth’s vineyard] was close to his palace, and he wanted it as a vegetable garden.He said:‘I’ll give you another very-good vineyard for it; or if you prefer, we can discuss terms and I’ll buy if from you, because I need it for a vegetable garden.’³But NabOth replied:‘No, I could never give it to you, because this is the inheritance that my God gave to my ancestors.’⁴Well, this matter bothered Ahab so much that he just went to bed, covered his face, and refused to eat.⁵So his wife JezeBel went to him and asked:‘Why is your spirit so disturbed, and why are you refusing to eat?’⁶And he said:‘I spoke to NabOth (the JezreElite) and asked him to sell me his vineyard… I offered to trade him another good one for it, but he said that he doesn’t want to give me the inheritance of his ancestors.’⁷Then his wife JezeBel said:‘Aren’t you the king of IsraEl?!‘Get up, eat, and start acting like yourself!‘I’ll give you the vineyard of NabOth the JezreElite!’⁸So she wrote a letter and [forged] Ahab’s name to it, put his seal on it, and then she sent it to the elders and free men who lived near NabOth.⁹In it, she wrote:‘I want you to declare a fast, and I want NabOth to be in charge over the people!’¹⁰Then she assigned two sons of convicted criminals to work with him, who were to accuse him of blaspheming God and the king, and then take him out to be stoned to death.¹¹And that’s what happened.The men who lived in his city (the elders and free men to whom JezeBel sent the letter) ¹²called for a fast, and they appointed NabOth to be in charge... ¹³Then the two men who were sons of convicts and who sat right across from him, accused him of blaspheming God and the king, and they led him out of the city to be stoned to death.¹⁴So they sent a message to JezeBel that said:‘NabOth has been stoned and now he’s dead.’¹⁵Then when JezeBel got the message, she said to Ahab:‘Now, get up and take the vineyard that NabOth (the JezreElite) refused to sell you, because NabOth is dead!’¹⁶So when Ahab heard that NabOth had died, he went and claimed the field as his own inheritance.¹⁷Thereafter, the Lord spoke to EliJah (the Tishbite) and said:‘Get up and go to Samaria to meet with King Ahab of IsraEl.¹⁸{Look!} You’ll find him in the vineyard of NabOth, where he’s gone to claim it as his own inheritance!¹⁹‘Speak to him and tell him that Jehovah said this:‘Because you had to murder someone to inherit this field; everywhere that the pigs and dogs licked the blood of NabOth, they’ll also lick up your blood, and whores will bathe in your blood!’²⁰So EliJah went to [King] Ahab, and Ahab said to him:‘O my enemy, I see that you’ve found me!’²¹And EliJah replied:‘Yes, I’ve found you, because you’ve acted foolishly and sold yourself into wickedness before Jehovah, making him angry![‘For he says:]‘{Look!} Bad things, I’m bringing upon you. To come after you, I’ll start a fire!‘Those of Ahab urinating against a wall, I shall destroy completely.‘[Even] the one who is [by illness] constrained, [Even] the very last one remaining in [all] Israel!²²‘I’ll make your house like that of JeroBoam son of NaBat, And as that of BaAsha, son of AhiJah.‘Since you provoked Me to anger And led IsraEl into sin!’²³‘And about JezeBel, Jehovah says this:‘The dogs shall devour her Next to JezreEl’s city walls.’²⁴‘Anyone of Ahab who dies in the city The dogs shall eat.‘And anyone who dies in the field The birds of the skies shall eat!’²⁵Yes, Ahab acted very foolishly when he sold himself into these wicked deeds before Jehovah through the perversions of his woman, JezeBel. ²⁶All of his actions were disgusting… He even started doing the disgusting things that Amorites did, those whom Jehovah drove away from before the sons of IsraEl.²⁷Well, after [EliJah] said these things, Ahab became very repentant before Jehovah... He started crying and ripping his clothes; then he tied sackcloth around his body and fasted, and he kept on wearing the sackcloth from the day that NabOth the JezreElite was killed.²⁸So Jehovah spoke to EliJah (the Tishbite) and said:²⁹‘I see that Ahab is repentant; therefore, I’m not going to bring the evil upon him during his lifetime... However, I will bring it during his son’s time, and upon his house.’

¹As a result, there was no more war between IsraEl and Syria during the next three years.²But in the third year, King JehoShaphat (of Judah went to visit King [Ahab] of IsraEl... ³[And it so happened that at the time], the king of IsraEl had been talking to his servants about [the city of] RamOth GileAd, for it really belonged to him and he had yet to take it back from Syria.⁴So King [Ahab] of IsraEl asked JehoShaphat:‘Will you join us in our war for RamOth GileAd?’⁵And JehoShaphat replied:‘You and I and your people and mine are the same race, so my horses are your horses!‘However, why don’t you go and ask [Jehovah about this] today?‘You should definitely ask Him first!’⁶Well, the King [Ahab] of IsraEl gathered all his prophets (about 400 of them), and the king asked them:‘Should I go to war against RamOth GileAd, or should I wait?’And their reply was:‘Go, and the Lord will give it into the hands of the king!’⁷But then [King] JehoShaphat asked the King [Ahab] of IsraEl:‘Don’t you have any prophets of Jehovah?‘We should go to them to ask Jehovah about this matter.’⁸And King [Ahab] of IsraEl said to JehoShaphat:‘Well, there’s still one man of Jehovah whom we can ask... However, I detest him because he never tells me good things, just bad things!‘His name is MicaJah son of JemBlaAh.’So King JehoShaphat of Judah said to him:‘We should really hear what he has to say.’⁹Therefore, King [Ahab] of IsraEl called his primary eunuch and told him:‘Quickly, bring MicaJah son of JemBlaAh to me.’¹⁰So then King [Ahab] of IsraEl and King JehoShaphat of Judah both sat down on their thrones, and all the prophets came in and started prophesying before them.¹¹ZedekiAh (son of HanaAn) actually made himself some iron horns, and he said:‘This is what the Lord says:‘With these you will gore the Syrians until you finish them off!’¹²And all the other prophets agreed, saying:‘Go to war for RamOth GileAd and you will be blest, for [God] will hand the king of Syria over to you!’¹³Meanwhile, the messenger who was sent to call for MicaJah finally found him, and he said to him:‘{Look!} All the prophets are telling the king good things, so you must go there and do the same!’¹⁴But MicaJah replied:‘As Jehovah lives, I’ll say whatever He tells me to say.’¹⁵However, when he went before the king and the king asked:‘Should I go to war for RamOth GileAd, or should I wait?’MicaJah told him:‘Go, and Jehovah will bless the hands of the king!’¹⁶But King [Ahab of IsraEl] said to him:‘How often do I have to ask you to promise to speak the truth to me when you’re speaking in the Name of Jehovah?’¹⁷And MicaJah replied:‘Well, [what I said really] isn’t true... For I saw all IsraEl scattered in the mountains like a flock with no shepherd!‘Then the Lord said to me:‘When these people no longer have a lord, they should return to their homes in peace!’¹⁸Well at that, King [Ahab] of IsraEl turned to [King] JehoShaphat and said:‘Didn’t I tell you that this one would only prophesy bad things?’¹⁹And MicaJah said to him:‘That isn’t true! For, all I do is listen to the words of Jehovah… And that’s what I’ve done!‘I saw Jehovah the God of IsraEl sitting on His throne and the whole army of the heavens was standing around Him on His right and on His left...²⁰‘Then Jehovah asked:‘Who will fool King Ahab of IsraEl and make him go to war for RamOth GileAd?’‘And one said this and another said that... ²¹But then a spirit came and stood before Jehovah and said:‘I’ll deceive him!’²²‘So Jehovah asked him:‘How will you do that?’‘And he replied:‘I’ll go and become a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’‘And God said:‘You will surely deceive him, so go on and do it!’²³‘Therefore, {Look!} Jehovah has put a lying spirit into the mouths of all your prophets, and He’s really foretold bad things for you!’²⁴Well at that, ZedekiAh (son of HanaAn) came up to MicaJah and hit him in the mouth!Then he asked:‘So, what kind of spirit has Jehovah prophesied for you?’²⁵And MicaJah replied:‘{Look!} You’ll know [the answer] when you have to run and hide in the inner chamber of a storeroom!’²⁶Then the king of IsraEl told his servants to take MicaJah to AmMon (who was the mayor of the city) and to his son JehoAsh, ²⁷who should keep him under guard.He told them to say:‘Don’t give him anything to eat other than bread and water until after I’ve returned in peace!’²⁸But MicaJah said:‘Since you won’t be returning in peace, the Lord told me to say this to you:‘Listen all you people!²⁹‘The king of IsraEl [will go to war], and JehoShaphat the king of Judah will go with him.’³⁰Well at that, King [Ahab] of IsraEl turned to King JehoShaphat of Judah and said:‘Let me disguise myself in the battle, and I want you to put on my clothes.’So the King [Ahab] of IsraEl put on [JehoShaphat’s] clothes, and they went to the battle...³¹Meanwhile, the king of Syria had given these instructions to the 32 men who were in charge of his chariots.He said:‘Don’t attack his foot soldiers or his generals… Go catch the king of IsraEl by himself.’³²So when those who were in charge of the chariots saw the king of Judah [wearing Ahab’s clothes], they shouted:‘That looks like the king of IsraEl!’Then they circled and prepared to attack him. However, JehoShaphat shouted, ³³and when the men in charge realized that it wasn’t the king of IsraEl, they turned away.³⁴But thereafter, a skilled bowman recognized the king of IsraEl and shot him in the chest between his lungs!And [the king] said to his chariot driver:‘Turn around and take me away from the battle, because I’ve been hit.’³⁵Well, this turned the tide of the battle, and King [Ahab] sat in his chariot across from the fighting for the rest of the day, as blood poured all over the chariot... Then he died later that evening.Well, as the blood started running from the chariot towards the enemy camp, ³⁶a messenger went throughout IsraEl’s camp after sundown, shouting:‘Everyone should go back to his city and land, ³⁷because the king is dead!’So, everyone returned to Samaria, and they carried the king back and buried him in a tomb in Samaria. ³⁸However, when they started washing the blood off the chariot in the Spring of Samaria, pigs and dogs came and licked up his blood, and whores bathed in the bloody water, just as Jehovah had said!³⁹Well, {Look!} the rest of the things that Ahab said and did, as well as [a description] of the house of ivory that he had built and of all the cities he created, have been written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of IsraEl.⁴⁰So after Ahab went to sleep with his ancestors, his son AhaziJah started ruling in his place.⁴¹Well, [King] JehoShaphat (son of Asa) had started his rule over Judah [much earlier on] in the 4th year of Ahab the king of IsraEl. ⁴²He was 35 years old when he started his reign, and he ruled in JeruSalem for 25 years. His mother’s name was Azuba, and she was the daughter of SalAi.⁴³He had followed in the path of his father Asa unswervingly, doing what was upright in the eyes of Jehovah! However, he never tore down the high places where the people burned incense and offered sacrifices.⁴⁴But during his reign, he was at peace with the king of IsraEl.⁴⁵The rest of the things that JehoShaphat said, as well as the area of his rulership, was written about in the scrolls of the words of The Days of the Kings of Judah.⁴⁶And during his reign, he completed everything that had been started or neglected during the reign of his father Asa.⁴⁷(Meanwhile, there was no king reigning in Syria.)⁴⁸King JehoShaphat also had a Tharsis-style ship made in order to go to Ophir and bring back gold... But it never [reached Ophir], because it was wrecked at GeBer.⁴⁹So King AhaziJah of IsraEl said to JehoShaphat:‘Your servants can travel there with my servants.’⁵⁰But JehoShaphat didn’t want to do that.⁵¹Finally, JehoShaphat went to sleep with his ancestors, and they buried him in the tomb of his fathers in the city of his ancestor David.So, his son JehoRam started to rule.⁵²It was in the 17th year of the reign of JehoShaphat the king of Judah that AhaziJah (Ahab’s son) had started ruling over IsraEl from Samaria. However, he only ruled for 2 years, ⁵³because he also acted wickedly before Jehovah, following in the steps of his father Ahab, his mother JezeBel, and of JeroBoam son of NaBat (who was the first one who led IsraEl into sin)…⁵⁴For he served the BaAls, bowing before them, and this angered Jehovah, the God of IsraEl.