- And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, that the cities which Hiram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them and caused the children of Israel to dwell there. And Solomon went to Hamath-Zobah and prevailed against it. And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities which he built in Hamath. Also, he built Bethhoron the upper and Bethhoron the lower, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars; and Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.
- As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites — who were not of Israel, but of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not — them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day. But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work. But they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen. And these were the chief of king Solomon’s officers, even two hundred fifty that bore rule over the people.
- And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her; for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy unto which the ark of the Lord has come.
- Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the porch, even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts three times in the year — even in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles. And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required, the porters also by their courses at every gate; for so had David the man of God commanded. And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.
- Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was perfected.
- Then went Solomon to Ezion-Geber and to Eloth at the seaside in the land of Edom. And Hiram sent him, by the hands of his servants, ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea. And they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took from there four hundred fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
- And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem with a very great company, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions, and there was nothing hidden from Solomon which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, his cupbearers also and their apparel, and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.
- And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom. Nevertheless, I believed not their words until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the one half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me, for you exceed the fame that I heard. Happy are your men and happy are these your servants who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom. Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you to set you on his throne, to be king for the Lord your God. Because your God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore he made you king over them, to do judgment and justice.
- And she gave the king a hundred twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones. Neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon. And the servants also of Hiram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir brought algum trees and precious stones. And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the Lord and to the king’s palace, and harps and psalteries for singers. And there were none such seen before in the land of Judah. And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned and went away to her own land, she and her servants.
- Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, besides that which peddlers and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. And king Solomon made two hundred shields of beaten gold — six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one shield. And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold — three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
- Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the armrests. And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.
- And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver. It was not anything accounted of in the days of Solomon, for the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram; every three years, once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
- And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present: vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year. And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen whom he bestowed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. And he reigned over all the kings, from the river even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees that are in the low plains in abundance. And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.
- Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first 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 seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat? And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.
Chapter 3