32 And the four wheels, which were at the four corners of the base, were joined one to another under the base: the height of a wheel was a cubit and a half.

33 And they were such wheels as are used to be made in a chariot: and their axletrees, and spokes, and strakes, and naves, were all cast.

34 And the four undersetters that were at every corner of each base, were of the base itself cast and joined together.

35 And in the top of the base there was a round compass of half a cubit, so wrought that the laver might be set thereon, having its gravings, and divers sculptures of itself.

36 He engraved also in those plates, which were of brass, and in the corners, cherubims, and lions, and palm-trees, in likeness of a man standing, so that they seemed not to be engraven, but added round about.

37 After this manner he made ten bases, of one casting and measure, and the like graving.

33 He made also ten lavers of brass: one laver contained four bases, and was of four cubits: and upon every base, in all ten, he put as many lavers.

39 And he set the ten bases, five on the right side of the temple, and five on the left: and the sea he put on the right side of the temple overagainst the east southward.

40 And Hiram made cauldrons, and shovels, and basins, and finished all the work of king Solomon in the temple of the Lord.

41 The two pillars and the two cords of the chapiters, upon the chapiters of the pillars: and the two net-works, to cover the two cords, that were upon the top of the pillars.

42 And four hundred pomegranates for the two net-works: two rows of pomegranates for each net-work, to cover the cords of the chapiters, which were upon the tops of the pillars.

43 And the ten bases, and the ten lavers on the bases.

44 And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea. 45 And the cauldrons, and the shovels, and the basins. All the vessels that Hiram made for king Solomon for the house of the Lord, were of fine brass.

46 In the plains of the Jordan did the king cast them in a clay ground, between Socoth and Sarthan.

47 And Solomon placed all the vessels: but for exceeding great multitude the brass could not be weighed.

48 And Solomon made all the vessels for the house of the Lord: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, upon which the loaves of proposition should be set:

49 And the golden candlesticks, five on the right hand, and five on the left, over-against the oracle, of pure gold: and the flowers like lilies, and the lamps over them of gold: and golden snuffers,

50 And pots, and flesh-hooks, and bowls, and mortars, and censers, of most pure gold: and the hinges for the doors of the inner house of the holy of holies, and for the doors of the house of the temple, were of gold.

51 And Solomon finished all the work that he made in the house of the Lord; and brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, the silver and the gold, and the vessels; and laid them up in the treasures of the house of the Lord.

CHAP. VIII.

2 And all Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon on the festival day in the month of Ethanim, the saine is the seventh month.

3 And all the ancients of Israel came; and the priests took up the ark,

4 And carried the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle of the covenant, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, that were in the tabernacle: and the priests and the Levites carried them.

5 And king Solomon, and all the multitude of Israel, that were assembled unto him, went with him before the ark: and they sacrificed sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered.

6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord into its place, into the oracle of the temple, into the holy of holies under the wings of the cherubims.

7 For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and covered the ark, and the staves thereof above.

8 And whereas the staves stood out, the ends of them were seen without in the sanctuary before the oracle, but were not seen farther out: and there they have been unto this day.

9 Now in the ark there was nothing else but the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, that a cloud filled the house of the Lord.

11 And the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.

12 Then Solomon said: The Lord said that he would dwell in a cloud.

13 Building I have built a house for thy dwelling, to be thy most firm throne for ever.

14 And the king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: for all the assembly of Israel stood.

15 And Solomon said: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David my father, and with his own hands hath accomplished it, saying:

16 Since the day that I brought my people Istribes of Israel, for a house to be built, that my rael out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the name might be there: but I chose David to be over my people Israel.

17 And David my father would have built a house to the name of the Lord the God of Israel:

18 And the Lord said to David my father: Whereas thou hast thought in thy heart to build a house to my name, thou hast done well in having this same thing in thy mind.

19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build me a house: but thy son, that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build a house to my name.

20 The Lord hath performed his word which he spoke: and I stand in the room of David my fa ther, and sit upon the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and have built a house to the name of the Lord the God of Israel.

21 And I have set there a place for the ark wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

and sacrifices.

Heb. ix. 4.

22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in the sight of the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands towards heaven;

23 And said: Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above, or on earth beneath: who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that have walked before thee with all their heart:

24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father, what thou hast promised him: with thy mouth thou didst speak, and with thy hands thou hast performed, as this day proveth.

25 Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father what thou hast spoken to him, saying: There shall not be taken away of thee a man in my sight, to sit on the throne of Israel: yet so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked in my sight.

26 And now, Lord God of Israel, let thy words be established, which thou hast spoken to thy servant David my father.

27 Is it then to be thought that God should indeed dwell upon earth? for if heaven, and the heavens of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this house which I have built?

23 But have regard to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplications, O'Lord my God: hear the hymn and the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee this day:

29 That thy eyes may be open upon this house night and day; upon the house of which thou hast said: My name shall be there: that thou mayst hearken to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth in this place to thee.

30 That thou mayst hearken to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, whatsoever they shall pray for in this place; and hear them in the place of thy dwelling in heaven; and when thou hearest, show them mercy.

31 If any man trespass against his neighbour, and have an oath upon him, wherewith he is bound, and come because of the oath, before thy altar to thy house,

32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, and bringing his way upon his own head; and justifying the just, and rewarding him according to his jus

tice.

33 If thy people Israel shall fly before their enemies (because they will sin against thee) and doing penance, and confessing to thy name, shall come, and pray, and make supplications to thee in this house:

34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them back to the land which thou gavest to their fathers.

35 If heaven shall be shut up, and there shall be no rain, because of their sins, and they praying in this place, shall do penance to thy name, and shall be converted from their sins, by occasion of their afflictions:

36 Then hear thou them in heaven; and forgive the sins of thy servants, and of thy people Israel: and show them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people in possession.

37 If a famine arise in the land, or a pestilence, or corrupt air, or blasting, or locust, or mildew, if their enemy afflict them besieging the gates, whatsoever plague, whatsoever infirmity,

38 Whatsoever curse or imprecation shall happen to any man of thy people Israel: when a man shall know the wound of his own heart, and shall spread forth his hands in this house,

they live upon the face of the land, which thou hast given to our fathers.

41 Moreover also the stranger, who is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name's sake, (for they shall hear every where of thy great name and thy mighty hand, 42 And thy stretched-out arm) so when he shall come, and shall pray in this place,

43 Then hear thou in heaven in the firmament of thy dwelling-place; and do all those things, for which that stranger shall call upon thee: that all the people of the earth may learn to fear thy name, as do thy people Israel; and may prove that thy name is called upon on this house, which I have built.

44 If thy people go out to war against their enemies, by what way soever thou shalt send them, they shall pray to thee towards the way of the city which thou hast chosen, and towards the house which I have built to thy name:

45 And then hear thou in heaven their prayers, and their supplications, and do judgment for them. 46 But if they sin against thee (for there is no man who sinneth not) and thou being angry deliver them up to their enemies, so that they be led away captives into the land of their enemies far or near,

47 Then if they do penance in their heart in the place of captivity, and being converted, make supplication to thee in their captivity, saying: We have sinned; we have done unjustly; we have committed wickedness:

48 And return to thee with all their heart, and all their soul, in the land of their enemies, to which they have been led captives; and pray to thee towards the way of their land, which thou gavest to their fathers, and of the city which thou hast chosen, and of the temple which I have built to thy name:

49 Then hear thou in heaven, in the firmament of thy throne, their prayers, and their supplications, and do judgment for them:

50 And forgive thy people, that have sinned against thee, and all their iniquities, by which they have transgressed against thee: and gave them mercy before them that have made them captives, that they may have compassion on them.

51 For they are thy people, and thy inheritance, whom thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron.

52 That thy eyes may be open to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, to hear them in all things for which they shall call upon thee.

53 For thou hast separated them to thyself for an inheritance from among all the people of the earth, as thou hast spoken by Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.

54 And it came to pass, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he rose from before the altar of the Lord: for he had fixed both knees on the ground, and had spread his hands towards heaven.

55 And he stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56 Blessed be the Lord, who hath given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed so much as one word of. all the good things that he promised by his servant Moses.

40 That they may fear thee all the days that

60 That all the people of the earth may know, that the Lord he is God, and there is no other besides him.

61 Let our hearts also be perfect with the Lord our God, that we may walk in his statutes, and keep his commandments, as at this day.

62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered victims before the Lord.

63 And Solomon slew victims of peace-offerings, which he sacrificed to the Lord, two and 'twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and the children of Israel dedicated the temple of the Lord.

64 In that day the king sanctified the middle of the court, that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered the holocaust, and sacrifice, and fat of the peace-offerings: because the brazen altar that was before the Lord, was too little to receive the holocaust, and sacrifice, and fat of the peace-offerings.

10 And when twenty years were ended, after Solomon had built the two houses, that is, the house of the Lord, and the house of the king,

11 (Hiram the king of Tyre furnishing Solomon with cedar-trees and fir-trees, and gold according to all he had need of) then Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

12 And Hiram came out of Tyre, to see the towns which Solomon had given him: and they pleased him not:

13 And he said: Are these the cities which thou hast given me, brother? And he called them the land of Chabul,† unto this day.

14 And Hiram sent to king Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold.

15 This is the sum of the expenses, which king Solomon offered to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Mello, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Heser, and Mageddo, and Gazer.

66 And on the eighth day he sent away the people: and they blessed the king, and went to their dwellings rejoicing and glad in heart for all the good things that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.

CHAP. IX.

The Lord appeareth again to Solomon: he buildeth cities: he sendeth a fleet to Ophir. ND it came to pass when Solomon had fin

Aished the building of the house of the Lord,

and the king's house, and all that he desired and was pleased to do,

2 That the Lord appeared to him the second time, as he had appeared to him in Gabaon.

3 And the Lord said to him: I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, which thou hast made before me: I have sanctified this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever: and my eyes and my heart shall be there always.

4 And if thou wilt walk before me, as thy father walked, in simplicity of heart,* and in uprightness; and wilt do all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my ordinances, and my judg

ments:

5 I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel for ever, as I promised David thy father, saying: There shall not fail a man of thy race upon the throne of Israel.

6 But if you and your children revolting shall turn away from following me; and will not keep my commandments, and my ceremonies, which I have set before you; but will go and worship strange gods, and adore them:

7 I will take away Israel from the face of the land which I have given them: and the temple which I have sanctified to my name, I will cast out of my sight: and Israel shall be a proverb, and a by-word among all people.

8 And this house shall be made an example of: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and shall hiss, and say: Why hath the Lord done thus to this land, and to this house?

9 And they shall answer: Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, and adored them, and worshipped

*As thy father walked, in simplicity of heart. That is, in the sincerity and integrity of a single heart, as opposite to all double dealing and deceit.

18 And Baalath, and Palmira in the land of the wilderness.

19 And all the towns that belonged to himself, and were not walled, he fortified; the cities also of the chariots, and the cities of the horsemen, and whatsoever he had a inind to build in Jerusalem, and in Libanus, and in all the land of his dominion.

20 All the people that were left of the Amorrhites, and Hethites, and Pherezites, and Hevites, Israel;

and Jebusites, that are not of the children of

21 Their children, that were left in the land, to wit, such as the children of Israel had not been able to destroy; Solomon made tributary unto this day.

22 But of the children of Israel Solomon made not any to be bond-men: but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and captains, and overseers of the chariots and horses.

23 And there were five hundred and fifty chief officers set over all the works of Solomon: and they had people under them, and had charge over the appointed works.

24 And the daughter of Pharao came up out of the city of David to her house, which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Mello.

25 Solomon also offered three times every year holocausts, and victims of peace-offerings upon the altar which he had built to the Lord: and he burnt incense before the Lord: and the temple was finished.

26 And king Solomon made a fleet in Asiongaber, which is by Ailath on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.

27 And Hiram sent his servants in the fleet, sailors that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

28 And they came to Ophir: and they brought from thence to king Solomon four hundred and twenty talents of gold.

CHAP. X.

The queen of Saba cometh to king Solomon: his riches and glory."

AND the queen of Saba, having heard of the fame of Solomon in the name of the Lord, came to try him with hard questions.

2 And entering into Jerusalem with a great train, and riches, and camels that carried spices, and an immense quantity of gold, and precious

↑ Chabul. That is, dirty or displeasing.

stones, she came to king Solomon, and spoke to him all that she had in her heart.

3 And Solomon informed her of all the things she proposed to him: there was not any word the king was ignorant of, and which he could not answer her.

24 And all the earth desired to see Solomon's face, to hear his wisdom, which God had given in his heart.

25 And every one brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, garments and armour and spices, and horses and mules every year.

7 Concerning thy words, and concerning thy wisdom. And I did not believe them that told me, till I came myself, and saw with my own eyes, and have found that the half hath not been told me: thy wisdom, and thy works, exceed the fame which I heard.

8 Blessed are thy men, and blessed are thy servants, who stand before thee always, and hear thy wisdom.

9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, whom thou hast pleased, and who hath set thee upon the throne of Israel; because the Lord hath loved Israel for ever, and hath appointed thee king, to do judgment and justice.

10 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices a very great store, and precious stones: there was brought no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.

11 (The navy also of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir great plenty of thyine-trees, and precious stones.

12 And the king made of the thyine-trees the rails of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and citterns and harps for singers: there were no such thyine-trees as these brought, nor seen unto this day.)

13 And king Solomon gave the queen of Saba all that she desired, and asked of him; besides what he offered her of himself of his royal bounty. And she returned, and went to her own country with her servants.

14 And the weight of the gold that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred sixty six talents of gold:

15 Besides that which the men brought him that were over the tributes, and the merchants, and they that sold by retail, and all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the country.

16 And Solomon made two hundred shields of the purest gold: he allowed six hundred sicles of gold for the plates of one shield:

17 And three hundred targets of fine gold: three hundred pounds of gold covered one target: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Libanus.

18 King Solomon also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold.

19 It had six steps: and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were two hands on either side holding the seat: and two lions stood, one at each hand."

20 And twelve little lions stood upon the six steps on the one side and on the other: there was no such work made in any kingdom.

21 Moreover all the vessels, out of which king Solomon drank, were of gold: and all the furni ture of the house of the forest of Libanus was of most pure gold: there was no silver; nor was any account made of it in the days of Solomon:

22 For the king's navy, once in three years, went with the navy of Hiram by sea to Tharsis, and brought from thence gold, and silver, and elephants' teeth, and apes, and peacocks.

And king Solomon exceeded all the kings

of the earth in riches, and wisdom.

27 And he made silver to be as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; and cedars to be as common as sycamores which grow in the plains.

28 And horses were brought for Solomon out of Egypt and Coa: for the king's merchants brought them out of Coa, and bought them at a set price.

29 And a chariot of four horses came out of Egypt, for six hundred sicles of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And after this manner did all the kings of the Hethites, and of Syria sell horses.

CHAP. XI.

Solomon by means of his wives falleth into idolatry: God raiseth him adversaries, Adad, Razon, and Jeroboam: Solomon dieth.

ND king Solomon loved many strange women besides the daughter of Pharao, and women of Moab, and of Ammon, and of Edom, and of Sidon, and of the Hethites:

2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said to the children of Israel: You shall not go in unto them; neither shall any of them come in to yours; for they will most certainly turn away your heart to follow their gods. And to these was Solomon joined with a most ardent love.

3 And he had seven hundred wives as queens, and three hundred concubines: and the women turned away his heart.

4 And when he was now old, his heart was turned away by women to follow strange gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

5 But Solomon worshipped Astarthe the goddess of the Sidonians, and Moloch the idol of the Ammonites.

6 And Solomon did that which was not pleasing before the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as David his father.

7 Then Solomon built a temple for Chamos the idol of Moab, on the hill that is over-against Jerusalem, and for Moloch the idol of the children of Ammon.

8 And he did in this manner for all his wives that were strangers, who burnt incense, and offered sacrifice to their gods.

9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon; because his mind was turned away from the Lord the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not follow strange gods: but he kept not the things which the Lord commanded him.

11 The Lord therefore said to Solomon: Because thou hast done this, and hast not kept my covenant, and my precepts, which I have commanded thee, I will divide and rend thy kingdom; and will give it to thy servant.

12 Nevertheless in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

13 Neither will I take away the whole kingdom: but I will give one tribe to thy son for the sake of David my servant, and Jerusalem which have chosen.

I

* One tribe. Besides that of Juda, his own native tribe.