Study Desk

Next the king sent for Shimei. Solomon said to him, "Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there. Don't leave the city.

So Shimei answered the king, "I agree with what you say. I will do what you say, my master and king." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.

So Solomon sent for Shimei and said, "I made you promise in the name of the Lord not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you if you went out anywhere you would die, and you agreed to what I said.

The king also said, "You know the many wrong things you did to my father David, so now the Lord will punish you for those wrongs.

The Temple for the worship of the Lord had not yet been finished, so people were still sacrificing at altars in many places of worship.

While he was at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him in a dream during the night. God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

So God said to him, "You did not ask for a long life, or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies. Since you asked for wisdom to make the right decisions,

I will also give you what you did not ask for: riches and honor. During your life no other king will be as great as you.

After Solomon woke up from the dream, he went to Jerusalem. He stood before the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord , where he made burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. After that, he gave a feast for all his leaders and officers.

The real mother of the living child was full of love for her son. So she said to the king, "Please, my master, don't kill him! Give the baby to her!" But the other woman said, "Neither of us will have him. Cut him into two pieces!"

Ahishar was responsible for everything in the palace; Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the labor force.

Solomon placed twelve governors over the districts of Israel, who gathered food from their districts for the king and his family. Each governor was responsible for bringing food to the king one month of each year.

Solomon had four thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand horses.

Each month one of the district governors gave King Solomon all the food he needed—enough for every person who ate at the king's table. The governors made sure he had everything he needed.

They also brought enough barley and straw for Solomon's chariot and work horses; each person brought this grain to the right place.

"You remember my father David had to fight many wars with the countries around him, so he was never able to build a temple for worshiping the Lord his God. David was waiting until the Lord allowed him to defeat all his enemies.

"The Lord promised my father David, ‘I will make your son king after you, and he will build a temple for worshiping me.' Now, I plan to build that temple for worshiping the Lord my God.

So send your men to cut down cedar trees for me from Lebanon. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay them whatever wages you decide. We don't have anyone who can cut down trees as well as the people of Sidon."

He sent a group of ten thousand men each month to Lebanon. Each group worked in Lebanon one month, then went home for two months. A man named Adoniram was in charge.

King Solomon commanded them to cut large blocks of fine stone to be used for the foundation of the Temple.