Wisdom's Glory and Division's Cost

1. When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning Yahweh’s name, she came to test him with hard questions. 2. She came to Jerusalem with a very great caravan, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart. 3. Solomon answered all her questions. There was not anything hidden from the king which he didn’t tell her. 4. When the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5. the food of his table, the sitting of his servants, the attendance of his officials, their clothing, his cup bearers, and his ascent by which he went up to Yahweh’s house; there was no more spirit in her. 6. She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts, and of your wisdom. 7. However I didn’t believe the words until I came and my eyes had seen it. Behold, not even half was told me! Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame which I heard. 8. Happy are your men, happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, who hear your wisdom. 9. Blessed is Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on the throne of Israel. Because Yahweh loved Israel forever, therefore he made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” 10. She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was there such an abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. 11. The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir, also brought in from Ophir great quantities of almug trees and precious stones. 12. The king made of the almug trees pillars for Yahweh’s house, and for the king’s house, harps also and stringed instruments for the singers; no such almug trees came or were seen, to this day. 13. King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own land, she and her servants. 14. Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold, 15. besides that which the traders brought, and the traffic of the merchants, and of all the kings of the mixed people, and of the governors of the country. 16. King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler. 17. he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield; and the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. 18. Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold. 19. There were six steps to the throne, and the top of the throne was round behind; and there were armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. 20. Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. Nothing like it was made in any kingdom. 21. 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, because it was considered of little value in the days of Solomon. 22. For the king had a fleet of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet. Once every three years the fleet of Tarshish came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. 23. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 24. All the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25. Year after year, every man brought his tribute, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules. 26. Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he kept in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 27. The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland. 28. The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt. The king’s merchants received them in droves, each drove at a price. 29. A chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty shekels; and so they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites, and to the kings of Syria. 1. Now king Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; 2. of the nations concerning which Yahweh said to the children of Israel, “You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon joined to these in love. 3. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4. When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father was. 5. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6. Solomon did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and didn’t go fully after Yahweh, as David his father did. 7. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8. So he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 9. Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10. and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he didn’t keep that which Yahweh commanded. 11. Therefore Yahweh said to Solomon, “Because this is done by you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. 12. Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days, for David your father’s sake; but I will tear it out of your son’s hand. 13. However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.” 14. Yahweh raised up an adversary to Solomon: Hadad the Edomite. He was one of the king’s offspring in Edom. 15. For when David was in Edom, and Joab the captain of the army had gone up to bury the slain, and had struck every male in Edom 16. (for Joab and all Israel remained there six months, until he had cut off every male in Edom); 17. Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father’s servants with him, to go into Egypt, when Hadad was still a little child. 18. They arose out of Midian, and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed him food, and gave him land. 19. Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him as wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen. 20. The sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh’s house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh’s house among the sons of Pharaoh. 21. When Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers, and that Joab the captain of the army was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me depart, that I may go to my own country.” 22. Then Pharaoh said to him, “But what have you lacked with me, that behold, you seek to go to your own country?” He answered, “Nothing, however only let me depart.” 23. God raised up an adversary to him, Rezon the son of Eliada, who had fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah. 24. He gathered men to himself, and became captain over a troop, when David killed them of Zobah. They went to Damascus, and lived there, and reigned in Damascus. 25. He was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief of Hadad. He abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria. 26. Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king. 27. This was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of his father David’s city. 28. The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon saw the young man that he was industrious, and he put him in charge of all the labor of the house of Joseph. 29. At that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the way; now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field. 30. Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it in twelve pieces. 31. He said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces; for Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to you 32. (but he shall have one tribe, for my servant David’s sake and for Jerusalem’s sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel); 33. because that they have forsaken me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon. They have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in my eyes, and to keep my statutes and my ordinances, as David his father did. 34. “‘However 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, who kept my commandments and my statutes; 35. but I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand, and will give it to you, even ten tribes. 36. To his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a lamp always before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen for myself to put my name there. 37. I will take you, and you shall reign according to all that your soul desires, and shall be king over Israel. 38. It shall be, if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my eyes, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with you, and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you. 39. I will afflict the offspring of David for this, but not forever.’” 40. Therefore Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. 41. Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, aren’t they written in the book of the acts of Solomon? 42. The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. 43. Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in his father David’s city; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place. 1. Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 2. When Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam lived in Egypt, 3. and they sent and called him), Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came, and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4. “Your father made our yoke difficult. Now therefore make the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, lighter, and we will serve you.” 5. He said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” The people departed. 6. King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, “What counsel do you give me to answer these people?” 7. They replied, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them, and answer them with good words, then they will be your servants forever.” 8. But he abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9. He said to them, “What counsel do you give, that we may answer these people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Make the yoke that your father put on us lighter?’” 10. The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us;’ tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11. Now my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’” 12. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king asked, saying, “Come to me again the third day.” 13. The king answered the people roughly, and abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, 14. and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” 15. So the king didn’t listen to the people; for it was a thing brought about from Yahweh, that he might establish his word, which Yahweh spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16. When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents. 17. But as for the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 18. Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the men subject to forced labor; and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. King Rehoboam hurried to get himself up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 19. So Israel rebelled against David’s house to this day. 20. When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was no one who followed David’s house, except for the tribe of Judah only. 21. When Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and eighty thousand chosen men, who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22. But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23. “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, 24. ‘Yahweh says, “You shall not go up or fight against your brothers, the children of Israel. Everyone return to his house; for this thing is from me.”’” So they listened to Yahweh’s word, and returned and went their way, according to Yahweh’s word. 25. Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there, and built Penuel. 26. Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house. 27. If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28. So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 29. He set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 30. This thing became a sin; for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there. 31. He made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32. Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. 33. He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.

1. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife. 2. You are puffed up, and didn’t rather mourn, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you. 3. For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing. 4. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5. are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6. Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump? 7. Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place. 8. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9. I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners; 10. yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortionists, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world. 11. But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person. 12. For what do I have to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within? 13. But those who are outside, God judges. “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.” 1. Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2. Don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3. Don’t you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4. If then, you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly? 5. I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers? 6. But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers! 7. Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8. No, but you yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that against your brothers. 9. Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, 10. nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom. 11. Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God. 12. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything. 13. “Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods,” but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. 14. Now God raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power. 15. Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16. Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.” 17. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. 18. Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20. for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1. Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2. But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3. Let the husband give his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife her husband. 4. The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife. 5. Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6. But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. 7. Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind. 8. But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am. 9. But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn. 10. But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband 11. (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife. 12. But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her. 13. The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband. 14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15. Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace. 16. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? 17. Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies. 18. Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised. 19. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20. Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called. 21. Were you called being a bondservant? Don’t let that bother you, but if you get an opportunity to become free, use it. 22. For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord’s free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ’s bondservant. 23. You were bought with a price. Don’t become bondservants of men. 24. Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God. 25. Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy. 26. Therefore I think that because of the distress that is on us, that it’s good for a man to remain as he is. 27. Are you bound to a wife? Don’t seek to be freed. Are you free from a wife? Don’t seek a wife. 28. But if you marry, you have not sinned. If a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have oppression in the flesh, and I want to spare you. 29. But I say this, brothers: the time is short, that from now on, both those who have wives may be as though they had none; 30. and those who weep, as though they didn’t weep; and those who rejoice, as though they didn’t rejoice; and those who buy, as though they didn’t possess; 31. and those who use the world, as not using it to the fullest. For the mode of this world passes away. 32. But I desire to have you to be free from cares. He who is unmarried is concerned for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33. but he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife. 34. There is also a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 35. This I say for your own profit; not that I may ensnare you, but for that which is appropriate, and that you may attend to the Lord without distraction. 36. But if any man thinks that he is behaving inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of her age, and if need so requires, let him do what he desires. He doesn’t sin. Let them marry. 37. But he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no urgency, but has power over his own will, and has determined in his own heart to keep his own virgin, does well. 38. So then both he who gives his own virgin in marriage does well, and he who doesn’t give her in marriage does better. 39. A wife is bound by law for as long as her husband lives; but if the husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she desires, only in the Lord. 40. But she is happier if she stays as she is, in my judgment, and I think that I also have God’s Spirit. 1. Now concerning things sacrificed to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2. But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know. 3. But if anyone loves God, the same is known by him. 4. Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5. For though there are things that are called “gods”, whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many “gods” and many “lords”; 6. yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him. 7. However, that knowledge isn’t in all men. But some, with consciousness of the idol until now, eat as of a thing sacrificed to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8. But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better. 9. But be careful that by no means does this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to the weak. 10. For if a man sees you who have knowledge sitting in an idol’s temple, won’t his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11. And through your knowledge, he who is weak perishes, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12. Thus, sinning against the brothers, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13. Therefore if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more, that I don’t cause my brother to stumble.

1. Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to battle: 2. my loving kindness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I take refuge; who subdues my people under me. 3. Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him? 4. Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away. 5. Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke. 6. Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them. 7. Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners; 8. whose mouths speak deceit, Whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 9. I will sing a new song to you, God. On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you. 10. You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword. 11. Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. 12. Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants, our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace. 13. Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision. Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields. 14. Our oxen will pull heavy loads. There is no breaking in, and no going away, and no outcry in our streets. 15. Happy are the people who are in such a situation. Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.