所罗 `门

《所罗 `门》David, no`w an o#?/,ld m[!*an , is sti)-ll king of Is%$*!.rael. Among his sons,#*. ]#t[%h^
$#;e ambitious Adonijah and the clever So%(lomon. The two young`^- men are fierce riv`,al-\s, since bot;h are p[$ros(p!ective h,%eirs to t
he *throne and onl,y one c^an be -successful). (_[During a hunting e?xpedit[)ion, Ado?nijah challe-nge:@s his younger brother Solomon to [:/:a chariot race. ` ._While S_(,_o!^lomo;# -n, though brave, still retains a modicum of caution, th,=e darede#:vi.l Adoni j)!ah is ea=g^?-er to wi! n %(?=at all);( costs ( -$  - and #lo
se-!s-, cont/*rol of his char;(iot@[+.-@ S
olomon tak-+ es th]%]e ser:!iously injured Adonijah back#. -^to Jerusalem. ;;On `/]the way t\]!-he[re) they mee
t the a[ ttractive ??Abi+*;sh-#ag, w_#ho d;=es^!)_pit*+e -her ^y\outh ,is .*verse,d @
in[ th,;\e u se !/`o#f *he\]aling he=r[+ bs.  S he, actually succe 
$eds in h:=
.elpi- n)g;% =
the prince,. Adonijah falls i$$n ,%l?=ov-e with Abisha)g -- but Ba]!thsheba ar+ranges things so that she works for David, \^ho:`] ping that her youth, he%) r be(au)
;-ty and her h ealin_!,-g powers will soot.[
he the.% old k-* `i ng's sufferin.`%(.g. S\
((everal m!embers of (th^e infl@ue`;nti$al p[ !r/iesthood and al; @so the respected ar my @genera^l Joab,[ w;[_!ho served (Davi(d loyally for) many @^!years, suppo!=rt Adonij@;ah's claim  t$`o the throne-- even tho/(ugh,
 David !
#]has still ==not made any dec^isi on with regard to a $;potenti:_al ,$success` or. The ba^ttle-ex
:perienced Joab r:(egards Solomon a,s +an i)+ndec@!(isive w
^+eakl^ ing, under whose leadersh-ip t[`he k`ingdom would 
soo%+ n@= -^fall  apart.? ,When the prophet ,! Nathan f) inds` out about Adonija]h's conspiracy h-e infor:(  m$?s @Bathsheba a-,nd Solomon, who u() rge Da
+%;vid: to =
ta?[ke+ imme.`*/di!/ate actio/n. And !so i]#@t comes@ t[-[- o p%ass t#
hat prepa.\rations ,to)* an)(oint the future king of Israel are made b%;;oth]]$/ %.)*at t#
he Spring of Enrogel, where Adonijah and :`=his men are encampe.d, a^s well as i
*]n J%erus -ale_.m. The festive procession f.`^or Adon*ijah has alrea\dy been a/ssem=bled and the peo%` !p% le ent?? ]iced`. with delici,ous delicac$?.ies to cheer him on, wh#+en the news of Solo;mon's c;]!oronati/_//[on reaches Enrogel. Th*e peo+*ple p
romptly ac kn[owledge the will of Kin:
-[g D*(av-?id *^and ( stre?^*am o^ ff to Jerusa
@l_em in their -;horde-.`s\ to ;:g-]reet Solo! mo n, the,:ir fut=u
re #;r##
uler. /-
Adonija/)h rem+*ains behind w)ith a ha?ndfu=/l of loya
l 
$fo\l,l*owers. He\?%? rea\;lizes that he has :\lost -- for the #\time being)`.* Humbly he pl[#)/aces his life in hi)=s brother;#'s hands +`? . Adonijah is f[ ?orgiven o$[n one condi,[[tion that he alwa%+ys remain$^s loyal to h;$^%%is brother# So-lomon. The grea!;*!$t King Da,vid is ($de$
ad, and his son Solomon has/! su\c%c-@`eede-^d him ]as
^!the rightful@*[ `ruler o-!
f I]srael. Adonijah now [$has- #-a reques;:(^t $- ]to make
 o].,f Ba[$_th=`sheba he wants to marry Abishag. Solomon hears- _: about th%is seemin_ gly= innocent wish, and reco-=gnizes it as a ren_*ew@ed ploy on b)% eha =?$lf of his b,rot@@her t=o reclai[m the thron*)e -- Ado:nijah's m(arriage ]/to the la]st woman*+ to; share K?ing ;.Da_vid's$` bed wou
ld streng .then /=his ;poli]%tical position co-nsiderably. So *=lomon, knows ^!that h
*.e h]as to act qui+ckly an^d/
_ decisiv:ely if he is^ \ to sec
ure his# .own pow%+?=er. He ha@s ^, %his brother Adoni*]\j a.^ h and t#he latter's_ (_closes@%\t a,`ssoci?at \.e Joab executed. After= this radical decision, = Solom on withdr/,aws to prese`?nt :/s?acrif+ice?s.#, In a dream the Lord app(=(ears to -=him and grants\)
! him the fulfi$l*^\lment o$]f a wish, wha$tever it:-$  may%( ?be. Solo.+mo +n merely as^;#`k
s for wisdom ? -- $in order to *beco!+`m)
e a good ru+,ler a=/nd judge!/.  War wit
!h`!_ Egypt is looming.= To arm,*,= his k] ingdom ^)!ag)]ainst )the t[`e +rritorial ambi. tions o)f its powerful neighbors, S ( olom!= on not only i ntroduces sever+=al refo( $rms^% bu ]t a.lso decid?es to marr@y the d;)au%.g^ht-?er of th+?^;e pha[,raoh.
#*The Egypt^ian =?prin$ces/
s does not remain Solomon's(] o^.nly] :*wife,  however as)
 time goes by`.= the /$king marries $/num [ erous noble- women from many di -fferent c$ountri;es for p;olit[ical and economi
=*@c reasons
^. )In this ]wa.+y he pres`e-%!rves, pe?!
a*^ce for+
: his $people:
, an
d creat:-+es( great prosperity. By allowing the women to continu.+%e pract. ici`n g th eir domestic cu/%st)\\oms and religious  .
ritu$ ?als in/ J\erusalem as[* well, %$he comes,) into regular conf^ li.ct@ with th\ :e pries#/[^$thoo:d$,+ who-%# see the foreign religions as endangeri;:ng Israel's s/!:ole covenant, wi,($t]_h the Lord. T^he $@wis /^: dom granted to Solomon b/_y^$ God beco^%%mes fully evident; when t%@he king sits +
*in judgment. One day tw]o [/harlo./..ts each clai.m to be /; moth)(@er of _ the s_^am^ e b-/aby. Solomon's de)cision seems utterly cruel h#-e sa
ys /that th#
/e child should be cut?- in two so tha*t each w.*
oman re ceiv^`_es ha@lf. # Solom] on can now d? !etermine who#_;@ the real m]]
ot#her -is $fro -m[: ^ @$her.- ,r`ea/ction she wil*$l not allow (. her c=.hild to be harmed;. ]!Solomon(= hands the chi=ld back@ to %its true@ moth+-er amid cheers of approval. One of the; m?ost importa%;[nt tasks handed down to Solomon *)by \his father D^]avid is build/ing the g]= re@at `Temple?(? to house th*#$:e Ark of the, Cov()enant. It has to $=be\( lar)$g\]er and)% $_\mor?
:$e magnificent than) all other t@`+e(:`mpl$es in : the wo; r;!%_ld, an$
#d Solomon /now ]sets about
-) fulfilli.,ng his fat:her's w$`ish . He plac es;/+ Jerob_oam in ch^ar::ge o\f the :;,I`/s\%raelite worke::rs as =(;chie\ f + @ ov\$ers+eer.:^; S\; e*ven years l#;.a.ter:-, ,the wo;]r(*.k; is - ^$c$*ompleted. Th^^e* expensive construction materials have been b?.r)-oug$ht from f;ar-off lands, and /t?;he ?:peo`@pl,-[e of Isra*
.e=$l hav[e paid ex=ce[edingly !%high taxes`; without ]+com[$^plaint in order to[\ fina+[nce the constru$ct.ion wor.-%k. The Ark :_o f the Covenant can now finally be taken to/_ t[he Temple in a triump_hant. procession. After so man/ :y year$?s of wanderi$ng, th *(e Is-.raelites' mos([-t %``s(acred possession now has a fixed ho me of its o@,wn. [*,Peopl=e - stream to Jerus alem@_% f/.`rom /across$# the entire cou - ntry to* cele; brate the great da;y.: A =bishag, now married, comes:^? too and bri.\;ngs+ he+]r family.^++ S?olom``=on h;\as decid:)ed to ming;)le amo.[]ng the peo!,p;le in disg;)ui@s\?e, and he and Abishag are overjoyed when they accidenta^lly meet ^again -after so many _years. T`he_) )Te/=]mple makes Je? r[usa%lem @#?and it\,^,s king f$amous through, +out the worl+d.)
?Even t=;he dark-.-skinn]e[/d Queen of `Sheba sets ``off with a lar#
ge retinue to visit the wis!.e and cultivated So!l` _omon an` d ad
@mire his ma gnificent city. The admiration turns ou#$t# to be mutual Solomon, captivated by her  be,auty, fal^.]ls de),%epl?*y i;?( n lo[ve wi[th her. $%^The two of th
-em _\ha$v !\e a %c;hil`?$d, Menelik, but one day the Qu-een-, @)of S*heba deci%des t o; l/ eave. [%She ?does not want Menelik to b:$[e de;p_rived of the regal dignit!y awaiting +h_!im in!@ his h#^ome cou ntry. So[lomo$,,n stays ?)behind, with a he-avy hear t. -%*The king has now\ achieved ,everyt_[hing h,e :set-\^ his heart on, but with the pass*ing of t.h*e @\years the .
?wise Solom@]^on _]gradually. beco ^mes a melan%choly, skept]=ical
 old m,an who regu:larly questi%ons h,is) very ex+?)istenc[=e. Ma@*terial things[ seem+;) to ; re present +the o nly rea ]\lity for him. He also 
_refuses` _%to a+.d[opt -%:any +\kind of steady;^^ policy, ;#esp)ecially in religi:ou^)?[[s
! matte([r$$s. With h\=is ,f,\]ore@[+i )gn wives/(, S_-[%olomon? \(\sa++crifices to foreign gods, (]and [this incu(-$_rs the\ wra-th of t/])@h*)``e ,priest \hood. Th,e loy]]#al Jeroboam appeal s to his king's #-)conscienc!e,
but to -no avail. During one of Solom^])on's s,[o. rti$es +(in) disg:.=]u$?)
ise;_#@ [amo^( ng his people, a [ simple(,! farmer  .r))e*:min/ds him of th@:e first of th !e Ten Co`:mm!)\andments @(reveale+d^/[ by the Lord to Moses You sha];,%ll_ hav e ( %no@/[ other gods _befo-,r \e me. At \a[[nother deci!*sive )^m[)+o#ment, God H* ,imself sp
!:
eaks to( Solomon an=`.#d+]@? announces the %punishment for his$% @=s=[;infulne[$(ss the kin(,gd.om wil/;l collaps`?e after So.*l!o#mon's death. The ki
n#=g has gro_[wn o=\ld a=[% nd wea.-ry. He has lost -]touch \,with the people of I`(srael)%, who_$+ are+@ suff#erin;((g fr`\#om heav @,y ta= xation and forc:
ed labor. So.*lomon has ,treated^ his long-standing co mp
 anion J ?er oboam, to)$@
; whom h e entrusted the administ;.ration$. of the no-`rther*n tribe+s, with .-mur.de -_rou(s ange!`r ever ?]sinc^[e a prophet predic] `ted the division ,o+f the k+in`+`gdo+!m /, :to@ him. T#h_e,= king no lon#@[)ger;:* has the str^$engt*:)h to ch  ange thi=ngs -- he just#  leav+ es them as the^!y are. The =)c@onseque:nce/ s of th!_is#;. become clear sh%]o_rtly after h[is death. `[Solomon's s[on and successor _/Re[ hoboam tre ?ats the c! ountry's[ -leader *s with arrog!a*
[[nce, and prov: okes th!%e divisio?\\?n of the., ki ngd\om into ;two parts t`he o*_nly tribe  (+still l*[),o%yal to%! h[^ im is that of Judah, while al,\;l the othe\;rs (*unite ]u[nder Jeroboam
. T h#%e pr:%-+/op!+he ,cy has @bee#$`-n fulfilled#. The kingdom tha^t Solomo. ,n*\ re!ceived from ==hi]s father D=#av.id, an%d ?-+[inve!]st(ed wi+t^$h) such might and @.`!magnif+:ice(#nce, is n; :^ow divided.