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The Hebrew Captivities

FROM THE MAP IN POSSESSION OF THE SUNDAY
SCHOOL COMMISSION OF NEW YORK. REPRO-

DUCED BY PERMISSION.
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"To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years."-II. Chron., 36, 21.

HERE were four separate occasions upon which

TH

the Hebrews in large numbers were carried into exile, until the entire race were held in captivity by the tyrants of Assyria and Babylon. These captivities and the weary journeys which these involved may best be understood by reference to the accompanying map. Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried off a large portion of the northern Israelites or Samarians in 740 B.C., and established them probably in farther Assyria beyond the Tigris River. In 722 Shalmaneser, another Assyrian monarch, completed the extermination of the northern kingdom, dragging away the remnant of the people to his own domains. None of these unfortunates ever returned.

Then, in 597 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar carried the king and all the chief people of Judah into captivity in Babylon. Of the lesser folk remaining in Jerusalem, great numbers perished in the destruction of the city 587 B.C., when the survivors were also transported to the domains of Babylonia and scattered throughout the Euphrates valley. It was from Babylon and the surrounding valley that the two return migrations to Jerusalem took place, one headed by Zerubbabel in 536, and the other by Ezra, eighty years later.

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SECOND CHRONICLES VIII-PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER

771

every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house?

22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

Chapter 8

1 Solomon's buildings. 7 The Gentiles which were left Solomon made tributaries; but the Israelites rulers. 11 Pharaoh's daughter removeth to her house. 12 Solomon's yearly solemn sacrifices. 14 He appointeth the priests and Levites to their places. 17 The navy fetcheth gold from Ophir.

ND it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house,

2 That the cities which Huram had restored1 to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there. 3 And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it. 4 And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath.

5 Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6 And Baalath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

7¶ As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,

8 But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

9 But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10 And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come.

12 ¶ Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch.

13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of

'The Revised Version alters "restored" to "given."

772

SECOND CHRONICLES IX—THE QUEEN OF SHEBA

unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

14 ¶ And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the

treasures.

So

16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. the house of the LORD was perfected.

17¶ Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the sea-side in the land of Edom.

18 And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

Chapter 9

1 The queen of Sheba admireth the wisdom of Solomon. 13 Solomon's gold. 15 His targets. 17 The throne of ivory. 20 His vessels. 23 His presents. 25 His chariots and horse. 26 His tributes. 29 His reign and death.

ND when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.

2 And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

3 And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.

5 And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:

6 Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

7 Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

8 Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the LORD thy God: because thy God

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