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And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his ser

vant.

The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; but let him not leave us, nor forsake us: that he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.

And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God, day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, at all times as the matter shall require :

That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

And the king and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord. And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath, unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart, for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.

LESSON CII. 1 KINGS, CHAP. X.

AND when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.

And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cup-bearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her.

And she said to the king. It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom,Howbeit, I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it and, behold, the half was not told me; thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.

Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighteth in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and of precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as those which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.

And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug-trees, and precious stones.

And the king made of the almug-trees pillars for the house of the Lord, and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug-trees, nor were seen unto this day.

And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to

her own country, she and her servants.

Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred three score and six talents of gold: Besides that he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country.

And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one target. And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold: three pounds 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 the best gold. The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there

were six stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

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 king Solomon's drinking vessels 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 nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon.

For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules; a rate, year by year.

And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen ; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.

And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.

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LESSON CIII. 1 KINGS, CHAP. XI.

BUT king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites :

Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred others: and his wives turned away his heart.

For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his

heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.

Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem; and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.

Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy

servant.

Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father's sake; but I will rend it out of the hands of thy son. Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to thy son, for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which I have chosen.

Then the Lord sent Ahijah the prophet to Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and he said to Jeroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give thee ten tribes :

Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.

Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes;

But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hands, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a

light always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.

And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shall be king over Israel.

And it shall be, if thou shalt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I did for David, and will give Israel unto thee.

And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever. Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father.

When Solomon was dead, Rehoboam his son reigned over the tribe of Judah, with which was the remnant of the tribe of Benjamin: but the other ten tribes forsook Rehoboam, and followed Jeroboam.

So Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, became king of Israel as the Lord had said by the mouth of Ahijah the prophet. So the kingdom of the Lord, which Solomon ruled, was divided into the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

THE KINGS OF ISRAEL.

LESSON CIV. 1 KINGS, CHAP. XII. XIII. XIV.

THESE were the nineteen kings that reigned over the ten tribes of Israel.

JEROBOAM the son of Nebat. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein: and went out from thence, and built Penuel.

And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David; if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.

Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go

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