rearly facrifices,

10 And these were the chief of king Solo mon's officers, even two hundred and filty, that bare rule over the people.

11 And Solomon brought up the daugh. ter of Pharaoh out of the city of David, unto the houfe that he had built for her for he faid, My wife thall not dwell in the houfe of David king of Ifrael, because the places are holy whereunto the ark of the LORD hath

14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courfes of the priests to their fervice, and the Levites to their charges, to praife and minifter before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters alfo by their courfes at every gate: for fo had David the man of God commanded.

15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the boufe of the Loke, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfect

ed.

7 Happy are thy men, and happy are thefe thy fervants, which land continually berore thee, and hear thy wisdom.

8 Bleffed be the LORD thy God, which de lighted in thee to fet thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Ifrael, to establish them for ever, therefore made ne thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

9 And the gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of fpices great abundance, and precious ftones: neither was there any fuch fpice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.

10 And the fervants alfo of Huram, and the fervants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees, and preci.

ous ftones.

dom.

18 And Huram fent him by the hands of his fervants thips, and fervants that had know. ledge of the fea; and they went with the fervants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

CHAP. IX.

1 The queen of Sheba admireth Solomon's svij dom: 13 his riches: 31 his death.

AND when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, the came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerufalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare fpices, and gold in abundance, and precious tones: and when the was come to Solomon, the communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2 And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing bid from Solomon which he told her not.

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4 And the meat of his table, and the fitting of his fervants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cup-bearers alfo, and their apparel; and his afcent by which he went up into the houfe of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

5 And the aid to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy win lom:

6 Howbeit I believed not their words, un til I came, and mine eyes had feen it and behold, the one half of the greatness of thy

16 And three hundred shields made be of beaten gold: three hundred pekels of gold went to one fhield. And the king put them in the houfe of the foreft of Lebanon.

17 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

18 And there were fix steps to the throne, with a footitool of gold, which were faften

ed to the throne, and says on tach fide of the fitting place, and two lions ftanding by the ftays:

19 And twelve lions flood there on the one fide and on the other upon the fix fteps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

20 And all the drinking veffels of king So. omon were of gold, and all the veffels of the house of the foreft of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of filver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

21 for the king's thips went to Tarshish with the fervants of Huram: every three years once came the thips of Tarthith bringing gold, and filver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

22 And king Solomon paffed all the kings of the earth in riches and wifdom.

23 And all the kings of the earth fought the prefence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.

24 And they brought every man his prefent, veffels of ülver, and veffels of gold, and raiment, harness, and fpices, horfes and mules, a rate year by year.

25 And Solomon had four thousand ftalls

ten tribes revolt.

27 And the king made filver in Jerufalem as tones, and cedar trees made he as the fycamore trees that are in the low plains in abun

dance.

28 And they brought unto Solomon horfes out of Fgypt, and out of all lands.

29 Now the reft of the acts of Solomon, firt and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the feer againit Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30 And Solomon reigned in Jerufalem over all Ifrael forty years.

31 And Solomon flept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his fon reigned in his ftead. С НА Р. Х.

1 Rehoboam refusing the old men's counsel, 16 ten tribes revolt: 18 and he fleeth.

AND Rehoboam went to Shechem : for to Shechem were all Ifrael come to make him king.

2 And it came to pafs, when Jeroboam the fon of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had filed from the prefence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jerobeam returned out of Egypt.

3 And they fent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Ifrael came, and spake to Rehoboam, faying,

4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore eafe thou fomewhat the grievous fervitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will ferve thee.

5 And he laid unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people depart

ed.

6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, faying, What counfel give ye me to return anfwer to this people?

7 And they fpake unto him, faying, If thou be kind to this people, and pleafe them, and fpeak good words to them, they will be thy fervants for ever.

8 But he forfook the counfel which the old men gave him, and took counfel with the young men that were brought up with him, that flood before him.

9 And he faid unto them, What advice give ye that we may return anfwer to this people, which have spoken to me, faying, Eafe fomewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?

10 And the young men that were brought up with him fpake unto him, faying, Thus fhalt thou answer the people that fpake unto thee, faying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it fomewhat lighter for us; thus thalt thou fay unto them, My little finger thall be thicker than my father's loins.

11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke my father chaftifed you with whips, but I will chaflife you with fcorpions.

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came

13 And the king anfwered them roughly: and king Rehoboam forlook the couniel of

the old men,

14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, faying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto my fa ther chattifed you with whips, but I will chaftife you with fcorpions.

15 So the king hearkened not unto the people; for the caufe was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he fpake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the fon of Nebat.

16And when all Ifrael faw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people an fwered the king, faying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the (on of Jeffe: every man to your tents, O lfrael and now, David, fee to thine own houfe. So all Ifrael went to their tents.

17 But as for the children of Ifrael that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reign. ed over them.

18 Then king Rehoboam fent Hadoram, that was over the tribute; and the children of Ifrael ftoned him with ftones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made fpeed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerufalem.

19 And Ifrael rebelled against the house of David unto this day. CHAP. XI.

1 Rehoboam raifing an army to fubdue Ifrael, is forbidden by Shemaiah: 18 his wives. AND when Rehoboam, was come to Jerufa

lem, he gathered of the houfe of Judah and Benjamin," an hundred and fourfcore thou fand chofen men, which were warriors, to fight against Ifrael, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaith the man of God, faying,

3 Speak unto Rehoboam the fon of Solo. mon, king of Judah, and to all Ifrael in Judah and Benjamin, faying,

4 Thus faith the LORD, Ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his houfe: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jerobo

am.

5¶And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for detence in Judah. 6 He built even Beth-lehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

And Beth-zur, and Shocho, and Adullam, 8 And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, 9 And Adoraim, and Lachith, and Azekah, To And Zorah, and Ajalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.

II And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and flore of victual, and of oil and wine.

12 And in every several city be pur shields and fpears, and made them exceeding firong, having Judah and Benjamin on his fide.

13 And the priests and the Levites that were in all Ifrael reforted to him out of all their coasts.

14 For the Levites left their fuburbs and their poffeffion, and came to Judah and Jeru falem': for Jeroboam and his fons had catt

them

Rebobram's wives and children:

them off from executing the prief's office unto the LORD.

15 And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

16 And after them out of all the tribes of Ifrael fuch as fet their hearts to feek the LORD God of Ifrael came to Jerufalem, to facrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.

17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the fon ct Solomon ftrong three years, for three years they walk ed in the way of David and Solomon.

18 And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the fon of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the fon of Jeffe;

19 Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

20 And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Abfalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

21 And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Abfalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threefcore concubines; and be gat twenty and eight fons, and threefcore daughters.)

22 And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for be thought to make him king.

23 And he dealt wifely, and difperfed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city and he gave them victual in abundance. And he defired many wives.

CHAP. XII.

1 Rehoboam, forfaking God, is punished by Shibak: 13 bis reign and death.

AND it came to paf, when Rehoboam had eftablished the kingdom, and had ftrength. ened himself, he forfook the law of the LORD, and all Ifrael with him.

2 And it came to pafs, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, Shifhak king of Egypt came up against Jerufalem, because they had tranfgreffed against the LORD,

3 With twelve hundred chariots, and threefcore thousand horfemen: and the people were

without number that came with him out of Egypt: the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

4 And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerufalem. 5¶Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Juah that were gathered together to Jerufalem becaufe of Shithak, and faid unto them, Thus faith the LORD, Ye have forfaken me, and therefore have l ́also left you in the hand of Shithak.

6 Whereupon the princes of Ifrael and the king humbled themselves; and they faid, The LORD is righteous.

7 And when the LORD faw that they humbled them elves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, faying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them fome deliverance; and my wrath thall not be pouted out upon Jerufa lem by the hand of Shahak.

8 Nevertheless they shall be his fervants; that they may know my service, and the fer. vice of the kingdoms of the countries.

9 So Shisha king of Egypt came up

His reign and death. against Jerufalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all he carried away alio the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

10 Inttead of which king Rehoboam made fhields of brafs, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's houfe.

II And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard cham ber.

12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not deftroy him altogether: and alfo in Judah things went well.

13 So king Rehoboam ftrengthened himfelt in Jerufalem, and reigned for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned feventeen years in Jerufalem, the city which the LORD had cho fen out of all the tribes of Ifrael, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Na amah an Ammonitefs.

14 And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to feek the LORD.

15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and laft, are they not written in the book of Shemiah the prophet, and i Iddo the feer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

16 And Rehoboam flept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David: and Abi jah his fon reigned in his ftead.

Now

CHAP. XIII. Abijab, fucceeding, maketh war against Ferobram, and overcometh him. TOW in the eighteenth year of king Jero boam began Abijah to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerufalem. His mother's name alfo was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

3 And Abijah fet the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hun. dred thousand chofen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chofen men, being mighty men

of valour.

4 And Abijah ftood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and faid, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Ifrael;

5 Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Ifrael gave the kingdom over Ifrael to Da vid for ever, even to him and to his fons by a covenant of falt?

6 Yet Jeroboam the fon of Nebat, the fer. vant of Solomon the fon of David, is rifen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.

7 And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have ftrengthened themselves against Rehoboam the fon of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the fons of David, and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.

9 Have ye not caft out the priests of the LORD, the fons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you prieits after the manner of the nations of other lands? fo that who. oever cometh to confecrate himself with a

young

Ramab's building prevented. hands be weak: for your work fhall be reward

ed.

8 And when Afa heard thefe words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar or the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.

9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the firangers with them out of Ephraim and Mana Teh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Ifrael in abundance, when they faw that the LORD his God was with him:

So they gathered themfelves together at Jerufalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Afa.

II And they offered unto the LORD the fame time, of the fpoil which they had brought, feven hundred oxen and feven thou fand theep.

12 And they entered into a covenant to feek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart, and with all their foul;

13 That whofcever would not feek the LORD God of Ifraei fhould be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or wo

man.

14 And they fware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had fworn with all their heart, and fought him with their whole defire; and he was found of them; and the LORD gave them reft round about.

16 And allo concerning Maachah the mother of Afa the king, he removed her from bein, queen, because the had made an idol in a grove: and Afa cut down her idol, and itamped it, and burnt it at the brook Ki

dron.

17 But the high places were not taken away oat of Ifrael: nevertheless, the heart of Afa was periect all his days.

18 And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, filver, and gold, and veffels.

19 And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Afa. CHAP. XVI.

Afa, by the aid of the syrians, diverteth Ba. afta from building of Kamab: 11 e feck eth not to God in his difeafe, but to the Physicians: 13 his death and burial.

N the fix and thirtieth year of the reign of Afa Baatha king of Ifrael came up againit Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Afa king of Judah.

2 Then Afa brought out filver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the king's houfe, and fent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damafcus, fay ing,

3 There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have fent thee filver and gold; go, break thy league with Baatha king of If raci, that he may depart from me.

4 And Ben-hadad hearkened unto king Afa, and feat the captains of his armies

Fehofaphat's greatness.

againft the cities of Ifrael; and they fmote Ijon, and Dan, and Abel-maim, and all the fore cities of Naphtali.

5 And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building of Ramah, and let his work cease.

6 Then Afa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the tones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baatha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah."

7¶And at that time Hanapi the feer came to Afa king of Judah, and faid unto him, Be caufe thou hatt relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the hoit of the king of Syria efcaped out of thine hand.

8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Lu bims a huge hott, with very many chariots and horiemen? yet because thou didft rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.

For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to thew him. felf ttrong in the behalf of them whole heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hart done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

10 Then Afa was wroth with the feer, and put him in a prifon house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Afa oppreffed fame of the people the fame time.

And, behold, the acts of Afa, firstand laft, lo, they are written in the book or the kings of Judah and Ifrael.

12 And Afa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was difcafed in his feet, until his difeafe was exceeding great: yet in his dieale he fought not to the LORD, but to the phyficians.

13 And Afa flept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

14 And they buried him in his own fe pulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with fweet odours, and divers kinds of pices prepared by the apothe caries' art; and they made a very great burning for him.

CHAP. XVII.

Jehofaphat reigneth well, and profpereth: The fendeth Levites to teach Judab: 12 bis greatness, captains, and armies.

AND Jehothathat his fon reigned in his tead, and ftrengthened himself again:t

Ifrael.

2. And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and fet gatrifons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Afa his father had taken.

3 And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, be caufe he walked in the firit ways of his father David, and fought not unto Baalim;

4 But fought to the LORD God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Ifrael:

5 Therefore the Log D eftablished the king. dom in his hand; and all fudah brought to le hotha, har prefents; and he had riches and ho nour in abundance.

6 And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the 1.08r: morcover, he took away the high places and groves out of Judah.

7 Alfo in the third year of his reign he fent to his princes, even to Ben-hail, ang