And it came to pass when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and all that he desired and was pleased to do,

That the Lord appeared to him the second time, as he had appeared to him in Gabaon.

And the Lord said to him: I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, which thou hast made before me: I have sanctified this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and my eyes, and my heart, shall be there always.

And if thou wilt walk before me, as thy father walked, in simplicity of heart, and in uprightness: and wilt do all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my ordinances, and my judgments,

I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel for ever, as I promised David, thy father, saying: There shall not fail a man of thy race upon the throne of Israel.

But if you and your children, revolting, shall turn away from following me, and will not keep my commandments, and my ceremonies, which I have set before you, but will go and worship strange gods, and adore them:

I will take away Israel from the face of the land which I have given them; and the temple which I have sanctified to my name, I will cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb, and a byword among all people.

And this house shall be made an example of: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and shall hiss, and say: Why hath the Lord done thus to this land, and to this house?

And they shall answer: Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, and adored them, and worshipped them: therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil.

And when twenty years were ended, after Solomon had built the two houses; that is, the house of the Lord, and the house of the king,

(Hiram, the king of Tyre, furnishing Solomon with cedar trees, and fir trees, and gold, according to all he had need of) then Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

And Hiram came out of Tyre, to see the towns which Solomon had given him, and they pleased him not;

And he said: Are these the cities which thou hast given me, brother? And he called them the land of Chabul, unto this day.

And Hiram sent to king Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold.

This is the sum of the expenses, which king Solomon offered to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Mello, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Heser, and Mageddo, and Gazer.

Pharao, the king of Egypt, came up and took Gazer, and burnt it with fire: and slew the Chanaanite that dwelt in the city, and gave it for a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

So Solomon built Gazer, and Bethhoron the nether,

And Baalath, and Palmira, in the land of the wilderness.

And all the towns that belonged to himself, and were not walled, he fortified; the cities also of the chariots, and the cities of the horsemen, and whatsoever he had a mind to build in Jerusalem, and in Libanus, and in all the land of his dominion.

All the people that were left of the Amorrhites, and Hethites, and Pherezites, and Hevites, and Jebusites, that are not of the children of Israel:

Their children, that were left in the land; to wit, such as the children of Israel had not been able to destroy, Solomon made tributary unto this day.

But of the children of Israel, Solomon made not any to be bondmen, but they were warriors, and his servants, and his princes, and captains, and overseers of the chariots and horses.

And there were five hundred and fifty chief officers set over all the works of Solomon, and they had people under them, and had charge over the appointed works.

And the daughter of Pharao came up out of the city of David to her house, which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Mello.

Solomon also offered three times every year holocausts, and victims of peace offerings, upon the altar which he had built to the Lord, and he burnt incense before the Lord: and the temple was finished.

And king Solomon made a fleet in Asiongaber, which is by Ailath, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.

And Hiram sent his servants in the fleet, sailors that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

And they came to Ophir; and they brought from thence to king Solomon four hundred and twenty talents of gold.

And at the end of twenty years after Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house:

He built the cities which Hiram had given to Solomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

He went also into Emath Suba, and possessed it.

And he built Palmira in the desert, and he built other strong cities in Emath.

And he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, walled cities with gates and bars and locks.

Balaath also and all the strong cities that were Solomon’s, and all the cities of the chariots, and the cities of the horsemen. All that Solomon had a mind, and designed, he built in Jerusalem and in Libanus, and in all the land of his dominion.

All the people that were left of the Hethites, and the Amorrhites, and the Pherezites, and the Hevites, and the Jebusites, that were not of the stock of Israel:

Of their children, and of the posterity, whom the children of Israel had not slain, Solomon made to be the tributaries, unto this day.

But of the children of Israel he set none to serve in the king’s works: for they were men of war, and chief captains, and rulers of his chariots and horsemen.

And all the chief captains of king Solomon’s army were two hundred and fifty, who taught the people.

And he removed the daughter of Pharao from the city of David, to the house which he had built for her. For the king said: My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, for it is sanctified: because the ark of the Lord came into it.

Then Solomon offered holocausts to the Lord upon the altar of the Lord which he had built before the porch,

That every day an offering might be made on it according to the ordinance of Moses, in the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the festival days three times a year, that is to say, in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

And he appointed according to the order of David his father the offices of the priests in their ministries: and the Levites in their order to give praise, and minister before the priests according to the duty of every day: and the porters in their divisions by gate and gate: for so David the man of God had commanded.

And the priests and Levites departed not from the king’s commandments, as to any thing that he had commanded, and as to the keeping of the treasures.

Solomon had all charges prepared, from the day that he founded the house of the Lord, until the day wherein he finished it.

Then Solomon went to Asiongaber, and to Ailath, on the coast of the Red Sea, which is in the land of Edom.

And Hiram sent him ships by the hands of his servants, and skilful mariners, and they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, and they took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought it to king Solomon.

These are also parables of Solomon, which the men of Ezechias, king of Juda, copied out.

It is the glory of God to conceal the word, and the glory of kings to search out the speech.

The heaven above and the earth beneath, and the heart of kings is unsearchable.

Take away the rust from silver, and there shall come forth a most pure vessel:

Take away wickedness from the face of the king, and his throne shall be established with justice.

Appear not glorious before the king, and stand not in the place of great men.

For it is better that it should be said to thee: Come up hither; than that thou shouldst be humbled before the prince.

The things which thy eyes have seen, utter not hastily in a quarrel: lest afterward thou mayst not be able to make amends, when thou hast dishonoured thy friend.

Treat thy cause with thy friend, and discover not the secret to a stranger:

Lest he insult over thee, when he hath heard it, and cease not to upbraid thee. Grace and friendship deliver a man: keep these for thyself, lest thou fall under reproach.

To speak a word in due time, is like apples of gold on beds of silver.

As an earring of gold and a bright pearl, so is he that reproveth the wise, and the obedient ear.

As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to him that sent him, for he refresheth his soul.

As clouds, and wind, when no rain followeth, so is the man that boasteth, and doth not fulfil his promises.

By patience a prince shall be appeased, and a soft tongue shall break hardness.

Thou hast found honey, eat what is sufficient for thee, lest being glutted therewith thou vomit it up.

Withdraw thy foot from the house of thy neighbour, lest having his fill he hate thee.

A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour, is like a dart and a sword and a sharp arrow.

To trust in an unfaithful man in the time of trouble, is like a rotten tooth, and weary foot,

And one that looseth his garment in cold weather. As vinegar upon nitre, so is he that singeth songs to a very evil heart. As a moth doth by a garment, and a worm by the wood: so the sadness of a man consumeth the heart.

If thy enemy be hungry, give him to eat: if he thirst, give him water to drink:

For thou shalt heap hot coals upon his head, and the Lord will reward thee.

The north wind driveth away rain, as doth a sad countenance a backbiting tongue.

It is better to sit in a corner of the housetop: than with a brawling woman, and in a common house.

As cold water to a thirsty soul, so are good tidings from a far country.

A just man falling down before the wicked, is as a fountain troubled with the foot and a corrupted spring.

As it is not good for a man to eat much honey, so he that is a searcher of majesty shall be overwhelmed by glory.

As a city that lieth open and is not compassed with walls, so is a man that cannot refrain his own spirit in speaking.

As snow in summer, and rain in harvest, so glory is not seemly for a fool.

As a bird flying to other places, and a sparrow going here or there: so a curse uttered without cause shall come upon a man.

A whip for a horse, and a snaffle for an ass, and a rod for the back of fools.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be made like him.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he imagine himself to be wise.

He that sendeth words by a foolish messenger, is lame of feet and drinketh iniquity.

As a lame man hath fair legs in vain: so a parable is unseemly in the mouth of fools.

As he that casteth a stone into the heap of Mercury: so is he that giveth honour to a fool.

As if a thorn should grow in the hand of a drunkard: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

Judgment determineth causes: and he that putteth a fool to silence, appeaseth anger.

As a dog that returneth to his vomit, so is the fool that repeateth his folly.

Hast thou seen a man wise in his own conceit? there shall be more hope of a fool than of him.

The slothful man saith: There is a lion in the way, and a lioness in the roads.

As the door turneth upon its hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

The slothful hideth his hand under his armpit, and it grieveth him to turn it to his mouth.

The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit, than seven men that speak sentences.

As he that taketh a dog by the ears, so is he that passeth by in anger, and meddleth with another man’s quarrel.

As he is guilty that shooteth arrows, and lances unto death.

So is the man that hurteth his friend deceitfully: and when he is taken, saith: I did it in jest.

When the wood faileth, the fire shall go out: and when the talebearer is taken away, contentions shall cease.

As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, so an angry man stirreth up strife.

The words of a talebearer are as it were simple, but they reach to the innermost parts of the belly.

Swelling lips joined with a corrupt heart, are like an earthen vessel adorned with silver dross.

An enemy is known by his lips, when in his heart he entertaineth deceit.

When he shall speak low, trust him not: because there are seven mischiefs in his heart.

He that covereth hatred deceitfully, his malice shall be laid open in the public assembly.

He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that rolleth a stone, it shall return to him.

A deceitful tongue loveth not truth: and a slippery mouth worketh ruin.