2 Chronicles 9; 2 Chronicles 10; 2 Chronicles 11; 2 Chronicles 12

2 Chronicles 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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

16 And three hundred golden shields of three hundred pieces of gold, which went to the covering of every shield: and the king put them in the armoury, which was compassed with a wood.

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

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:

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

20 And all the vessels of the king’s table were of gold, and the vessels of the house of the forest of Libanus were of the purest gold. For no account was made of silver in those days.

21 For the king’s ships went to Tharsis with the servants of Hiram, once in three years: and they brought thence gold and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

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

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

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

25 And Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots, and horsemen, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots and where the king was in Jerusalem.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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 Chronicles 10

1 And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither all Israel were assembled, to make him king.

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

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

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

16 And all the people upon the king’s speaking roughly, said thus unto him: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai. Return to thy dwellings, O Israel, and do thou, O David feed thy own house. And Israel went away to their dwellings.

17 But Roboam reigned over the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Juda.

18 And king Roboam sent Aduram, who was over the tributes, and the children of Israel stoned him, and he died: and king Roboam made haste to get up into his chariot, and fled into Jerusalem.

19 And Israel revolted from the house of David unto this day.

2 Chronicles 11

1 And Roboam came to Jerusalem, and called together all the house of Juda and of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men and warriors, to fight against Israel, and to bring back his kingdom to him.

2 And the word of the Lord came to Semeias the man of God, saying:

3 Speak to Roboam the son of Solomon the king of Juda, and to all Israel, in Juda and Benjamin:

4 Thus saith the Lord: You shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: let every man return to his own house, for by my will this thing has been done. And when they heard the word of the Lord, they returned, and did not go against Jeroboam,

5 And Roboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built walled cities in Juda.

6 And he built Bethlehem, and Etam, and Thecue,

7 And Bethsur, and Socho, and Odollam,

8 And Geth, and Maresa, and Ziph,

9 And Aduram, and Lachis, and Azecha,

10 Saraa also, and Aialon, and Hebron, which are in Juda and Benjamin, well fenced cities.

11 And when he had enclosed them with walls, he put in them governors and storehouses of provisions, that is, of oil and of wine.

12 Moreover in every city he made an armoury of shields and spears, and he fortified them with great diligence, and he reigned over Juda, and Benjamin,

13 And the priests and Levites, that were in all Israel, came to him out of all their seats,

14 Leaving their suburbs, and their possessions, and passing over to Juda, and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off, from executing the priestly office to the Lord.

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

16 Moreover out of all the tribes of Israel, whosoever gave their heart to seek the Lord the God of Israel, came into Jerusalem to sacrifice their victims before the Lord the God of their fathers.

17 And they strengthened the kingdom of Juda, and established Roboam the son of Solomon for three years: for they walked in the ways of David and of Solomon, only three years.

18 And Roboam took to wife Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David: and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Isai.

19 And they bore him sons Jehus, and Somorias, and Zoom.

20 And after her he married Maacha the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abia, and Ethai, and Ziza, and Salomith.

21 And Roboam loved Maacha the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and concubines: for he had married eighteen wives, and threescore concubines: and he begot eight and twenty sons, and threescore daughters.

22 But he put at the head of them Abia the son of Maacha to be the chief ruler over all his brethren: for he meant to make him king,

23 Because he was wiser and mightier than all his sons, and in all the countries of Juda, and of Benjamin, and in all the walled cities: and he gave them provisions in abundance, and he sought many wives.

2 Chronicles 12

1 And when the kingdom of Roboam was strengthened and fortified, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.

2 And in the fifth year of the reign of Roboam, Sesac king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem (because they had sinned against the Lord)

3 With twelve hundred chariots and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt, to wit, Libyans, and Troglodites, and Ethiopians.

4 And he took the strongest cities in Juda, and came to Jerusalem.

5 And Semeias the prophet came to Roboam, and to the princes of Juda, that were gathered together in Jerusalem, fleeing from Sesac, and he said to them: Thus saith the Lord: You have left me, and I have left you in the hand of Sesac.

6 And the princes of Israel, and the king, being in a consternation, said: The Lord is just.

7 And when the Lord saw that they were humbled, the word of the Lord came to Semeias, saying: Because they are humbled, I will not destroy them, and I will give them a little help, and my wrath shall not fall upon Jerusalem by the hand of Sesac.

8 But yet they shall serve him, that they may know the difference between my service, and the service of a kingdom of the earth.

9 So Sesac king of Egypt departed from Jerusalem, taking away the treasures of the king’s house, and he took all with him, and the golden shields that Solomon had made,

10 Instead of which the king made brazen ones, and delivered them to the captains of the shieldbearers, who guarded the entrance of the palace.

11 And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the shieldbearers came and took them, and brought them back again to their armoury.

12 But yet because they were humbled, the wrath of the Lord turned away from them, and they were not utterly destroyed: for even in Juda there were found good works.

13 King Roboam therefore was strengthened in Jerusalem, and reigned: he was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord chose out of all the tribes of Israel, to establish his name there: and the name of his mother was Naama an Ammonitess.

14 But he did evil, and did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

15 Now the acts of Roboam first and last are written in the books of Semeias the prophet, and of Addo the seer, and diligently recorded: and there was war between Roboam and Jeroboam all their days.

16 And Roboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And Abia his son reigned in his stead.