2 Chronicles · Chapter 9

[ edit] And þe quen of Saba, whanne ſche hadde herde þe loos of Salamon, ſche cam, þat ſche tempte hym in dotous queſtiouns in Jeruſalem, wiþ grete rycheſſis, and camels þat beren ſwote ſpices, and myche of gold, and precious gemmes. And whanne ſche was commen to Salamon, ſche ſpak to hym whateuer þingis weren in hyre herte. And Salamon expownede to hyre alle þingus þat ſche purpoſede, ne eny þing was, þat cleer he maad not to hyre.

Þe whiche aftir þat ſche ſawȝ, þe wiſdam, þat is, of Salamon, and þe hous þat he hadde made, alſo and þe meetis of his boord, and þe dwellyng place of his ſeruauntis, and þe office of his mynyſtris, and þe cloþingis of hem, alſo þe botelers, and þeir cloþis, and þe ſlayn ſacrifices þat he offride in þe hous of þe Lord, þer was no more in hyre ſpyrite for ſtoneynge. And ſche ſeide to þe kyng, Soþe is þe ſermoun, þat I haue herde in my lond, of vertues and of þi wijſdam; and I trowed not to þe tellers, to þe tyme þat I my ſilf were comen, and myn eeȝen hadden ſeen, and I hadde preued vnneþ þe half of þi wijſdam to han ben told to me; þou haſt ouerpaſſed þe los in þi vertues.

Bleſſed þi men, and bleſſed þi ſeruauntis, and þei þat ſtonden neeȝ beforn þee in al tyme, and heeren þi wiſdam. Þe Lord þi God be bleſſid, þe whiche wolde ordeynen þee vpon his trone kyng of þe puple of þe Lord þi God; forſoþe for God loueþ Yrael, and wille ſauyn it in to wiþ outen eend, þerfor he putte þee kyng vpon it, þat þou do domes and riȝtwiſneſſe. Forſoþe ſche ȝaue to þe kyng an hundriþ and twenty talentis of gold, and many ſwote ſpices ful myche, and moſt precyous gemmes; and þer weren not ſiche ſwote ſpices, as þes þat qween Saba ȝaue to kyng Salamon.

Bot and þe ſeruauntis of Yram wiþ þe ſeruauntis of Salamon brouȝten gold fro Oofer, and tyne trees, and gemmes moſt precious; of þe whiche þe kyng made, þat is, of tyne trees, grees in þe hous of þe Lord, and in þe hous of þe kyng, alſo harpis, and ſawtrees to ſyngers; neuer ben ſeen in þe lond of Juda ſiche trees. Kyng forſoþe Salamon ȝaue to þe qween of Saba alle þingus þat ſche wolde, and þat ſche aſked, many mo þan ſche brouȝte to hym. Þe whiche turnede aȝein wente into hyre lond wiþ hyre ſeruauntis.

Forſoþe þe weiȝt of gold, þat was offerd to Salamon by ech ȝeer, was ſixe hundriþ and ſixe and ſixty talentis of gold, outaken þat ſoum þat legatis of dyuerſe gentylis, and merchauntis weren wont to bryngen to, and alle þe kyngis of Arabie, and ſatrapis of londis, þat brouȝten gold and ſyluer to Salamon. Þanne kyng Salamon maad two hundriþ golden ſperis of þe ſoum of ſixe hundriþ golde platis, þe whiche in alle þe ſperis weren ſpred abrod; alſo þre hundriþ golden ſcheldis of þre hundriþ gold platis, wiþ þe whiche alle þe ſcheldis weren couerd; and þe kyng putte hem in þe armerie place, þat was ſett in þe wode.

Alſo kyng Salomon made a grete yuere ſete, and cloþed it wiþ moſt clene gold; and ſixe grees, in þe whiche men ſteyȝede up to þe ſete, and a golden ſtole, and two lytyll armys, eiþer aȝeinus oþer, and two lyouns ſtondynge beſides þe litil aarmes, bot and oþer twelue litil lyouns ſtondynge vpon þe ſixe grees on eiþer party. Þere was not ſiche a kyngis ſee in alle rewmes. And alle þe veſſels of þe kyngis feſte weren golden, and þe veſſels of þe hous of ſaltus Liban of moſt pure gold; ſyluer forſoþe in þo days for nouȝt was countid.

Forſoþe and þe ſchippis of þe kyng wenten in Tharſis wiþ þe ſeruauntis of Yram oones in þre ȝeer, and þei brouȝten þennus gold, and ſyluer, and yuer, and apis, and poos. Þanne Salamon is magnified vpon alle þe kyngis of erþ for rycheſſe and glorie. And alle þe kyngis of londis deſireden to ſeen þe face of Salamon, þat þei heeren þe wijſdam þat God hadde ȝeuen in þe herte of hym; and þei brouȝten to hym ȝiftes, ſylueren veſſels and golden, cloþes and armes, and ſpices, hors and mulis, by alle ȝeeris. And Salamon hadde fourty þouſand of hors in his ſtallis, and of charis and of horſmen twelue þouſand; and he ſette hem in þe cytees of foure horſid carris, and where þe kyng was in Jeruſalem.

Forſoþe he enhauntide power vpon alle þe kyngis, fro þe flode of Eufrate vnto þe lond of Philiſteis, and vnto þe termes of Egipt. And ſo myche plente of ſyluer he ȝaue in Jeruſalem, as of ſtoones, and of cedres ſo myche multitude, as of wijlde mulberye trees þat ben ſprungyn in wijld feeldis. Forſoþe þer weren brouȝt hors fro Egipt, and of alle regyouns. Þe remnaunt forſoþe of þe raþer werkis of Salamon and of þe laſt ben wrijten in þe wordis of Naþan, þe prophete, and in þe wordis of Achie Sylonyte, and in þe viſioun of Addo, ſear, aȝeins Jeroboam, þe ſone of Nabaþ.

Salamon forſoþe regnede in Jeruſalem vpon al Yrael fourety ȝere, and he ſlepte wiþ his fadirs; and þei birieden hym in þe cytee of Dauid, and Roboam, his ſone, regned for hym.