1 Kings 10

¹ And sche seide to the kyng, The word is trewe, which Y herde in my lond, of thi wordis, and of thi wisdom; ² and Y bileuyde not to men tellynge to me, til Y my silf cam, and siy with myn iyen, and preuede that the half part was not teld to me; thi wisdom is more and thi werkis, than the tale which Y herde. ³ Thi men ben blessid, and thi seruauntis ben blessid, these that stonden bifor thee euere, and heren thi wisdom. ⁴ Blessid be thi Lord God, whom thou plesedist, and hath set thee on the trone of Israel; for the Lord louyde Israel with outen ende, and hath ordeynyd thee kyng, that thou schuldist do doom and riytfulnesse. ⁵ Therfor sche yaf to the kyng sixe score talentis of gold, and ful many swete smellynge thingis, and precious stoonus; so many swete smellynge thingis weren no more brouyt, as tho which the queen of Saba yaf to kyng Salomon. ⁶ But also the schip of Hiram, that brouyte gold fro Ophir, brouyte fro Ophir ful many trees of tyme, and preciouse stoonys. ⁷ And kyng Salomon made of the trees of tyme vndir settyngis of the hows of the Lord, and of the kyngis hows, and harpis, and sitols to syngeris; siche trees of tyme weren not brouyt nether seyn, til in to present dai. ⁸ Sotheli kyng Salomon yaf to the queen of Saba alle thingis whiche sche wolde, and axide of hym, outakun these thingis whiche he hadde youe to hir bi the kyngis yifte wilfuli; and sche turnede ayen, and yede in to hir lond with hir seruauntis. ⁹ Forsothe the weyte of gold, that was offrid to Salomon bi ech yeer, was of sixe hundrid and sixe and sixti talentis of gold, ¹⁰ outakun that which men that weren on the talagis, that is, rentis for thingis borun aboute in the lond, and marchauntis, and alle men sillynge scheeldys, and alle the kyngis of Arabie, and dukis of erthe yauen. 11 And kyng Salomon made two hundrid scheeldis of pureste gold; he yaf sixe hundrid siclis of gold in to the platis of oo scheeld; 12 and he made thre hundrid of bokeleris of preued gold; thre hundrid talentis of gold clothiden o bokeler. And the kyng puttide tho in the hows of the forest of Lyban. 13 Also kyng Salomon made a greet trone of yuer, and clothide it with ful fyn gold; 14 which trone hadde sixe grees; and the hiynesse of the trone was round in the hynderere part; and tweine hondis on this side and on that side, holdynge the seete, and twei lyouns stoden bisidis ech hond; 15 and twelue litil liouns stondynge on sixe grees on this side and on that side; siche a werk was not maad in alle rewmes. 16 But also alle the vessels, of which kyng Salomon drank, weren of gold, and alle the purtenaunce of the hows of the forest of Liban was of pureste gold; siluer was not, nether it was arettid of ony prijs in the daies of Salomon. 17 For the schip of the kyng wente onys bi thre yeer with the schip of Hiram in to Tharsis, and brouyte fro thennus gold, and siluer, and teeth of olifauntis, and apis, and pokokis. ¹⁸ Therfor kyng Salomon was magnified aboue alle kyngis of erthe in richessis and wisdom. ¹⁹ And al erthe desiride to se the cheer of Salomon, to here the wisdom of him, which wisdom God hadde youe in his herte. ²⁰ And alle men brouyten yiftis to hym, vessels of gold, and of siluer, clothis, and armeris of batel, and swete smellynge thingis, and horsis, and mulis, bi ech yeer. ²¹ And Salomon gaderide togidere charis, and knyytis; and a thousinde and foure hundrid charis weren maad to hym, and twelue thousynde of knyytis; and he disposide hem bi strengthid citees, and with the kyng in Jerusalem. 22 And he made, that so greet aboundaunce of siluer was in Jerusalem, how greet was also of stoonys; and he yaf the multitude of cedris as sicomoris, that growen in feeldy places. 23 And the horsis of Salomon weren led out of Egipt, and of Coa; for the marchauntis of the kyng bouyten of Coa, and brouyten for prijs ordeyned. 24 Forsothe a chare yede out of Egipt for sixe hundrid siclis of siluer, and an hors for an hundrid and fifti siclis; and bi this maner alle the kyngis of Etheis and of Sirye seelden horsis. 26 Forsothe kyng Salomon louyde brennyngli many alien wymmen, and the douytir of Pharao, and wymmen of Moab, and Amonytis, and Ydumeis, and Sydoneis, and Etheis; 27 of the folkis of whiche the Lord seide to the sones of Israel, Ye schulen not entre to tho folkis, nether ony of hem schulen entre to you; for most certeynli thei schulen turne awei youre hertis, that ye sue the goddis of hem. Therfor kyng Salomon was couplid to these wymmen, bi moost brennyng loue. 28 And wyues as queenys weren seuene hundrid to hym, and thre hundrid secundarie wyues; and the wymmen turneden awey his herte. 29 And whanne he was thanne eld, his herte was bischrewid bi wymmen, that he suede alien goddis; and his herte was not perfit with his Lord God, as the herte of Dauid, his fadir, was perfit.