18But will God in very truth dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less_ this house which I have builded! i9Yet have Thou respect unto.the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplica- tion, 0 LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to' the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee; 20that Thine eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place whereof Thou hast said that Thou wouldest put Thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant shall pray toward this place. 2*And hearken Thou to the supplica- tions of Thy servant, and of Thy peo- ile Israel, when they shall pray toward his place; yea, hear Thou from Thy dwelling-place, even from heaven; and when Thou nearest, forgive.
22If a man sin against his neighbour, and an^ oath be exacted of him to cause him to swear, and he come and swear before Thine altar in this house; ^then hear Thou from heaven, and do, and judge Thy servants, requiting the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
24Aud if Thy people Israel be sihitten down before the enemy, when they sin against Thee, and shall turn again and confess Thy name, and pray and make supplication before Thee in this house; a6then hoar Thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel, and bring them back unto the land which Thou ga vest to thorn and to their fathers.
MWhon the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, when they sin against Thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess Thy name, turning from their sin, when Thou dost afflict them; *7then hear Thou in heaven, and for- SECOND CHRONICLES give the sin of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel, when Thou dost direct them on the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon Thy land, which Thou hast given to Thy people for an inheritance.
28If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blast- ing or mildew,, locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague or whatsoever sickness there be; 29what prayer and supphcation soever be made by any man, or by all Thy people Israel, who his own pi shall spre this house; shall know every man ue and his own pain, and forth his hands toward 3°then hear Thou from heaven Thy dwelling-place, and for- give, and render unto every man ac- cording to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest — for Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of the chil- dren of men — 81that they may fear Thee, to walk in Thy ways, all the days that they live in the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers.
^Moreover concerning the stranger, that is not of Thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for Thy great name's sake, and Thy mighty hand, and Thine outstretched arm; when they shall come and pray toward this house; *Hhen hear Thou from heaven, even from Thy dwelling- place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for; that all the peoples of the earth may know Thy name, and fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and that they may know that Thy name is called upon this house which I have built.
34If Thy^ people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatsoever way Thou shalt §end them, and they pray unto Thee toward this city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name; 35then hear Thou from heaven their prayer and their supphcation, and maintain then cause. 36If they sin against Thee — for there is no man that sinneth not — and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive unto a land far off or near; ^yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn, and make supplication unto Thee in the land of their captivity, saying: We have sinned, we have done iniquitously, and have dealt wicked- ly; 38if they return unto Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which Thou gavest unto their fathers, and the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Thy name; 39then hear Thou from heaven, even from Thy dwelling-place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause; and forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee.
40Now, 0 my God, let, I beseech Thee, Thine eyes be open, and let Thine ears be attent, unto the prayer that is made in this place. 41Now therefore arise, 0 LORD God, into Thy resting-place, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength; Let Thy priests, 0 LORD God, be clothed with salvation, And let Thy saints rejoice in good. ^0 LORD God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed; Remember the good deeds of David Thy servant.* Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burmV offering and the sacrifices; and the SECOND CHRONICLES glory of the LORD filled the house, 2And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD'S house. 3And all the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD was upon the house; and they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and prostrated them- selves, and gave thanks unto the LORD 'for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever.'
4And the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. 6And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedi- cated the house of God. 6And the priests stood, according to their offices; the Levites also with instruments of music of the LORD, which David the king had made, to give thanks unto the LORD, for His mercy endureth for ever, with the praises of David by their hand; and the priests sounded trum- pets over against them; and all Israel stood. 7Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD; for there he of- fered the burnt-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings; because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt-offering, and the meal-offering, and the fat, *So Solomon held the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entrance of Hamath unto the Brook of Egypt. *And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly; for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. *°And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away unto their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the LORD had shown unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel His people.
"Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected. 12And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him: 'I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice. 13If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people; 14if My people, upon whom My name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attent, unto the prayer that is made in this place. 16For now have I chosen and hallowed this house, that My name may be there for ever; and Mine eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually. 17And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before Mo as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep My statutes and Mine ordinances; 18then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I covenanted with David thy fatter, saying: There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel. wBut if ye turn away, and forsake My statutes md My commandments which I aave set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; 20then will f pluck them up by the roots out of My land wMcn I have £iven them; and this house, which I nave hallowed for My name, will I SECOND CHRONICLES cast out of My sight, and I will mak< it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21And this house, which is so high, every one that-passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall say Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? 22And they shall answer: Because they for- sook the LORD, the God of their fathers who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, anc served them; therefore hath He brought all this evil upon them/ Q And it came to pass at the end oJ u twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, anc his own house, 2that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solo- mon built them, and caused the chil- dren of Israel to dwell there.
3And Solomon went to Hamath- zobah, and prevailed against it. 4Anc he built Tadmor in the wilderness, anc all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath. 5Also he built Beth-horon the upper,, and Beth-horon the nether, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars; 6and Baalath, and all the store- cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
7As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Penzzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel; 8of their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, of them did Solomon raise a levy of bondservants, unto this day. 9But 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 rulers of his chariots and of his horse- men.
10And these were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two hundred and fifty, that bore rule over the people.
uAnd 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: 'No wife of mine shall dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come.7 12Then Solomon offered burnt- offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch, 13even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the appointed seasons, three times in the year, even in the feast of un- leavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles. 14And he appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise, and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day re- quired; the doorkeepers also by their courses at every gate; for so had David the man of God commanded. J5And they departed not from the command- ment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures. I6So all the work of Solomon was set in order from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was per- fected.
"Then went Solomon to Ezion- geber, and to Eloth, on the sea-ahore n the land of Edom. 18And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowl- SECOND CHRONICLES edge of the sea; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and fetched from thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.
Q 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 train, and^ camels that bore spices and gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she was come to Solomon, she spoke with him of all that was in her heart. 2And Solomon told her all her questions; and there was not any thing hid from Solomon which he told her not. 8And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, 4and the food of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cup- bearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. fiAnd she said to the king: 'It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom. 6Howbeit I be- lieved not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had scon it; and, be- hold, the half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me; thou ex- oeedest the fame that I heard. 7Happy are thy men, and happy are those thy servants, that stand continually be- fore thee, and hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the LORD thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on His throne, to be king for the LORD thy j God; because they God loved Israel, I to establish them for ever, therefore made He thee king over them, to do \ justice and righteousness/ 8And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and precious stones; neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to long Solomon. 10And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Sol- omon, that brought gold from Ophir, brought sandal-wood and precious stones. "And the king made of the sandal-wood paths for the house of the LORD, ana for the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singers; and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah. 12And king Sol- omon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, be- side that which she had brought un- to the king. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her serv- ants.
13Now thejweight of gold that came to Solomon in one year Tjras six hun- dred and threescore and six talents of gold; "beside that which the traffickers and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target; iethree hun- dred shields of beaten gold also: 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 gdld. l8And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which wore fastened to the throne, and arms on dither side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. **And twelve lions stood there on the ono side and on the other upon the six stops; there was not the like made in any kingdom, 90And all king Solomon's arinMng- vessels were of gold, and all the vessels SECOND CHRONICLES of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon. 21For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years came the ships of Tarshish, bringing gold, and silver; ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
MSo king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth inriches and wisdom MAnd all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wis- dom, which God had put in his heart. 24And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year 25And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, anc twelve thousand horsemen, that he bestowed in the chariot cities, anc with the king at Jerusalem. 26And he ruled over all the kings from the River even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. 27And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he^to be as the sycomore-trees that are in the Lowland, for abundance. 28And they brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt, and out of all lands.
29Now the rest of the acts of Sol- omon, first and last, are they not writ- ten in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahi- jah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Jedo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty ^years. 31And Solomon slept with his fathers, they buried him in the city of David his father; and Reho- boam his son reigned in his stead. 1 Q And Rehoboam went to She- chem; for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 2And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the!
son of Nebat heard of rfc — for he was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of king Solomon — that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. 3And they sent and called him; and Jeroboam and all Israel came, and they spoke to Rehoboam, saying: 4'Thy father made our yoke grievous; now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his ^heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.' 5And he said unto them: 'Come again unto me after three days.' Aad the people departed.
6And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying: 'What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?' 7And they spoke unto him, saying: 'If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.' 8But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men that were grown up with him. that stood before him. 9And he said, unto them: 'What counsel give ye, that we may return answer to this people, who have spoken to me, say- ing: Make the yoke tiiat thy father did put upon us lighter?' 10And the young men that were grown up with him spoke unto him, saying: 'Thus shalt thou say unto the people that spoke unto thee, saying: Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thoa say unto them: My little finger is ihicker than my father's loins. "And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'
SECOND CHRONICLES SECOND CHRONICLES 12So Jeroboam and all the people eame to Rehoboam the third day, as the king bade, saying: 'Come to me again t£e third day/ 13And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, "and spoke to them after the counsel of the young men, saying: ' [My father] made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto; my father chas- tised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.' 16So the king hearkened not unto the people; for it was brought about of God, that the LORD might establish His word, which He spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jero- boam the son of Nebat.
1GAnd when all Israel [saw] that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying. 'What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to your tents, 0 Israel; now sco to thine own house, David.' So all Israel departed unto their tents. "But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rohoboam reigned over them. IftThen king Hchoboam sent Hadoram, who was over the levy; and the chil- dren of Israel stoned him with stones, so that ho died. And king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to floe to Jerusalem. 19So Israel ^rebelled against the house of unto this day.
A**d when Rohoboam was come to Jenmlcm, he assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin, & hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, that were warriors, to fight against Israel, to bring tho king- dom back to Rehoboam. *But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying: *' Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Juda and Benjamin, saying: 4Thus sait the LORD: Ye shall not go up, nc fight against your brethren; retur every man to his house, for this thin is of Me.' So they hearkened unt the words of the LORD, and returns from going against Jeroboam.
6And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem and built cities for defence in Judah 6He built even Beth-lchem, and Etam and Tekoa, 7and Beth-zur, and Soco and Adullam, 8and Gath, and Mare shah;< and Ziph, 9and Adoraim, an< Lachish, and Azokah, 10and Zorab and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are ii Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities "And he fortified the strongholds, am put captains in them, and store 'p victual, and oil and wine. 12And ii ovory city he put shields and spears and made them exceeding strong. Anc Judah and Benjamin adhered to him 13And the priests and the Levitei that were in. all Israel presented them selves to him out of all their border "For the Levitos left their open lane and their possession, and came t< Judah and Jerusalem; for Jeroboan and his sons cast them offz that thej should not execute the priest's office unto the LORD; lfiand he appointee him priests for the high places, anc for the satyrs, and for the calves which he had made. 16And aftei them, out of all the tribes of Israel such, as set their hearts to seek th< LOTU>, tho God of Israel, came tc Jerusalem to sacrifice unto the LORD the God of their fathers. 17So thoj strengthened the kingdom of Judah and made Rehoboam the son o Solomon strong, three years; for the} walked throe years in the way o. David and Solomon.
X8And Rehoboam took him a wife Mahalath the daughter of Jorimotl the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse 19and she bore him sons: Jeush, anc Shemariah, and Zaham. 20And after her he took Maacah the daughter oJ Absalom; and she bore him Abijahi and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith. 2lAnd Rehoboam loved Maacah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and Ms concubines— for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines, and begot twenty anc eight sons and threescore daughters. ^And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, even the prince among his brethren; for he was minded to make him king ^And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his sons throughput all the lajids of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fortified city; and he gave them victual in abundance. And he sought for them many wives. 1 O Aoid it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established, and he was strong, that he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him, 2And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Reho- boam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up agamst Jerusalem, because they had dealt treacherously with the LORD, swith twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen; and the people were with- out number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. 4And he took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came unto Jerusalem. 5Now Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and unto them: 'Thus saith the ,: Ye have forsaken Me, there- have I aiso left you in the hand i of Shishak.' 6Then the princes oj Israel and the king humbled them- selves; and they said: 'The LORD is righteous.' 7And when the LORI saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah saying: 'They have humbled them- selves; I will not destroy them; bu1 I will grant them some deliverance and My wrath shall not be poured ou1 upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shi- shak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know My service, and the service of the king- doms of the countries.'
9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all away; he took away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. 10And king Rehoboam made in their stead shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, that kept the door of the king's house. "And it was so, that as oft as the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and bore them, and brought them back into the guard- chamber. ^And when he humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned from him, that He would not destroy him altogether; and moreover in Judah there were good things found. 13So king Rehoboam strengihened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned; for Rehoboam was forty and cue years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD lad chosen out of all the tribes of [srael, to put His name there; and his mother's name was Naamah the Ammonitess. MAn<l he did that which was evil, because he set not hi« heart to seek the LORD* SECOND CHRONICLES SECOND CHRONICLES 15Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the histories of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, after the manner of genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. 16And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his stead. "| O In the eighteenth year of king ^ Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah. 2Three years reigned he in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3And Abijah joined battle with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men; and Jeroboam set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men. who were mighty men of valour. 4And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, and said: 'Hear me, 0 Jeroboam and all Israel; *ought ye not to know that the LORD, the God of Israel, gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? 6Yct Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the serv- ant of Solomon the son of David, rose up, and rebelled against his lord. 7And there were gathered unto him vain men, base fellows that strength- ened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, ^when Rehoboam was young and faint-hearted) and could not withstand them. 8And now ye think to withstand the king- dom of the, LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a groat multitude* and there are with you the golden calves which Jeroboam mado you for gods. *Have ye not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of; Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the peoples of other lands? so thatj who- soever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same becometh a priest of them that are no gods. 10But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and we have priests ministering unto the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites in their work; uand they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt-offerings and sweet incense; the showbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candle- stick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken Him. 12And, be- hold, God is with us at our head, and His priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. 0 children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD, the God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.'