Study Desk

The king used the algum wood to make steps for the house of the Lord and for the king's house. And he used it to make different kinds of harps for the singers. There were none seen like them before in the land of Judah.

King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she asked for, much more than she had brought to him. Then she returned to her own land with her servants.

And he made 300 battle-coverings of beaten gold, using as much as 300 gold pieces worth of gold for each covering. The king put them in the House of the Trees of Lebanon.

There were six steps to the throne, and a part made of gold for his feet was joined to the throne. The throne had arms on each side, and two lions standing beside the arms.

Twelve lions were standing on each side of the six steps. Nothing like it had ever been made for the king of any other nation.

For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with Huram's servants. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

Every one of them brought his gift. Objects of silver and gold, clothing, objects for battle, spices, horses and donkeys, were brought each year.

Solomon had 4,000 rooms for horses and war-wagons, and 12,000 horsemen. He put them in the war-wagon cities and with the king in Jerusalem.

And horses were brought in for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard about it, he returned from Egypt. For Jeroboam had run to Egypt to get away from King Solomon.

And the people sent for him. Jeroboam and all Israel came to Rehoboam and said,

"Your father gave us a heavy load to carry. So now make our work easier than your father made us work. Do not let our load be as heavy as the one he put on us. And we will work for you."

The young men who grew up with him said to him, "Say this to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our load heavy, but you make it easier for us.' Tell them, ‘My little finger is bigger around than my father's body!

‘This is what the Lord says, "You must not go up to fight against your brothers. Every man return to his house. For I have made this happen."'" So they listened to the word of the Lord and returned. They did not go against Jeroboam.

The Levites left their fields and land and came to Judah and Jerusalem. For Jeroboam and his sons had stopped them from working as religious leaders for the Lord.

He chose religious leaders of his own for the high places, for the goat-gods and for the calves which he had made.

They made the nation of Judah strong, and gave strength to Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years. For they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom more than all his other wives and women who acted as his wives. For he had taken eighteen wives and sixty women who acted as his wives. He was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

Rehoboam chose Maacah's son Abijah to be the head leader among his brothers. For he wanted to make him king.

And he acted with wisdom. He spread some of his sons to every strong city in all the lands of Judah and Benjamin. He gave them much food, and found many wives for them.