Study Desk

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said vnto him, Did I not make thee to sweare by the Lord, and protested vnto thee, saying, Know for a certaine, that on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? And thou saidest vnto me, The word that I haue heard, is good.

And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of Dauid shall bee established before the Lord for euer.

And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer vp on that Altar.

And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Dauid my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in trueth, and in righteousnesse, and in vprightnesse of heart with thee, and thou hast kept for him this great kindnesse, that thou hast giuen him a sonne to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

And thy seruant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbred, nor counted for multitude.

Giue therefore thy seruant an understanding heart, to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good and bad: for who is able to iudge this thy so great a people?

And God said vnto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, neither hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to discerne iudgement;

Then spake the woman whose the liuing childe was, vnto the king, (for her bowels yerned vpon her sonne) and she said, O my lord, giue her the liuing childe, and in no wise slay it: But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but diuide it.

And all Israel heard of the Iudgement which the king had iudged, and they feared the King: for they saw that the wisedome of God was in him, to doe Iudgement.

And Solomon had twelue officers ouer all Israel, which prouided victuals for the king and his houshold: each man his moneth in a yeere made prouision.

And Solomons prouision for one day, was thirtie measures of fine floure, and threescore measures of meale,

For he had dominion ouer all the region on this side the Riuer, from Tiphsah euen to Azzah ouer all the kings on this side the Riuer: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

And Solomon had fourtie thousand stalles of horses for his charets, and twelue thousand horsemen.

And those officers prouided victuall for king Solomon, and for all that came vnto king Solomons table, euery man in his moneth: they lacked nothing.

Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries, brought they vnto the place where the officers were, euery man according to his charge.

For hee was wiser then all men; then Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda the sonnes of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

And Hiram king of Tyre sent his seruants vnto Solomon: (for hee had heard that they had anointed him King in the roume of his father,) for Hiram was euer a louer of Dauid.

Thou knowest how that Dauid my father could not build an house vnto the Name of the Lord his God, for the warres which were about him on euery side, vntill the Lord put them vnder the soles of his feet.

Now therefore command thou, that they hew me Cedar trees out of Lebanon, and my seruants shall bee with thy seruants: and vnto thee will I giue hire for thy seruants, according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that there is not among vs, any that can skill to hew timber, like vnto the Sidonians.

And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I haue considered the things which thou sentest to me for: and I will doe all thy desire concerning timber of Cedar, and concerning timber of firre.