The One Year Bible for Men - Flipbook - Page 74
July 23
additional revenue he received from mer
chants and traders. All the kings of Arabia and
the governors of the provinces also brought
gold and silver to Solomon.
15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of
hammered gold, each weighing more than
15 pounds.* 16 He also made 300 smaller shields
of hammered gold, each weighing more than
71/2 pounds.* The king placed these shields in
the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 Then the king made a huge throne, deco
rated with ivory and overlaid with pure gold.
18 The throne had six steps, with a footstool of
gold. There were armrests on both sides of the
seat, and the figure of a lion stood on each side
of the throne. 19 There were also twelve other
lions, one standing on each end of the six
steps. No other throne in all the world could
be compared with it!
20 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were
solid gold, as were all the utensils in the Palace
of the Forest of Lebanon. They were not made
of silver, for silver was considered worthless
in Solomon’s day!
21 The king had a fleet of trading ships of
Tarshish manned by the sailors sent by Hi
ram.* Once e very three years the ships re
turned, loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes,
and peacocks.*
22 So King Solomon became richer and wiser
than any other king on earth. 23 Kings from
every nation came to consult him and to hear
the wisdom God had given him. 24 Year after
year everyone who visited brought him gifts
of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices,
horses, and mules.
25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses
and c hariots, and he had 12,000 horses.* He
stationed some of them in the chariot cities,
and some near him in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled
over all the kings from the Euphrates River* in
the north to the land of the Philistines and the
border of Egypt in the south. 27 The king made
silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And
valuable cedar timber was as common as the
sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills
of Judah.* 28 Solomon’s horses were imported
from Egypt* and many other countries.
29 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign,
from beginning to end, are recorded in The
Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Prophecy of Ahijah from Shiloh, and also in The Visions of Iddo the Seer, concerning Jeroboam
son of Nebat. 30 Solomon ruled in Jerusalem
over all Israel for forty years. 31 When he died,
he was buried in the City of David, named for
his father. Then his son R
ehoboam became the
next king.
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652
10:1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, where all Is
rael had gathered to make him king. 2 When
Jerob
oam son of Nebat heard of this, he re
turned from Egypt, for he had fled to Egypt
to escape from King Solomon. 3 The leaders of
Israel summoned him, and Jeroboam and all
Israel went to speak with Rehoboam. 4 “Your
father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten
the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that
your father imposed on us. Then we will be
your loyal subjects.”
5
Rehoboam replied, “Come back in three
days for my answer.” So the people went away.
6 Then King R
ehoboam discussed the mat
ter with the older men who had counseled
his father, Solomon. “What is your advice?” he
asked. “How should I answer these people?”
7 The older counselors replied, “If you are
good to these people and do your best to
please them and give them a favorable answer,
they will always be your loyal subjects.”
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the
older men and instead asked the opinion of
the young men who had grown up with him
and were now his advisers. 9 “What is your ad
vice?” he asked them. “How should I answer
these people who want me to lighten the bur
dens imposed by my father?”
10 The young men replied, “This is what you
should tell those complainers who want a
lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than
my father’s waist! 11 Yes, my father laid heavy
burdens on you, but I’m going to make them
even heavier! My father beat you with whips,
but I will beat you with scorpions!’”
12 Three days later Jer
ob
oam and all the
people returned to hear Rehoboam’s decision,
just as the king had ordered. 13 But Rehoboam
spoke harshly to them, for he rejected the ad
vice of the older counselors 14 and followed
the counsel of his younger advisers. He told
the people, “My father laid* heavy burdens on
you, but I’m going to make them even heavier!
My father beat you with whips, but I will beat
you with scorpions!”
15 So the king paid no attention to the people.
This turn of events was the will of God, for it
fulfilled the Lord’s message to Jeroboam son
of Nebat through the prophet Ahijah from
Shiloh.
16 When all Israel realized* that the king had
refused to listen to them, they responded,
“Down with the dynasty of David!
We have no interest in the son of Jesse.
Back to your homes, O Israel!
Look out for your own house,
O David!”
5/19/2022 3:47:00 PM
