Solomon’s Most Excellent Love Song.

He made two bronze tops for the pillars; each was seven-and-a-half feet high.

These were their divisions by families: There were a thousand officers from Judah. Adnah the commander led 300,000 skilled warriors,

The Merarite clans (the remaining Levites) were allotted twelve cities.

The people from Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the people from Cuth made Nergal, the people from Hamath made Ashima,

before the vindictive enemy who ridicules and insults me.

Then Moses and Aaron went and brought together all the Israelite elders.

Those numbered from the Gershonites, by their families and by their clans,

From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.

who leaves the husband from her younger days, and forgets her marriage covenant made before God.

Yet in days to come I will reverse Ammon’s ill fortune.” says the Lord.

Our skin is hot as an oven due to a fever from hunger.

As it turned out, among these young men were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

treacherous, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God.

These were the areas where Aaron’s descendants lived: The following belonged to the Kohathite clan, for they received the first allotment:

From the priests: Jedaiah; Jehoiarib; Jakin;

From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

From all the many sons the Lord has given me, he chose Solomon my son to rule on his behalf over Israel.

for there our captors ask us to compose songs; those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying: “Sing for us a song about Zion!”