47 ¹² After him rose up a wise son
who fared amply because of him;
47 ¹³ Solomon reigned in days of peace,
and God gave him rest on every side,
that he might build a house for his name
and prepare a sanctuary to stand for ever.
47 ¹⁴ How wise you became in your youth!
You overflowed like a river with understanding.
47 ¹⁵ Your soul covered the earth,
and you filled it with parables and riddles.
47 ¹⁶ Your name reached to far-off islands,
and you were loved for your peace.
47 ¹⁷ For your songs and proverbs and parables,
and for your interpretations, the countries marveled at you.
47 ¹⁸ In the name of the Lord God,
who is called the God of Israel,
you gathered gold like tin
and amassed silver like lead.
47 ¹⁹ But you laid your loins beside women,
and through your body you were brought into subjection.
47 ²⁰ You put stain upon your honour,
and defiled your posterity,
so that you brought wrath upon your children
and they were grieved at your folly,
47 ²¹ so that the sovereignty was divided
and a disobedient kingdom arose out of Ephraim.
47 ²² But the Lord will never give up his mercy,
nor cause any of his works to perish;
he will never blot out the descendants of his chosen one,
nor destroy the posterity of him who loved him;
so he gave a remnant to Jacob,
and to David a root of his stock.