Study Desk

The Lord has given me my place on the throne of my father David. He has made me a house as He promised. And as the Lord lives, for sure Adonijah will be put to death today."

Then the king said to Abiathar the religious leader, "Go to your own fields at Anathoth, for you should be put to death. But I will not have you killed at this time. Because you carried the special box of the Lord God in front of my father David. And you shared in all of my father's suffering."

So Solomon stopped Abiathar from being religious leader for the Lord any longer. This was done to keep the word of the Lord, which God had spoken about the family of Eli in Shiloh.

Now the news came to Joab. For Joab had followed Adonijah, but he had not followed Absalom. And Joab ran to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar.

Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, "Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there. Do not leave there.

For on the day you go out and cross the river Kidron, you will know for sure that you will die. Your blood will be on your own head."

Then Shimei got up and made his donkey ready to travel. And he went to Achish in Gath to look for his servants. Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath.

So the king sent for Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you promise by the Lord and tell you of danger, saying, ‘You will know for sure that on the day you leave and go anywhere, you will die'? And you said to me, ‘What you have said is good.'

The people were still giving their different gifts on altars, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.

The king went to give a gift on the altar in worship at Gibeon, for that was where the most important altar was. Solomon gave a thousand burnt gifts on that altar.

Then Solomon said, "You have shown great loving-kindness to Your servant David my father because he was faithful and right and good and pure in heart before You. And You have kept for him this great and lasting love. You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and know the difference between good and bad. For who is able to judge Your many people?"

God said to him, "You have asked this, and have not asked for a long life for yourself. You have not asked for riches, or for the life of those who hate you. But you have asked for understanding to know what is right. Because you have asked this,

Solomon awoke, and saw it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem and stood before the Lord's special box of the agreement. There he gave burnt gifts and peace gifts, and made a special supper for all his servants.

Then the mother of the living child had much pity for her son and said to the king, "O, my lord, give her the living child. Do not kill him." But the other woman said, "He will not be mine or yours. Divide him."

When all Israel heard how the king had decided, they were afraid of him. For they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do what is right and fair.

Solomon had twelve men over all Israel, who brought food for the king and those of his house. Each man had to bring food for one month in the year.

Solomon ruled over all the nations from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and to the land of Egypt. They brought taxes and worked for Solomon all the days of his life.

The food brought to Solomon for one day was 300 baskets of fine flour, 600 baskets of seeds,

Solomon had 40,000 rooms for his war-wagon horses, and 12,000 horsemen.