Study Desk

Now the Lord has kept His promise which He made. For I have taken my father David's place and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. And I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord. And in front of all the people of Israel he lifted his hands toward heaven.

"If a man sins against his neighbor and has to make a promise, and he comes and makes a promise at Your altar in this house,

then hear in heaven and act. Judge Your servants. Punish the guilty forever by bringing his actions upon his own head, and free from guilt the one who is right and good, by returning his good to him.

whatever prayer is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing the trouble of his own heart and spreading his hands toward this house,

then hear in heaven where You are. Forgive, and act. Give to each the pay he has earned by all his ways. You know his heart. You alone know the hearts of all the children of men.

When Solomon had finished praying all this prayer to the Lord, he stood up in front of the altar of the Lord. He had been on his knees with his hands lifted toward heaven.

"Thanks be to the Lord. He has given rest to His people Israel. He has done all that He promised. Every word has come true of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.

May He turn our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep all His Word and all His Laws, which He told our fathers.

May these words of mine, which I have prayed to the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night. May He see that the right thing is done to His servant and His people Israel, day by day as we have need.

So let your whole heart be true to the Lord our God. Walk in His Laws and keep His Word, just as you are doing today."

Solomon sent the people away on the eighth day, and they gave thanks to the king. Then they went to their tents full of joy and glad in their hearts for all the good things the Lord had shown to His servant David and to His people Israel.

Now King Solomon made men work to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Meggido and Gezer.

For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer and burned it with fire. He killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and then gave it as a wedding-gift to his daughter, Solomon's wife.

Solomon built all the store-cities that he had, the cities for his war-wagons, the cities for his horsemen, and all he wanted to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.

But Solomon did not make the people of Israel work for him. For they were men of war, his servants, his rulers, his captains, his war-wagon drivers, and his horsemen.

Hiram sent his servants with the ships, sailors who knew the sea. He sent them with the servants of Solomon.

the food on his table, and his many servants seated to eat. She saw those who brought the food and how they were dressed, and those who carried his cups. She saw the steps by which he went up to the house of the Lord. And there was no more spirit in her.

King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all she wanted, whatever she asked, as well as his gifts to her from the king's riches. Then she and her servants returned to her own land.

They came from all over the earth to see Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart.