The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 256

The queen of Saba admireth the wisdom of Solomon. His riches and glory.

His death.

9:1. And when the queen of Saba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to try him with hard questions at Jerusalem, with great riches, and camels, which carried spices, and abundance of gold, and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon, she proposed to him all that was in her heart.

9:2. And Solomon explained to her all that she proposed: and there was not any thing that he did not make clear unto her.

9:3. And when she had seen these things, to wit, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,

9:4. And the meats of his table, and the dwelling places of his servants, and the attendance of his officers, and their apparel, his cupbearers also, and their garments, and the victims which he offered in the house of the Lord: there was no more spirit in her, she was so astonished.

9:5. And she said to the king: The word is true which I heard in my country of thy virtues and wisdom.

9:6. I did not believe them that told it, until I came, and my eyes had seen, and I had proved that scarce one half of thy wisdom had been told me: thou hast exceeded the same with thy virtues.

9:7. Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

9:8. Blessed be the Lord thy G.o.d, who hath been pleased to set thee on his throne, king of the Lord thy G.o.d. Because G.o.d loveth Israel, and will preserve them forever: therefore hath he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

9:9. And she gave to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and most precious stones: there were no such spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.

9:10. And the servants also of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and thyine trees, and most precious stones:

9:11. And the king made of the thyine trees stairs in the house of the Lord, and in the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singing men: never were there seen such trees in the land of Juda.

9:12. And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, and that she asked, and many more things than she brought to him: so she returned, and went to her own country with her servants.

9:13. And the weight of the gold, that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold:

9:14. Beside the sum which the deputies of divers nations, and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and all the kings of Arabia, and the lords of the lands, who brought gold and silver to Solomon.

9:15. And king Solomon made two hundred golden spears, of the sum of six hundred pieces of gold, which went to every spear:

9:16. And three hundred golden s.h.i.+elds of three hundred pieces of gold, which went to the covering of every s.h.i.+eld: and the king put them in the armoury, which was compa.s.sed with a wood.

9:17. The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.

9:18. And six steps to go up to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms one on either side, and two lions standing by the arms:

9:19. Moreover twelve other little lions standing upon the steps on both sides: there was not such a throne in any kingdom.

9:20. And all the vessels of the king's table were of gold, and the vessels of the house of the forest of Liba.n.u.s were of the purest gold.

For no account was made of silver in those days.

9:21. For the king's s.h.i.+ps went to Tharsis with the servants of Hiram, once in three years: and they brought thence gold and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peac.o.c.ks.

9:22. And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory.

9:23. And all the kings of the earth desired to see the face of Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which G.o.d had given in his heart.

9:24. And every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules.

9:25. And Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots, and hors.e.m.e.n, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots and where the king was in Jerusalem.

9:26. And he exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.

9:27. And he made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars as common as the sycamores, which grow in the plains.

9:28. And horses were brought to him out of Egypt, and out of all countries.

9:29. Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are written in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the books of Ahias the Silonite, and in the vision of Addo the seer, against Jeroboam the son of Nabat.

9:30. And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

9:31. And he slept with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 10

Roboam answereth the people roughly: upon which ten tribes revolt.

10:1. And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither all Israel were a.s.sembled, to make him king.

10:2. And when Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (for he was fled thither from Solomon,) heard it, forthwith he returned.

10:3. And they sent for him, and he came with all Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying:

10:4. Thy father oppressed with a most grievous yoke, do thou govern us with a lighter hand than thy father, who laid upon us a heavy servitude, and ease some thing of the burden, that we may serve thee.

10:5. And he said to them: Come to me again after three days. And when the people were gone,

10:6. He took counsel with the ancients, who had stood before his father Solomon, while he yet lived, saying: What counsel give you to me, that I may answer the people?

10:7. And they said to him: If thou please this people, and soothe them with kind words, they will be thy servants for ever.

10:8. But he forsook the counsel of the ancients, and began to treat with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and were in his train.

10:9. And he said to them: What seemeth good to you? or what shall I answer this people, who have said to me: Ease the yoke which thy father laid upon us?

10:10. But they answered as young men, and brought up with him in pleasures, and said: Thus shalt thou speak to the people, that said to thee: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease it: thus shalt thou answer them: My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father.

10:11. My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, and I will add more weight to it: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions.

10:12. So Jeroboam, and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as he commanded them.

10:13. And the king answered roughly, leaving the counsel of the ancients.

10:14. And he spoke according to the advice of the young men: My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, which I will make heavier: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions.

10:15. And he condescended not to the people's requests: for it was the will of G.o.d, that his word might be fulfilled which he had spoken by the hand of Ahias the Silonite to Jeroboam the son of Nabat.