774

SECOND CHRONICLES X-REHOBOAM SUCCEEDS SOLOMON

vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.

25 And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariotcities, and with the king at Jerusalem.

26 And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.

27 And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedartrees made he as the sycamore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.

28 And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.

29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

Chapter 10

1 The Israelites, assembled at Shechem to crown Rehoboam, by Jeroboam make a suit of relaxation unto him. 6 Rehoboam, refusing the old men's counsel, by the advice of young men answereth them roughly. 16 Ten tribes revolting kill Hadoram, and make Rehoboam to flee.

ND Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all
Israel come to make him king,

2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.

3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying,

4 Thy father made our yoke grievous; now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.

5 And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.

6 ¶ And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?

7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.

8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.

David Directs Solomon's Coronation

BY JULIUS SCHNORR VON CAROLSFELD, THE GERMAN

MASTER, DIED 1872.

+

"Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead.”1. Kings, 1, 35.

TEVER did kingly reign begin with brighter promise

N

than that of Solomon. He was the favorite son

of the much loved David. The only brother who could have disputed his succession, Adonijah, began a rebellion too soon, and it was completely crushed by the unexpected energy of the aged David. Thus Solomon was crowned in the lifetime of his father; Zadok the highpriest anointed him; Benaiah the trusty captain of the royal guard gathered the army for his service. The rebels, even the mighty general Joab who had defied David to his face, were helpless at the feet of the new king.

Solomon at this momentous period of his life must have been a mere youth, probably about twenty years old, though we have no definite date for his birth. He was a younger son of Bath-sheba, David's favorite wife; and God's word through the prophet Nathan had marked him from his earliest childhood as the destined successor to the throne. Hence he must have been educated with every care. David, having been himself forbidden to build the House of God because of his many wars, his life of blood, had been specially watchful that Solomon should be reared in peace.