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23 Then Solomon fat on the THRONE of the LORD as King, instead of David his Father, and profpered, and all Ifrael obeyed him.

24 And all the Princes of the mighty Men, and all the Sons likewife of King David fubmitted themselves unto Solomon the King.

25 And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the fight of all Ifrael, and bestowed upon him fuch Royal Majefty as had not been on any King before him in Ifrael.

I. KINGS. CHA P. I.

1 Abifhag cherisheth David in his extream Age. 5 Adonijah David's Darling ufurpeth the Kingdom. 11 By the Counsel of Nathan, 15 Bath-fheba moveth the King, 22 and Nathan fecondeth her. 28 David reneweth his Oath to Bath-fheba. 32 Solomon, by David's Appointment, being anointed King by Zadok and Nathan, the People triumph. 41 Jonathan bringing this News, Adonijah's Guefts flee. 50 Adonijah fleeing to the Horns of the Altar, upon his good Behaviour is difmiffed by Solomon,

CHA P. II.

1 David having given a Charge to Solomon, 3 of Religioufness, 5 of Joab, 7 of Barzillai, 8 of Shimei, 10 dieth. 12 Solomon fucceedeth. 13 Adonijah moving Bath-fheba to fue unto Solomon for Abifhag, is put to Death. 26 Abiathar having his Life given him, is deprived of the Priesthood. 28 Joab fleeing to the Horns of the Altar, is there flain. 35 Benaiah is put in foab's room, and Zadok in Abiathar's. 36 Shimei confined to Jerufalem, by Occafion of going thence to Gath is put to Death.

Ver. 1

NOW

OW the Days of DAVID drew nigh, that he fhould DIE; and he charged Solomon his

Son, faying,

2 I go the WAY of all the EARTH: be thou ftrong therefore, and fhew thyfelf a MAN.

3 And Keep the CHARGE of the LORD thy God, to WALK in his WAYS, to KEEP his STATUTES, and his Commandments, and his Judgments, and his Testimonies, as it is written in the LAW of Mofes, that thou mayest

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PROSPER

PROSPER in all that thou doest, and whither foever thou turneft thyself:

4 That the LORD may continue his WORD, which he fpake concerning me, faying, If thy CHILDREN take heed to their Way, to walk before me in Truth, with all their HEART, and with all their SOUL, there fhall not fail thee (faid he) A MAN on the THRONE of Ifrael.

10 So David flept with his Fathers, and was buried in the City of David.

11 And the Days that David reigned over Ifrael, were FORTY YEARS: SEVEN Years reigned he in Hebron, and THIRTY and THREE Years reigned he in Jerufalem.

12 Then fat Solomon upon the Throne of David his Father, and his Kingdom was established greatly.

CHA P. III.

1 Solomon marrieth Pharaoh's Daughter. 2 High Places being in Ufe, Solomon facrificeth at Gibeon. 9 Solomon, in the Choice which God gave him, preferring Wisdom, 12 obtaineth Wisdom, Riches, and Honour: 16 His Judgment between the two Harlots, maketh him renowned.

Ver.3 AND Solomon LOVED the LORD, walking in the STATUTES of David his Father: only he facrifi ced and burnt Incenfe in high Places.

4 And the King went to Gibeon to facrifice there; for that was the great high Place.

5 In Gibeon the LORD APPEARED to Solomon in a Dream by Night: and GOD faid, Afk what I fhall give thee.

6 And Solomon faid, Thou haft fhewed unto thy Servant David my Father great MERCY, according as he walked before thee in TRUTH, and in RIGHTEOUSNESS, and in UrRIGHTNESS OF HEART with thee, and thou haft kept for him this great Kindness, that thou haft given him a Son to fit on his Throne, as it is this Day.

7 And now, O LORD my GOD, thou haft made thy Servant King instead of David my Father and I am but a little Child I know not how to go out or come in.

8 And thy Servant is in the midft of thy People which thou haft chofen, a great People, that cannot be numbred por counted for multitude,

9

m Give therefore thy Servant an UNDERSTANDING

m James i. s If any of you lack WISDOM, let him ask of GOD, that giveth to all Men liberally, and upHEART, to judge thy Peo- Braideth not, and it shall be given ple, that I may difcern be- him.

tween Good and Bad: for who is able to judge this thy fo great a People?

10 And the Speech pleafed the LORD, that Solomon had afked this Thing.

11 And GOD faid unto him, Because thou haft afked this Thing, and haft not afked for thyfelf LONG LIFE, neither haft afked RICHES for thyfelf, nor haft afked the LIFE of thine Enemies, but haft asked for thyfelf UNDERSTANDING to difcern Judgment.

12 Behold, I have done according to thy Words: Lo, I have given thee a wISE and an UNDERSTANDING HEART, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee fhall any arife like unto thee.

13 And I have alfo given thee that which thou hast NOT ASKED, both RICHES and HONOUR: fo that there fhall not be any among the Kings like unto thee, all thy Days.

14 And if thou wilt walk in my Ways, to KEEP my Statutes and my COMMANDMENTS, as thy Father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy Days.

15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a Dream: and he came to Jerufalem, and stood before the ARK of the COVENANT of the LORD, and offered up Burnt-offerings, and offered Peace-offerings, and made a Feaft to all his Ser

vants.

16 Then came there two Women that were Harlots, unto the King, and stood before him.

17 And the one Woman faid, O my LORD, I and this Woman dwell in one House, and I was delivered of a Child with her in the House.

18 And it came to pafs the third Day after that I was delivered, that this Woman was delivered alfo and we were together; there was no Stranger with us in the House, fave we two in the House.

19 And this Woman's Child died in the Night; because fhe overlaid it.

20 And fhe arofe at Midnight, and took my Son from befide me, while thine Handmaid flept, and laid it in her Bofom, and laid her dead Child in my Bofom.

21 And when I arofe in the Morning to give my Child

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Suck,

Suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had confidered it in the Morning, behold, it was not my Son, which I did bear.

22 And the other Woman faid, Nay; but the living is my Son, and the dead is thy Son: and this faid, No; but the dead is thy Son, and the living is my Son. Thus they fpake before the King.

23 Then faid the King, The one faith, This is my Son that liveth, and thy Son is the dead: and the other faith, Nay; but thy Son is the dead, and my Son is the living. 24 And the King faid, Bring me a Sword. And they brought a Sword before the King.

25 And the King faid, Divide the living Child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

26 Then fpake the Woman whofe the living Child was, unto the King, (for her Bowels yearned upon her Son) and fhe faid, O my Lord, give her the living Child, and in no wife fray it but the other faid, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

27 Then the King anfwered and faid, Give her the li ving Child, and in no wife flay it: fhe is the Mother thereof:

28 And all Ifrael heard of the Judgment which the King had judged, and they feared the King: for they faw that the Wifdom of GOD was in him, to do Judgment.

CHA P. IV.

1 Solomon's Princes: 7 His twelve Officers: 20, 24 The Peace and Largeness of his Kingdom: 29 His Wifdom.

Ver. 20 UDAH and Ifrael were many, as the Sand which JUL is by the Sea in multitude, eating and drinking,

and making merry.

21 And SOLOMON reigned over all KINGDOMS, from the RIVER unto the Land of the Philiftines, and unto the Border of EGYPT: they brought Presents, and served Solomon all the Days of his Life.

22 And Solomon's Provifion for one Day, was thirty Measures of fine Flour, and threefcore Measures of Meal,

23 Ten fat Oxen, and twenty Oxen out of the Paftures, and an hundred Sheep, befide Harts, and Roe-bucks, and Fallow-deer, and fatted Fowl.

* Herein was literally fulfilled the Promises made to the Israelites by Mofes.

24 For he had Dominion over all the Region on this fide the River, from Tiphfah even to Azzah, over all the Kings on this fide the River: and he had PEACE on all fides round about him.

25 And Judah and Ifrael DWELT fafely, every Man UNDER his Vine, and under his Fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-fheba, all the Days of Solomon.

26 And Solomon had forty thoufand Stalls of Horfes for his Chariots, and twelve thousand Horsemen.

27 And those Officers provided Victual for King Solo mon, and for all that came unto King Solomon's Table, every Man in his Month: they lacked nothing.

29 And God gave Solomon WISDOM and Understanding, exceeding much, and Largeness of Heart, even as the Sand that is on the Sea-fhore.

30 And Solomon's WISDOM excelled the Wisdom of all the Children of the EAST-COUNTREY, and all the WISDOM of Egypt.

31 For he was WISER than all MEN; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the Sons of Mahol: and his FAME was in all NATIONS round about. 32 And he fpake three thoufand PROVERBS and his SONGS were a thousand and five.

33 And he spake of Trees, from the Cedar-tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the Hyffop that fpringeth out of the Wall: He fpake alfo of Beafts, and of Fowl, and of creeping Things, and of Fishes.

34 And there came of all PEOPLE to hear the WISDOM of Solomon, from all KINGS of the Earth, which had heard. of his Wifdom.

CHAP. V.

1 Hiram fending to congratulate Solomon, is certified of his Purpofe to build the Temple, and defired to furnish him with Timber thereto. 7 Hiram bleffing GOD for Solomon, and requesting Food for his Family, furnisheth him with Trees. 13 The Number of Solomon's Workmen and Labourers.

The

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