Study Desk

Then Solomon made a solemn promise in the Lord 's name, "May God strike me dead if I don't make Adonijah pay with his life for asking this!

Then King Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, "Go to your country home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not have you put to death now, for you were in charge of the Lord 's Covenant Box while you were with my father David, and you shared in all his troubles."

"Do what Joab says," Solomon answered. "Kill him and bury him. Then neither I nor any other of David's descendants will any longer be held responsible for what Joab did when he killed innocent men.

The Lord will punish Joab for those murders, which he committed without my father David's knowledge. Joab killed two innocent men who were better men than he: Abner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, commander of the army of Judah.

The punishment for their murders will fall on Joab and on his descendants forever. But the Lord will always give success to David's descendants who sit on his throne."

Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, "Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Live in it and don't leave the city.

he sent for him and said, "I made you promise in the Lord 's name not to leave Jerusalem. And I warned you that if you ever did, you would certainly die. Did you not agree to it and say that you would obey me?

You know very well all the wrong that you did to my father David. The Lord will punish you for it.

A temple had not yet been built for the Lord , and so the people were still offering sacrifices at many different altars.

Solomon answered, "You always showed great love for my father David, your servant, and he was good, loyal, and honest in his relation with you. And you have continued to show him your great and constant love by giving him a son who today rules in his place.

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this,

and so he said to him, "Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly, instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies,

I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king.

Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. Then he went to Jerusalem and stood in front of the Lord 's Covenant Box and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord . After that he gave a feast for all his officials.

He sent for a sword, and when it was brought,

The real mother, her heart full of love for her son, said to the king, "Please, Your Majesty, don't kill the child! Give it to her!" But the other woman said, "Don't give it to either of us; go on and cut it in two."

When the people of Israel heard of Solomon's decision, they were all filled with deep respect for him, because they knew then that God had given him the wisdom to settle disputes fairly.

Solomon appointed twelve men as district governors in Israel. They were to provide food from their districts for the king and his household, each man being responsible for one month out of the year.

Solomon had forty thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand cavalry horses.

His twelve governors, each one in the month assigned to him, supplied the food King Solomon needed for himself and for all who ate in the palace; they always supplied everything needed.