Bible in a Year.

On day 151, we follow the consolidation of Solomon's kingdom in 1 Kings 9, including the dedication of the Temple and the fulfillment of divine promises. Ecclesiastes 5-6 reminds us of the brevity of life and the importance of fearing God in our daily actions. Psalm 7 complements these readings with a cry for justice and protection, reinforcing trust in the Lord.

1. And it came to pass when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the Lord, and the king's house, and all that he desired, and was pleased to do,

2. That the Lord appeared to him the second time, as he had appeared to him in Gabaon.

3. And the Lord said to him: I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, which thou hast made before me: I have sanctified this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever, and my eyes and my heart shall be there always.

4. And if thou wilt walk before me, as thy father walked, in simplicity of heart, and in uprightness: and wilt do all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my ordinances and my judgments,

5. I will establish the throne of thy kingdom over Israel for ever, as I promised David thy father, saying: There shall not fail a man of thy race upon the throne of Israel.

6. But if you and your children revolting shall turn away from following me, and will not keep my commandments, and my ceremonies, which I have set before you, but will go and worship strange gods, and adore them:

7. I will take away Israel from the face of the land which I have given them; and the temple which I have sanctified to my name, I will cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb, and a byword among all people.

8. And this house shall be made an example of: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and shall hiss, and say: Why hath the Lord done thus to this land, and to this house:

9. And they shall answer: Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and followed strange gods, and adored them, and worshipped them: therefore hath the Lord brought upon them all this evil.

10. And when twenty years were ended after Solomon had built the two houses, that is, the house of the Lord, and the house of the king,

11. 11(Hiram the king of Tyre furnishing Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and gold according to all he had need of.) then Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

12. And Hiram came out of Tyre, to see the towns which Solomon had given him, and they pleased him not,

13. And he said: Are these the cities which thou hast given me, brother? And he called them the land of Chabul, unto this day.

14. And Hiram sent to king Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold.

15. This is the sum of the expenses, which king Solomon offered to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Mello, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Heser, and Mageddo, and Gazer.

16. Pharao the king of Egypt came up and took Gazer, and burnt it with fire: and slew the Chanaanite that dwelt in the city, and gave it for a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife.

17. So Solomon built: Gazer, and Beth-horon the nether,

18. And Baalath, and Palmira in the land of the wilderness.

19. And all the towns that belonged to himself, and were not walled, he fortified, the cities also of the chariots, and the cities of the horsemen, and whatsoever he had a mind to build in Jerusalem, and in Libanus, and in all the land of his dominion.

20. All the people that were left of the Amorrhites, and Hethites, and Pherezites, and Hevites, and Jebusites, that are not of the children of Israel:

21. Their children, that were left in the land, to wit, such as the children of Israel had not been able to destroy, Solomon made tributary unto this day.

22. But of the children of Israel Solomon made not any to be bondmen, but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and captains, and overseers of the chariots and horses.

23. And there were five hundred and fifty chief officers set over all the works of Solomon, and they had people under them, and had charge over the appointed works.

24. And the daughter of Pharao came up out of the city of David to her house, which Solomon had built for her: then did he build Mello.

25. Solomon also offered three times every year holocausts, and victims of peace offerings upon the altar which he had built to the Lord, and he burnt incense before the Lord: and the temple was finished.

26. And king Solomon made a fleet in Asiongaber, which is by Ailath on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom.

27. And Hiram sent his servants in the fleet, sailors that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

28. And they came to Ophir, and they brought from thence to king Solomon four hundred and twenty talents of gold.

Chapter 5

1. Speak not any thing rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

2. Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly.

3. If thou hast vowed any thing to God, defer not to pay it: for an unfaithful and foolish promise displeaseth him: but whatsoever thou hast vowed, pay it.

4. And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.

5. Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.

6. Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God.

7. If thou shalt see the oppressions of the poor, and violent judgments, and justice perverted in the province, wonder not at this matter: for he that is high hath another higher, and there are others still higher than these:

8. Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.

9. A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them: so this also is vanity.

10. Where there are great riches, there are also many to eat them. And what doth it profit the owner, but that he seeth the riches with his eyes?

11. Sleep is sweet to a labouring man, whether he eat lttle or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

12. There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.

13. For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.

14. As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, so shall he return, and shall take nothing away with him of his labour.

15. A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?

16. All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.

17. This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion.

18. And every man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God.

19. For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God entertaineth his heart with delight,

Chapter 6

1. There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:

2. A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.

3. If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.

4. For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.

5. He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:

6. Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?

7. All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.

8. What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?

9. Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.

10. He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.

11. There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.

1. The psalm of David which he sung to the Lord for the words of Chusi the son of Jemini. [2 Kings 16.]

2. O Lord my God, in thee have I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.

3. Lest at any time he seize upon my soul like a lion, while there is no one to redeem me, nor to save.

4. O Lord my God, if I have done this thing, if there be iniquity in my hands:

5. If I have rendered to them that repaid me evils, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies.

6. Let the enemy pursue my soul, and take it, and tread down my life on the earth, and bring down my glory to the dust.

7. Rise up, O Lord, in thy anger: and be thou exalted in the borders of my enemies. And arise, O Lord my God, in the precept which thou hast commanded:

8. and a congregation of people shall surround thee. And for their sakes return thou on high.

9. The Lord judgeth the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my justice, and according to my innocence in me.

10. The wickedness of sinners shall be brought to nought: and thou shalt direct the just: the searcher of hearts and reins is God.

11. Just is my help from the Lord: who saveth the upright of heart.

12. God is a just judge, strong and patient: is he angry every day?

13. Except you will be converted, he will brandish his sword: he hath bent his bow and made it ready.

14. And in it he hath prepared the instruments of death, he hath made ready his arrows for them that burn.

15. Behold he hath been in labour with injustice; he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth iniquity.

16. He hath opened a pit and dug it; and he is fallen into the hole he made.

17. His sorrow shall be turned on his own head: and his iniquity shall comedown upon his crown.

18. I will give glory to the Lord according to his justice: and will sing to the name of the Lord the most high.