14
How wise wast thou in thy youth and, as a flood, filled with understanding!
15
Thy soul covered the whole earth, and thou filledst it with dark parables.
16
Thy name went far unto the islands; and for thy peace thou wast beloved.
17
The countries marvelled at thee for thy songs, and proverbs, and parables, and interpretations.
18
By the name of the Lord God, which is called the Lord God of Israel, thou didst gather gold as tin and didst multiply silver as lead.
19
Thou didst bow thy loins unto women, and by thy body thou wast brought into subjection.
20
Thou didst stain thy honour, and pollute thy seed: so that thou broughtest wrath upon thy children, and wast grieved for thy folly.
21
So the kingdom was divided, and out of Ephraim ruled a rebellious kingdom.
22
But the Lord will never leave off his mercy, neither shall any of his works perish, neither will he abolish the posterity of his elect, and the seed of him that loveth him he will not take away: wherefore he gave a remnant unto Jacob, and out of him a root unto David.
23
Thus rested Solomon with his fathers, and of his seed he left behind him Roboam, even the foolishness of the people, and one that had no understanding, who turned away the people through his counsel. There was also Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin, and shewed Ephraim the way of sin:
24
And their sins were multiplied exceedingly, that they were driven out of the land.