And the queen of Saba having heard of the fame of Solomon in the name of the Lord, came to try him with hard questions.

And entering into Jerusalem with a great train, and riches, and camels that carried spices, and an immense quantity of gold, and precious stones, she came to king Solomon, and spoke to him all that she had in her heart.

And Solomon informed her of all the things she proposed to him: there was not any word the king was ignorant of, and which he could not answer her.

And when the queen of Saba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,

And the meat of his table, and the apartments of his servants, and the order of his ministers, and their apparel, and the cupbearers, and the holocausts, which he offered in the house of the Lord, she had no longer any spirit in her;

And she said to the king: The report is true, which I heard in my own country,

Concerning thy words, and concerning thy wisdom. And I did not believe them that told me, till I came myself, and saw with my own eyes, and have found that the half hath not been told me: thy wisdom and thy works exceed the fame which I heard.

Blessed are thy men, and blessed are thy servants, who stand before thee always, and hear thy wisdom.

Blessed be the Lord thy God, whom thou hast pleased, and who hath set thee upon the throne of Israel, because the Lord hath loved Israel for ever, and hath appointed thee king, to do judgment and justice.

And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices a very great store, and precious stones: there was brought no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.

(The navy also of Hiram, which brought gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir great plenty of thyine trees, and precious stones.

And the king made of the thyine trees the rails of the house of the Lord, and of the king’s house: and citterns and harps for singers: there were no such thyine trees as these brought nor seen unto this day.)

And king Solomon gave the queen of Saba all that she desired, and asked of him: besides what he offered her of himself of his royal bounty. And she returned, and went to her own country, with her servants.

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

Besides that which the men brought him that were over the tributes, and the merchants, and they that sold by retail, and all the kings of Arabia, and the governors of the country.

And Solomon made two hundred shields of the purest gold: he allowed six hundred sicles of gold for the plates of one shield.

And three hundred targets of fine gold: three hundred pounds of gold covered one target: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Libanus.

King Solomon also made a great throne of ivory: and overlaid it with the finest gold.

It had six steps: and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were two hands on either side holding the seat: and two lions stood, one at each hand,

And twelve little lions stood upon the six steps, on the one side and on the other: there was no such work made in any kingdom.

Moreover, all the vessels out of which king Solomon drank, were of gold: and all the furniture of the house of the forest of Libanus was of most pure gold: there was no silver, nor was any account made of it in the days of Solomon:

For the king’s navy, once in three years, went with the navy of Hiram by sea to Tharsis, and brought from thence gold, and silver, and elephants’ teeth, and apes, and peacocks.

And king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

And all the earth desired to see Solomon’s face, to hear his wisdom, which God had given in his heart.

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

And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen, and he had a thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen: and he bestowed them in fenced cities, and with the king in Jerusalem.

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

And horses were brought for Solomon out of Egypt, and Coa: for the king’s merchants bought them out of Coa, and brought them at a set price.

And a chariot of four horses came out of Egypt, for six hundred sicles of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. And after this manner did all the kings of the Hethites, and of Syria, sell horses.

And king Solomon loved many strange women, besides the daughter of Pharao, and women of Moab, and of Ammon, and of Edom, and of Sidon, and of the Hethites:

Of the nations concerning which the Lord said to the children of Israel: You shall not go in unto them, neither shall any of them come into yours: for they will most certainly turn away your hearts to follow their gods. And to these was Solomon joined with a most ardent love.

And he had seven hundred wives as queens, and three hundred concubines: and the women turned away his heart.

And when he was now old, his heart was turned away by women to follow strange gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David, his father.

But Solomon worshipped Astarthe, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Moloch, the idol of the Ammonites.

And Solomon did that which was not pleasing before the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as David, his father.

Then Solomon built a temple for Chamos, the idol of Moab, on the hill that is over against Jerusalem, and for Moloch, the idol of the children of Ammon.

And he did in this manner for all his wives that were strangers, who burnt incense, and offered sacrifice to their gods.

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his mind was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice;

And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not follow strange gods: but he kept not the things which the Lord commanded him.

The Lord therefore said to Solomon: Because thou hast done this, and hast not kept my covenant, and my precepts, which I have commanded thee, I will divide and rend thy kingdom, and will give it to thy servant.

Nevertheless, in thy days I will not do it, for David thy father’s sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

Neither will I take away the whole kingdom; but I will give one tribe to thy son, for the sake of David, my servant, and Jerusalem, which I have chosen.

And the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon, Adad, the Edomite, of the king’s seed, in Edom.

For when David was in Edom, and Joab, the general of the army, was gone up to bury them that were slain, and had killed every male in Edom,

(For Joab remained there six months with all Israel, till he had slain every male in Edom,)

Then Adad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants, with him, to go into Egypt: and Adad was then a little boy.

And they arose out of Madian, and came into Pharan, and they took men with them from Pharan, and went into Egypt, to Pharao, the king of Egypt: who gave him a house, and appointed him victuals, and assigned him land.

And Adad found great favour before Pharao, insomuch that he gave him to wife the own sister of his wife, Taphnes, the queen.

And the sister of Taphnes bore him his son, Genubath; and Taphnes brought him up in the house of Pharao: and Genubath dwelt with Pharao among his children.

And when Adad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab, the general of the army, was dead, he said to Pharao: Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.

And Pharao said to him: Why, what is wanting to thee with me, that thou seekest to go to thy own country? But he answered: Nothing; yet I beseech thee to let me go.

God also raised up against him an adversary, Razon, the son of Eliada, who had fled from his master, Adarezer, the king of Soba.

And he gathered men against him, and he became a captain of robbers, when David slew them of Soba: and they went to Damascus, and dwelt there, and they made him king in Damascus.

And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon: and this is the evil of Adad, and his hatred against Israel; and he reigned in Syria.

Jeroboam also, the son of Nabat, an Ephrathite, of Sareda, a servant of Solomon, whose mother was named Sarua, a widow woman, lifted up his hand against the king.

And this is the cause of his rebellion against him; for Solomon built Mello, and filled up the breach of the city of David, his father.

And Jeroboam was a valiant and mighty man: and Solomon seeing him a young man ingenious and industrious, made him chief over the tributes of all the house of Joseph.

So it came to pass at that time, that Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, and the prophet Ahias, the Silonite, clad with a new garment, found him in the way: and they two were alone in the field.

And Ahias taking his new garment, wherewith he was clad, divided it into twelve parts:

And he said to Jeroboam: Take to thee ten pieces: for thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give thee ten tribes.

But one tribe shall remain to him for the sake of my servant, David, and Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:

Because he hath forsaken me, and hath adored Astarthe, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Chamos, the god of Moab, and Moloch, the god of the children of Ammon: and hath not walked in my ways, to do justice before me, and to keep my precepts, and judgments, as did David, his father.

Yet I will not take away all the 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, who kept my commandments, and my precepts.

But I will take away the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give thee ten tribes:

And to his son I will give one tribe, that there may remain a lamp for my servant, David, before me always in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen, that my name might be there.

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

If then thou wilt hearken to all that I shall command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do what is right before me, keeping my commandments and my precepts, as David, my servant, did: I will be with thee, and will build thee up a faithful house, as I built a house for David, and I will deliver Israel to thee:

And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but yet not for ever.

Solomon, therefore, sought to kill Jeroboam: but he arose, and fled into Egypt, to Sesac, the king of Egypt, and was in Egypt till the death of Solomon.

And the rest of the words of Solomon, and all that he did and his wisdom: behold they are all written in the book of the words of the days of Solomon.

And the days that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all Israel, were forty years.

And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David, his father; and Roboam, his son, reigned in his stead.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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:

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

And he exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.

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

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

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.

And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

And he slept with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.

The words of Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke, with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, abiding with him, said:

I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.

I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.

Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?

Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.

Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved and found a liar:

Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.

Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:

Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.

Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.

A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.

A generation that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off the earth, and the poor from among men.

The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.

Hell and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough.

The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it.

Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.

The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man in youth.

Such also is the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.

By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear.

By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:

By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.

There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise.

The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:

The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:

The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands:

The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.

There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:

A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:

A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.

There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his mouth.

And he that strongly squeezeth the paps to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath, bringeth forth strife.

The words of king Lamuel. The vision wherewith his mother instructed him.

What, O my beloved, what, O the beloved of my womb, what, O the beloved of my vows?

Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.

Give not to kings, O Lamuel, give not wine to kings: because there is no secret where drunkenness reigneth:

And lest they drink and forget judgments, and pervert the cause of the children of the poor.

Give strong drink to them that are sad; and wine to them that are grieved in mind:

Let them drink, and forget their want, and remember their sorrow no more.

Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the causes of all the children that pass.

Open thy mouth, decree that which is just, and do justice to the needy and poor.

Who shall find a valiant woman? far, and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.

The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no need of spoils.

She will render him good, and not evil all the days of her life.

She hath sought wool and flax, and hath wrought by the counsel of her hands.

She is like the merchant’s ship, she bringeth her bread from afar.

And she hath risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and victuals to her maidens.

She hath considered a field, and bought it: with the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.

She hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm.

She hath tasted, and seen that her traffic is good: her lamp shall not be put out in the night.

She hath put out her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.

She hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out her hands to the poor.

She shall not fear for her house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed with double garments.

She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple, is her covering.

Her husband is honourable in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land.

She made fine linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite.

Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day.

She hath opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue.

She hath looked well on the paths of her house, and hath not eaten her bread idle.

Her children rose up, and called her blessed: her husband, and he praised her.

Many daughters have gathered together riches: thou hast surpassed them all.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her in the gates.