DENISON

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víctimas quas immolábat in domo Dómini: non erat præ stupóre ultra in ea spíritus. Dixítque ad regem: Verus est sermo quem audíeram in terra mea de virtútibus et sapiéntia tua. Non credébam narrántibus donec ipsa veníssem, et vidíssent óculi mei, et probássem vix medietátem sapiéntiæ tuæ mihi fuísse narrátam: vicísti famam virtútibus tuis. Beáti viri tui, et beáti servi tui, qui assístunt coram te omni témpore, et áudiunt sapiéntiam tuam. Sit Dóminus Deus tuus benedíctus, qui vóluit te ordináre super thronum suum, regem Dómini Dei tui. Quia díligit Deus Israël, et vult serváre eum in ætérnum, idcírco pósuit te super eum regem ut fácias judícia atque justítiam. Dedit autem regi centum vigínti talénta auri, et arómata multa nimis, et gemmas pretiosíssimas: non fuérunt arómata tália, ut hæc quæ dedit regína Saba regi Salomóni. Sed et servi Hiram cum servis Salomónis attulérunt aurum de Ophir, et ligna thyína, et gemmas pretiosíssimas: de quibus fecit rex, de lignis scílicet thýinis, gradus in domo Dómini, et in domo régia, cítharas quoque, et psaltéria cantóribus: numquam visa sunt in terra Juda ligna tália. Rex autem Sálomon dedit regínæ Saba cuncta quæ vóluit, et quæ postulávit, et multo plura quam attúlerat ad eum: quæ revérsa ábiit in terram suam cum servis suis. Erat autem pondus auri quod afferebátur Salomóni per síngulos annos,

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sexcénta sexagínta sex talénta auri, excépta ea summa quam legáti diversárum géntium et negotiatóres afférre consuéverant, omnésque reges Arábiæ, et satrápæ terrárum, qui comportábant aurum et argéntum Salomóni. Fecit ígitur rex Sálomon ducéntas hastas áureas de summa sexcentórum aureórum, qui in síngulis hastis expendebántur: trecénta quoque scuta áurea trecentórum aureórum, quibus tegebántur síngula scuta: posuítque ea rex in armentário, quod erat cónsitum nemóre. Fecit quoque rex sólium ebúrneum grande, et vestívit illud auro mundíssimo. Sex quoque gradus, quibus ascendebátur ad sólium, et scabéllum áureum, et brachíola duo altrínsecus, et duos leónes stantes juxta brachíola, sed et álios duódecim leúnculos stantes super sex gradus ex utráque parte: non fuit tale sólium in univérsis regnis. Ómnia quoque vasa convívii regis erant áurea, et vasa domus saltus Líbani ex auro puríssimo. Argéntum enim in diébus illis pro níhilo reputabátur. Síquidem naves regis ibant in Tharsis cum servis Hiram, semel in annis tribus: et deferébant inde aurum, et argéntum, et ebur, et símias, et pavos. Magnificátus est ígitur Sálomon super omnes reges terræ præ divítiis et glória. Omnésque reges terrárum desiderábant vidére fáciem Salomónis, ut audírent sapiéntiam quam déderat Deus in corde ejus: et deferébant ei múnera, vasa argéntea et áurea, et

[2 Chronicles 9:4-24, here called Paralipomenon]

...and the victims which he offered in the house of the Lord: there was no more spirit in her, she was so astonished. 5 And she said to the king: The word is true which I heard in my country of thy virtues and wisdom. 6 I did not believe them that told it, until I came, and my eyes had seen, and I had proved that scarce one half of thy wisdom had been told me: thou hast exceeded the same with thy virtues. 7 Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom. 8 Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath been pleased to set thee on his throne, king of the Lord thy God. Because God loveth Israel, and will preserve them for ever: therefore hath he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice. 9 And she gave to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and most precious stones: there were no such spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon. 10 And the servants also of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and thyine trees, and most precious stones: 11 And the king made of the thyine trees stairs in the house of the Lord, and in the king's house, and harps and psalteries for the singing men: never were there seen such trees in the land of Juda. 12 And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, and that she asked, and many more things than she brought to him: so she returned, and went to her own country with her servants. 13 And the weight of the gold, that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold: 14 Beside the sum which the deputies of divers nations, and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and all the kings of Arabia, and the lords of the lands, who brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15 And king Solomon made two hundred golden spears, of the sum of six hundred pieces of gold, which went to every spear: 16 And three hundred golden shields of three hundred pieces of gold, which went to the covering of every shield: and the king put them in the armoury, which was compassed with a wood. 17 The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 And six steps to go up to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms one on either side, and two lions standing by the arms: 19 Moreover twelve other little lions standing upon the steps on both sides: there was not such a throne in any kingdom. 20 And all the vessels of the king's table were of gold, and the vessels of the house of the forest of Libanus were of the purest gold. For no account was made of silver in those days. 21 For the king's ships went to Tharsis with the servants of Hiram, once in three years: and they brought thence gold and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks. 22 And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory. 23 And all the kings of the earth desired to see the face of Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which God had given in his heart. 24 And every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold...

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vestes, et arma, et arómata, equos, et mulos, per síngulos annos. Hábuit quoque Sálomon quadragínta míllia equórum in stábulis, et cúrruum equitúmque duódecim míllia: constituítque eos in úrbibus quadrigárum, et ubi erat rex in Jerúsalem. Exércuit étiam potestátem super cunctos reges a flúmine Euphráte usque ad terram Philisthinórum, et usque ad términos Ægýpti. Tantámque cópiam prǽbuit argénti in Jerúsalem quasi lápidum: et cedrórum tantam multitúdinem velut sycomorórum quæ gignúntur in campéstribus. Adducebántur autem ei equi de Ægýpto, cunctísque regiónibus. Réliqua autem óperum Salomónis priórum et novissimórum scripta sunt in verbis Nathan prophétæ, et in libris Áhiæ Silónitis, in visióne quoque Addo vidéntis contra Jeróboam fílium Nabat. Regnávit autem Sálomon in Jerúsalem super omnem Israël quadragínta annis. Dormivítque cum pátribus suis, et sepeliérunt eum in civitáte David: regnavítque Róboam fílius ejus pro eo.

[3 lines untranscribed.]

Proféctus est autem Róboam in Sichem: illuc enim cunctus Israël convénerat ut constitúerent eum regem. Quod cum audísset Jeróboam fílius Nabat, qui erat in Ægýpto (fúgerat quippe illuc ante Salomónem), statim revérsus est. Vocaverúntque eum, et venit cum univérso Israël: et locúti sunt ad

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Róboam, dicéntes: Pater tuus duríssimo jugo nos pressit: tu levióra ímpera patre tuo, qui nobis impósuit gravem servitútem, et páululum de ónere súbleva, ut serviámus tibi. Qui ait: Post tres dies revertímini ad me. Cumque abiísset pópulus, íniit consílium cum sénibus qui stéterant coram patre ejus Salomóne dum adhuc víveret, dicens: Quid datis consílii ut respóndeam pópulo? Qui dixérunt ei: Si placúeris pópulo huic, et leníveris eos verbis cleméntibus, sérvient tibi omni témpore. At ille relíquit consílium senum, et cum juvénibus tractáre cœpit, qui cum eo nutríti fúerant, et erant in comitátu illíus. Dixítque ad eos: Quid vobis vidétur? vel respondére quid débeo pópulo huic, qui dixit mihi: Súbleva jugum quod impósuit nobis pater tuus? At illi respondérunt ut júvenes, et nutríti cum eo in delíciis, atque dixérunt: Sic lóqueris pópulo qui dixit tibi: Pater tuus aggravávit jugum nostrum, tu súbleva: et sic respondébis ei: Mínimus dígitus meus gróssior est lumbis patris mei. Pater meus impósuit vobis grave jugum, et ego majus pondus appónam; pater meus cécidit vos flagéllis, ego vero cædam vos scorpiónibus. Venit ergo Jeróboam et univérsus pópulus ad Róboam die tértio, sicut præcéperat eis. Respondítque rex dura, derelícto consílio seniórum: locutúsque est juxta júvenum voluntátem: Pater meus grave vobis impósuit jugum, quod ego grávius fáciam; pater meus céci-

[2 Chronicles 9:24-10:14, here called Paralipomenon]

24 And every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules. 25 And Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots, and horsemen, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots, and where the king was in Jerusalem. 26 And he exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt. 27 And he made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars as common as the sycamores, which grow in the plains. 28 And horses were brought to him out of Egypt, and out of all countries. 29 Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are written in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the books of Ahias the Silonite, and in the vision of Addo the seer, against Jeroboam the son of Nabat. 30 And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 And he slept with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.

[3 lines untranscribed.]

1 And Roboam went to Sichem: for thither all Israel were assembled, to make him king. 2 And when Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who was in Egypt, (for he was fled thither from Solomon,) heard it, forthwith he returned. 3 And they sent for him, and he came with all Israel, and they spoke to Roboam, saying: 4 Thy father oppressed us with a most grievous yoke, do thou govern us with a lighter hand than thy father, who laid upon us a heavy servitude, and ease some thing of the burden, that we may serve thee. 5 And he said to them: Come to me again after three days. And when the people were gone, 6 He took counsel with the ancients, who had stood before his father Solomon, while he yet lived, saying: What counsel give you to me, that I may answer the people? 7 And they said to him: If thou please this people, and soothe them with kind words, they will be thy servants for ever. 8 But he forsook the counsel of the ancients, and began to treat with the young men, that had been brought up with him, and were in his train. 9 And he said to them: What seemeth good to you? or what shall I answer this people, who have said to me: Ease the yoke which thy father laid upon us? 10 But they answered as young men, and brought up with him in pleasures, and said: Thus shalt thou speak to the people, that said to thee: Thy father made our yoke heavy, do thou ease it: thus shalt thou answer them: My little finger is thicker than the loins of my father. 11 My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, and I will add more weight to it: my father beat you with scourges, but I will beat you with scorpions. 12 So Jeroboam, and all the people came to Roboam the third day, as he commanded them. 13 And the king answered roughly, leaving the counsel of the ancients. 14 And he spoke according to the advice of the young men: My father laid upon you a heavy yoke, which I will make heavier: my father beat...