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peacocks. And the merchants of Solomon's kingdom also trafficked with the people of Arabia, from whence they had gold and spices; and from Egypt they brought horses and linen yarn.

Thus king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And people came from all kingdoms to the court of Solomon, to hear the wisdom which God had given him.

And when the queen of Sheba, whose kingdom was in the furthest part of Arabia, heard of the fame of Solomon, and of the wisdom which the Lord God of Israel had given him, she set forth for Jerusalem with a great train of servants and camels bearing costly presents, to hear his wisdom, and to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Solomon, and talked with him of all things which she wished to understand; and Solomon answered all her questions, and told her all things that she wished to know. And when she had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the temple which he had built, and his own palace, and the way which he had made to go up to the house of the Lord, and the order of his vast household, his various officers,

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and servants, and cupbearers, with their costly apparel, she was astonished; and she said, “It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and behold, the half was not told me.... Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel. Because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made He thee king, to do judgment and justice."

Then the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon the presents of gold, and spices, and precious .stones, which she had brought with her; and Solomon gave to her whatever she desired from among his treasures. And she returned again to her own country.

1 Kings iii. 3; iv. vii. 1 ; ix. 10—28 ; x. 2 Chronicles viii. ix. Eccles. ii. 5, 6.

To traffick, is to buy and sell or exchange goods.

Chapter CXLVE.

THE SIN AND DEATH OF SOLOMON.

SOLOMON had been brought up in the fear of God, and trained to serve the Lord from his earliest years. And when he was called by God to be king over His people, he ruled them faithfully with a true heart, as David his father had done. He began well; he showed a wise and understanding heart when he asked for wisdom rather than riches or long life, and zeal and love for God when he built with cost and care the temple for His name. And for more than thirty years he was, as he that ruleth over men should be, "just and ruling in the fear of God'." He kept the commandments of the Lord, and observed His ordinances; and he watched with care over the worship of the Lord and the honour of His name. And God gave him His choicest blessings; He gave him wisdom and understanding exceeding much, so that he was wiser than all men, and riches, and honour; and

1 2 Sam. xxiii. 3.

He gave him also the knowledge of heavenly truth. The Holy Ghost inspired him to write psalms of prayer, and praise, and prophecy, and the wise and holy words of Ecclesiastes, and the Book of Proverbs, which form part of our Bible.

Yet in his old age Solomon fell away from God. Riches, and power, and costly living, and long enjoyment of all good things gradually corrupted his heart; and wisdom and knowledge of all truth could not keep him in the way of holiness when his heart was not right towards God. As he grew old, he put no restraint upon the inclinations of his heart; "whatsoever his eyes desired, he kept not from them, and he withheld not his heart from any joy." And continual pleasure was as a mist around him to shut out from his soul the light of God.

Then he gave his heart to strange women, women of the Moabites and Ammonites, and of other nations who worshipped idols, whom God had forbidden His people to marry lest they

2 Eccles. ii. 10.

should be led to sin; and he took very many of these women to be his wives. And when he was old they turned away his heart from God to the false gods whom they served; and he built altars and temples for their idol gods on the Mount of Olives; for Chemosh the false god of the Moabites, and Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. And there in front of Jerusalem over against the temple of the Lord God of Israel, they offered sacrifice to idols and burnt incense; and Solomon himself worshipped with them.

Then the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Him, and because he had built altars for the idols of his wives, though He had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. And the Lord sent a message to Solomon, and said, "Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it, for David

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