Kebra Nagast

How the Army of Israel received orders These are all those who were given to David, king of Ethiopia, the son of Solomon, King of Israel. And Solomon also gave him horses, and chariots, and ridingcamels, and mules, and wagons for carrying loads, and gold, and silver, and splendid apparel, and byssus, and and purple, and gems, and pearls and precious stones he gave his son everything that would be wished for in ; the country of Ethiopia. And then they made ready to set out, and [though] there was great joy with the nobles of the King of Ethiopia, there was sadness with the nobles of the King of Israel, because through the firstborn son of Solomon, King of Israel, that is to say, the King of Ethiopia, the firstborn sons of the nobles of Israel were given to rule over the country of Ethiopia with the son of Solomon the King. Then they assembled together and wept, together with their fathers, and their mothers, and their relations, and their kinsfolk, and their peoples, and their countrymen. And they cursed the King secretly and reviled him because he had seized their sons against their will. But unto the King they said, Because of this thou hast done well. Thy wisdom is so good that the kingdom of Israel, by the Will of God and by thy wisdom, extendeth to the country of Ethiopia. And God will gather together the other kingdoms [of the world] into thy hand, for thou hast a right mind towards God, and thou wishest that they shall serve the God of Israel, and that idols may be destroyed out of the world." And they praised him and said unto him, " Now know we that God spake concerning thee to our father Abraham [when He said], In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' And they made their faces to appear happy, and they jested before him, and they praised him exceedingly (i.e., fulsomely) because of his ' ' wisdom. And when they said these things unto him, he understood them in [his] wisdom, and bore with them 63