So Solomon welcomed her gladly to his home, and told her of the God of Israel, from whom all his wealth and wisdom had come. For many a day this queen and king talked together; and when the time came for the queen to go back to her people, she said to Solomon, "When I was in my own land I heard much of thy wisdom and thy possessions. It was not very much I heard, and still I could not believe the half. But now that I have come and have seen for myself, I find thy wisdom and thy possessions far greater than I had been told. O happy are the servants that stand by thy side and hear thy wisdom! Happy are the people who have thee for their king and for their teacher, to teach them the knowledge of God."

Then the Queen blessed and praised the God of Israel, and went away with her servants to her own people.

And yet Solomon could forget God, and grow to love his wealth and his power more than the God who had given them all to him. And it is true that he did; and for a long time he worshipped idols even as the foolish heathen did. But when he turned from God, then he turned from happiness, too. He had now no true peace, no comfort, no joy.

He would walk up and down his beautiful gardens; he would gather his rich fruit; he would smell of the rare, sweet flowers. Then he would walk through his beautiful houses and even visit the cities he had built. He would call his servants about him and listen to their music; he would watch the dancers; but of all these he would weary. And when at last he became, an old man, and had tired even of his books and writing, then he would wander up and down the halls of his

great palace and moan, “Vanity, vanity; all

is vanity."

Then troubles and dissensions began to rise among the people. And one day when Jeroboam, Solomon's high high servant, came before Abijah the priest, the priest seized upon his garment and rent it in twelve pieces; and ten of the pieces he gave to Jeroboam saying, "So shall God rend this kingdom; and ten of the twelve tribes shall he make thee king over."

When Solomon heard what the prophet had said, he was afraid and attempted to slay Jeroboam. But Jeroboam fled into Egypt and was safe.

So Solomon reigned for forty years; but at last death came to him, and he was laid in the tomb of his fathers.

After his death, his son Rehoboam came

to take the throne; but Jeroboam, hearing of Solomon's death, and remembering the prophecy, came also; and

contended for the throne.

together these two

And it came about,

even as the prophet had said, that the tribes of Israel divided. Ten chose Jeroboam for their king, and two chose Rehoboam.

And so ended the reign of Solomon, one of the greatest kings the world has ever known; one whom the people loved, and one whom the God of Israel had blessed as he had blessed no other of the kings of Canaan.

في سديدة

I. Rings 153

STORY OF ELIJAH.

The glories of our birth and state,
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armor against fate:

Death lays its icy hands on Kings;

Sceptre and crown

Must tumble down,

And in the dust be equal made

With the poor crooked scythe and spade.

-Watts.

And now there were two kings in Canaan; and the kingdom of Jeroboam was called the kingdom of Israel, and that of Rehoboam was called the kingdom of Judah.

When the ten tribes had made Jeroboam their king, then they went away to their own homes, content with their king, and meaning to support him.

But Jeroboam was suspicious. "If these

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