David, now an old man, is still king of Israel. Among his sons, the ambitious Adonijah and the cle[展开全部]
David, now an old man, is still king of Israel. Among his sons, the ambitious Adonijah and the clever Solomon. The two young men are fierce rivals, since both are prospective heirs to the throne and only one can be successful. During a hunting expedition, Adonijah challenges his younger brother Solomon to a chariot race. While Solomon, though brave, still retains a modicum of caution, the daredevil Adonijah is eager to win at all costs -- and loses control of his chariot. Solomon takes the seriously injured Adonijah back to Jerusalem. On the way there they meet the attractive Abishag, who despite her youth is versed in the use of healing herbs. She actually succeeds in helping the prince. Adonijah falls in love with Abishag -- but Bathsheba arranges things so that she works for David, hoping that her youth, her beauty and her healing powers will soothe the old king's suffering. Several members of the influential priesthood and also the respected army general Joab, who served David loyally for many years, support Adonijah's claim to the throne-- even though David has still not made any decision with regard to a potential successor. The battle-experienced Joab regards Solomon as an indecisive weakling, under whose leadership the kingdom would soon fall apart. When the prophet Nathan finds out about Adonijah's conspiracy he informs Bathsheba and Solomon, who urge David to take immediate action. And so it comes to pass that preparations to anoint the future king of Israel are made both at the Spring of Enrogel, where Adonijah and his men are encamped, as well as in Jerusalem. The festive procession for Adonijah has already been assembled and the people enticed with delicious delicacies to cheer him on, when the news of Solomon's coronation reaches Enrogel. The people promptly acknowledge the will of King David and stream off to Jerusalem in their hordes to greet Solomon, their future ruler. Adonijah remains behind with a handful of loyal followers. He realizes that he has lost -- for the time being. Humbly he places his life in his brother's hands. Adonijah is forgiven on one condition: that he always remains loyal to his brother Solomon. The great King David is dead, and his son Solomon has succeeded him as the rightful ruler of Israel. Adonijah now has a request to make of Bathsheba: he wants to marry Abishag. Solomon hears about this seemingly innocent wish, and recognizes it as a renewed ploy on behalf of his brother to reclaim the throne -- Adonijah's marriage to the last woman to share King David's bed would strengthen his political position considerably. Solomon knows that he has to act quickly and decisively if he is to secure his own power. He has his brother Adonijah and the latter's closest associate Joab executed. After this radical decision, Solomon withdraws to present sacrifices. In a dream the Lord appears to him and grants him the fulfillment of a wish, whatever it may be. Solomon merely asks for wisdom -- in order to become a good ruler and judge. War with Egypt is looming. To arm his kingdom against the territorial ambitions of its powerful neighbors, Solomon not only introduces several reforms but also decides to marry the daughter of the pharaoh. The Egyptian princess does not remain Solomon's only wife, however: as time goes by the king marries numerous noble women from many different countries for political and economic reasons. In this way he preserves peace for his people, and creates great prosperity. By allowing the women to continue practicing their domestic customs and religious rituals in Jerusalem as well, he comes into regular conflict with the priesthood, who see the foreign religions as endangering Israel's sole covenant with the Lord. The wisdom granted to Solomon by God becomes fully evident when the king sits in judgment. One day two harlots each claim to be mother of the same baby. Solomon's decision seems utterly cruel: he says that the child should be cut in two so that each woman receives half. Solomon can now determine who the real mother is from her reaction: she will not allow her child to be harmed. Solomon hands the child back to its true mother amid cheers of approval. One of the most important tasks handed down to Solomon by his father David is building the great Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. It has to be larger and more magnificent than all other temples in the world, and Solomon now sets about fulfilling his father's wish. He places Jeroboam in charge of the Israelite workers as chief overseer. Seven years later, the work is completed. The expensive construction materials have been brought from far-off lands, and the people of Israel have paid exceedingly high taxes without complaint in order to finance the construction work. The Ark of the Covenant can now finally be taken to the Temple in a triumphant procession. After so many years of wandering, the Israelites' most sacred possession now has a fixed home of its own. People stream to Jerusalem from across the entire country to celebrate the great day. Abishag, now married, comes too and brings her family. Solomon has decided to mingle among the people in disguise, and he and Abishag are overjoyed when they accidentally meet again after so many years. The Temple makes Jerusalem and its king famous throughout the world. Even the dark-skinned Queen of Sheba sets off with a large retinue to visit the wise and cultivated Solomon and admire his magnificent city. The admiration turns out to be mutual: Solomon, captivated by her beauty, falls deeply in love with her. The two of them have a child, Menelik, but one day the Queen of Sheba decides to leave. She does not want Menelik to be deprived of the regal dignity awaiting him in his home country. Solomon stays behind, with a heavy heart. The king has now achieved everything he set his heart on, but with the passing of the years the wise Solomon gradually becomes a melancholy, skeptical old man who regularly questions his very existence. Material things seem to represent the only reality for him. He also refuses to adopt any kind of steady policy, especially in religious matters. With his foreign wives, Solomon sacrifices to foreign gods, and this incurs the wrath of the priesthood. The loyal Jeroboam appeals to his king's conscience, but to no avail. During one of Solomon's sorties in disguise among his people, a simple farmer reminds him of the first of the Ten Commandments revealed by the Lord to Moses: "You shall have no other gods before me." At another decisive moment, God Himself speaks to Solomon and announces the punishment for his sinfulness: the kingdom will collapse after Solomon's death. The king has grown old and weary. He has lost touch with the people of Israel, who are suffering from heavy taxation and forced labor. Solomon has treated his long-standing companion Jeroboam, to whom he entrusted the administration of the northern tribes, with murderous anger ever since a prophet predicted the division of the kingdom to him. The king no longer has the strength to change things -- he just leaves them as they are. The consequences of this become clear shortly after his death. Solomon's son and successor Rehoboam treats the country's leaders with arrogance, and provokes the division of the kingdom into two parts: the only tribe still loyal to him is that of Judah, while all the others unite under Jeroboam. The prophecy has been fulfilled. The kingdom that Solomon received from his father David, and invested with such might and magnificence, is now divided. 译文(2): 大卫现在已经老了，仍然是以色列的王。他儿子中有野心的亚多尼雅和聪明的所罗门。这两个年轻人是激烈的竞争对手，因为他们都是未来的王位继承人，只有一个人能够成功。在一次狩猎远征中，亚多尼雅挑战他的弟弟所罗门参加战车比赛。所罗门虽然勇敢，但仍然保持一点点的谨慎，勇敢的亚多尼雅渴望不惜一切代价赢得胜利——并失去了对他战车的控制。所罗门将重伤的亚多尼雅带回耶路撒冷。在路上，他们遇到了迷人的亚比沙格，尽管她年轻，精通治疗草药的使用。她实际上成功地帮助了王子。亚多尼雅爱上了亚比煞，但是拔示巴安排她为大卫工作，希望她的青春，她的美貌和她的医治能力能够抚慰老国王的痛苦。一些有影响力的祭司成员和尊敬的军队将领约押，他们多年来忠诚地为大卫效力，支持亚多尼雅继承王位——尽管大卫仍然没有做出任何关于潜在继承人的决定。战斗经验丰富的约押认为所罗门是一个优柔寡断的弱者，在他的领导下，王国很快就会分崩离析。当先知内森发现亚多尼雅的阴谋时，他通知了 Bathsheba 和所罗门，后者敦促大卫立即采取行动。因此，在亚多尼雅和跟随他的人安营的 Enrogel 之春，以及耶路撒冷，都有人准备膏立未来的以色列王。当所罗门加冕的消息传到恩格尔的时候，为亚多尼雅举行的节日游行已经准备好了，百姓用美味佳肴引诱他，为他欢呼。百姓立刻遵从大卫王的旨意，率领军队前往耶路撒冷迎接他们未来的统治者所罗门。亚多尼雅留在后面，带着几个忠心的追随者。他意识到他暂时输了。他谦卑地把自己的生命交给他的兄弟。亚多尼雅被赦免，但有一个条件: 他必须永远忠于他的兄弟所罗门。伟大的大卫王死了，他的儿子所罗门接续他作以色列的合法统治者。亚多尼雅现在向 Bathsheba 提出一个要求: 他要娶亚比煞。所罗门听说了这个看似无辜的愿望，并意识到这是代表他兄弟夺回王位的新策略——亚多尼雅与最后一个与大卫王同床共枕的女人的婚姻将大大加强他的政治地位。所罗门知道，如果他想保住自己的权力，就必须迅速果断地采取行动。他处决了他的兄弟亚多尼雅和后者最亲密的伙伴约押。在这个激进的决定之后，所罗门退出献祭仪式。在梦中，主向他显现，满足他的愿望，无论是什么。所罗门只是要求智慧——为了成为一个好的统治者和审判者。与埃及的战争迫在眉睫。为了武装自己的王国抵御强大邻国的领土野心，所罗门不仅推行了几项改革，而且还决定娶法老的女儿。然而，埃及公主并不是所罗门的唯一妻子: 随着时间的推移，出于政治和经济原因，国王迎娶了许多来自不同国家的贵族妇女。这样，他为他的人民保持和平，创造了巨大的繁荣。通过允许妇女继续在耶路撒冷实践她们的家庭习俗和宗教仪式，他经常与神职人员发生冲突，神职人员认为外国宗教危及以色列与上帝的唯一契约。神赐给所罗门的智慧，在王审判的时候显明出来。一天，两个妓女各自声称是同一个孩子的母亲。所罗门的决定看起来十分残忍: 他说孩子应该被切成两半，这样每个女人可以分到一半。所罗门现在可以根据她的反应判断谁是真正的母亲: 她不会允许她的孩子受到伤害。所罗门在欢呼声中把孩子交还给它的亲生母亲。所罗门父亲大卫传给他的最重要的任务之一就是建造一座大圣殿来容纳约柜。它必须比世界上其他的寺庙更大更宏伟，所罗门现在开始实现他父亲的愿望。他派耶罗波安管理以色列的工人，作首席监工。七年后，这项工作完成了。昂贵的建筑材料是从遥远的土地上运来的，以色列人民毫无怨言地缴纳了极高的税款，以便为建筑工程提供资金。约柜现在终于可以在欢庆的队伍中被带到圣殿了。经过这么多年的流浪，以色列人最神圣的财产现在有了自己的固定家园。人们从全国各地涌向耶路撒冷，庆祝这个伟大的日子。Abishag 现在已经结婚了，也带着她的家人来了。所罗门决定乔装打扮混入人群，多年后，他和亚比煞再次偶然相遇，他们都欣喜若狂。圣殿使耶路撒冷及其国王闻名于世。即使是皮肤黝黑的示巴女王也会带着一大批随从前往拜访智慧而有教养的所罗门王，并欣赏他宏伟的城市。这种赞美是相互的: 所罗门被她的美丽所吸引，深深地爱上了她。他们有一个孩子，梅内利克，但有一天，希巴女王决定离开。她不希望 Menelik 被剥夺在他的祖国等待他的王室尊严。所罗门带着沉重的心情留了下来。国王现在已经实现了他心目中的一切，但随着岁月的流逝，智慧的所罗门逐渐变成了一个忧郁、多疑的老人，他经常质疑自己的存在。物质对他来说似乎是唯一的现实。他也拒绝采取任何稳定的政策，特别是在宗教问题上。所罗门与他的外邦妻子一同祭祀外邦的神，这招致了祭司的愤怒。忠诚的耶罗波安恳求他的国王的良心，但是没有用。在所罗门的一次伪装出击中，一个普通的农夫提醒所罗门上帝给摩西的第一个十诫: “在我之前，你不可有别的神。”在另一个决定性的时刻，上帝亲自对所罗门说话，宣布对他的罪的惩罚: 王国将在所罗门死后崩溃。国王已经老了，疲惫不堪。他已经失去了与以色列人民的联系，他们正在遭受沉重的税收和强迫劳动。所罗门对待他的长期同伴耶罗波安，就是他委托他管理北方支派的人，自从有先知预言王国要分裂给他以来，就满怀杀气。国王不再有力量去改变事情——他只是让事情保持原样。他死后不久，后果就很明显了。所罗门的儿子和继承人罗波安傲慢地对待国家的领导人，并挑起王国分裂成两部分: 唯一仍然忠于他的部落是犹大，而所有其他部落团结在耶罗波安之下。预言成真了。所罗门从他父亲大卫那里得到的王国，以如此强大和宏伟的投资，现在已经分裂了。[收起部分]
