The Daily Audio Bible
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Promise and Warning
9 Now it came to pass, when Solomon had finished building the House of Adonai, the royal palace and all that Solomon was pleased to do, 2 that Adonai appeared to Solomon a second time, just as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 Adonai said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your petition that you made before Me. I have consecrated this House, which you have built, to put My Name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there every day.
4 “As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked—in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing all I commanded you, keeping My statutes and My ordinances— 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingship over Israel forever, as I promised your father David saying: ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
6 “But if you or your sons will indeed turn away from following Me—not keeping My mitzvot and My statutes that I set before you—and go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then will I cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and this House which I have consecrated for My Name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 8 This House, now so exalted—everyone passing by it will gasp in shock and hiss, saying: ‘Why has Adonai done thus to this land and to this House?’ 9 They will be told: ‘Because they forsook Adonai their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, worshipped them and served them, therefore Adonai has brought all this evil on them.’”
Solomon’s Economic Achievements
10 Now at the end of 20 years during which Solomon had built the two houses—Adonai’s House and the royal palace— 11 since King Hiram of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar and cypress logs and with gold for all his desire—in return King Solomon gave Hiram 20 cities in the land of Galilee. 12 So Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities that Solomon had given him, but he was not pleased with them. 13 He said, “What are these cities that you’ve given me, my brother?” So they have been called the land of Kabul[a] to this day. 14 (Hiram had also sent to the king 120 talents[b] of gold.)
15 Now this was the purpose of the forced labor that King Solomon had imposed to build Adonai’s House, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. 16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, captured Gezer, burned it with fire, killed the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and given it as a dowry for his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 So Solomon rebuilt Gezer, lower Beth-horon, 18 Baalath and Tadmor in the wilderness in the land, 19 as well as all the storage cities, chariot cities and cavalry cities and that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
20 As for all the people that were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel, 21 even their children who remained in the land after them whom the children of Israel were not able to destroy utterly, on them Solomon imposed forced labor until this day.
22 But Solomon did not make slaves of the children of Israel, for they were the men of war, his servants, his officials, his captains, his charioteers and his horsemen.
23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, 550 who supervised the people who did the work. 24 As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David to her house built for her, he built the Millo.
25 Now three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar that he built for Adonai, burning incense with them on the altar that was before Adonai. When he finished the House, 26 King Solomon also built a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Sea of Reeds in the land of Edom. 27 Hiram sent his servants with the fleet—sailors who knew the sea—along with Solomon’s servants. 28 So they went to Ophir and took from there 420 talents of gold, and brought it to King Solomon.
Queen of Sheba Marvels
10 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon because of the Name of Adonai, she came to test him with hard questions. [c] 2 So she came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels carrying spices and gold in great abundance, and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him of all that was on her heart. 3 Solomon answered all her questions nothing was hidden from the king that he did not explain to her. 4 So when the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace that he had built, 5 the food at his table, the seating of his courtiers, the attendance of his servants and their attire, his cupbearers, and his burnt offering which he offered in the House of Adonai, she was left breathless.
6 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your deeds and of your wisdom. 7 But I didn’t believe the reports until I came and my eyes saw it. Indeed, not even the half was told to me. You’re way past the report of wisdom and prosperity that I’d heard! 8 Blessed are your people, blessed are your courtiers who are standing continually before you, listening to your wisdom. 9 Blessed be Adonai your God, who delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. It is because of Adonai’s everlasting love for Israel that He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”
10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come as what the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
11 Also Hiram’s ships that brought gold from Ophir brought from Ophir a great quantity of sandalwood and precious stones. 12 The king made from the sandalwood a railing for the House of Adonai and for the royal palace, and also lyres and harps for the singers. Never again did such quantity of sandalwood come in, nor have they been seen to this day.
13 So King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire—whatever she asked for—besides what King Solomon gave her out of his royal bounty. Then she and her servants left and returned to her own land.
Solomon’s Splendor
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 15 besides what was from the merchants from the traffic of the traders, and from all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the region. 16 King Solomon made 200 full body shields of beaten gold—600 shekels[d] of gold on each shield— 17 and 300 small shields of beaten gold—three minas[e] of gold on each shield. The king put them in the Forest House of Lebanon. 18 Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with refined gold. 19 There were six steps to the throne, and the throne had a back with a rounded top, and there were armrests on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. 20 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps—six on each side—nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.
21 All of King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the Forest House of Lebanon were of pure gold. (None was of silver—that did not count for anything in the days of Solomon.) 22 For the king had a Tarshish fleet at sea with Hiram’s fleet; once every three years the Tarshish fleet came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.[f]
23 So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in wealth as well as in wisdom. 24 All the earth sought an audience with Solomon, to listen to his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 They brought, each man his gift—vessels of silver and gold, robes, weapons, spices, horses and mules—so much year by year. 26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horsemen. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 Also the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were brought from Egypt and from Keveh. The king’s merchants would buy them from Keveh at a price 29 They imported a chariot from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver, and a horse for 150; and in turn they were exported to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.
14 Now when the emissaries in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the message of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 They came down and prayed for them to receive the Ruach ha-Kodesh. 16 For He had not yet come upon them; they had only been immersed in the name of the Lord Yeshua. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Ruach ha-Kodesh.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Ruach ha-Kodesh was given through the laying on of hands by the emissaries, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this power to me, too—so that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Ruach ha-Kodesh.”
20 Peter said to him, “May your silver go to ruin, and you with it—because you thought you could buy God’s gift with money! [a] 21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be pardoned. 23 For I see in you the poison of bitterness and the bondage of unrighteousness!”
24 Simon replied, “Pray for me, so that none of what you have said may come upon me.”
25 So when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the Good News to many Samaritan villages.
An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53
26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Get up, and go south on the road going down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 So he got up and went. And behold, an Ethiopian eunuch—an official who was responsible for all the treasure of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians—had traveled to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was now returning. Sitting in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Ruach said to Philip, “Go, catch up with this chariot.”
30 Philip ran up and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture that he was reading was this:
“He was led as a sheep to slaughter;
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so He opens not His Mouth.
33 In His humiliation justice was denied Him.
Who shall recount His generation?
For His life is taken away from the earth.”[b]
34 The eunuch replied to Philip, “Please tell me, who is the prophet talking about—himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he proclaimed the Good News about Yeshua.
36 Now as they were going down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, water! What’s to prevent me from being immersed?”
37 [c] 38 He ordered the chariot to stop. They both got down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and Philip immersed him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Ruach Adonai snatched Philip away.[d] The eunuch saw no more of him, for he went on his way, rejoicing.
40 But Philip found himself at Azotus. And as he passed through, he kept proclaiming the Good News to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Forgiveness and Full Redemption
Psalm 130
1 A Song of Ascents.
Out of the depths I cry to You, Adonai!
2 Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my supplications.
3 If You, Adonai, kept a record of iniquities—
my Lord, who could stand?
4 For with You there is forgiveness,
so You may be revered.
5 I wait for Adonai, my soul waits,
and in His word I hope.
6 My soul waits for my Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning,
watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, wait for Adonai.
For with Adonai there is lovingkindness,
and with Him is full redemption,
8 and He will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son
and will share the inheritance with the brothers.
3 A crucible is for silver
and a furnace is for gold,
but Adonai tests the heart.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.