After the 36 spirits and the spirits before them had all been bound.
Solomon had much quiet in all the earth, and spent his time in profound peace, honoured
by all men and by everything under heaven.
With the help of the demons, he built the entire Temple of the Lord God, his kingdom
was prosperous.
His army was with him, and the city and people of Jerusalem had serenity, rejoicing and delighted.
All the kings of the earth came to him from the ends of the earth to behold the Temple
which he built to the Lord God.
And having heard of the wisdom given to him, they paid homage to him in the Temple, bringing
gold and silver and precious stones, bronze, iron, lead, and cedar logs.
They brought him woods that do not decay, for the equipment of the Temple of God.
Among them also, the queen of the South, being a witch, came in great concern and bowed low
before Solomon.
She tried all of his wisdom, and he instructed her, according to the wisdom imparted to him.
Behold, one day, one of his workmen, of ripe old age, threw himself down before the king,
and said: "King Solomon, pity me, because I am old."
Solomon bade him to stand up, saying: "Tell me, old man, all you will."
And he answered: "I beg you king, I have an only-born son, and he insults and beats me
publicly, and plucks out the hair of my head, and threatens me with a painful death.
Therefore I beg you, avenge me.
And Solomon, on hearing this, felt pity as he looked at his old age; and commanded that
the child be brought to him.
When he was brought, Solomon questioned him whether his father's accusations were true.
And the youth said: "I was never so filled with madness that I
would strike my father with my own hand.
Be kind to me, O king, For I would not dare commit such impiety, poor wretch that I am."
On hearing this from the youth, and not sure which to believe, Solomon urged the old man
to reflect on the matter, and accept his son's apology.
However, the old man would not, and insisted he would rather let him die.
And as the old man would not yield, Solomon was about to pass sentence on the youth, when
he saw Ornias the demon laughing.
He was furious at the demon laughing in his presence; and ordered my men to lead the
two men outside for a moment, and bring Ornias forward before his tribunal.
When Ornias was brought before him, Solomon said to him: "Accursed one, why did you look
at me and laugh?"
And the demon answered: "I pray thee , king, it was not because of you I laughed, but because
of this ill-fated old man and the wretched youth, his son.
For after three days his son will die untimely; and lo, the old man desires to foully make
away with him."
Solomon said to the demon: "Do you speak the truth?"
And he answered: "It is true; O king."
And Solomon bade them to remove the demon, and that they should again bring before him
the old man with his son.
He told them to make friends with one another again, and supplied them with food.
Then he told the old man to bring his son to him again after 3 days, and they saluted
him, and went their way.
When they were gone, Solomon again had the demon Ornias brought before him and said to
him: "Tell me how you know this;" and he answered: "We demons ascend into the heavens, and fly
about among the stars.
And we hear the sentences which go forth upon the souls of men.
With this knowledge we come, and whether by force of influence, or by fire, or by sword,
or by some accident, we unleash our act of destruction, thereby carrying out sentences
upon those they were pronounced.
For men who are not sentenced to die untimely by disaster or by violence,If a man does not
die by some untimely disaster or by violence, then we demons appear to them in our human
nature, and walk among them and be worshiped by them.
Solomon again questioned the demon, saying: "Tell me how you can ascend into heaven, being
demons, and intermingle with the holy angels."
And he answered: "Just as things are fulfilled in heaven, so also are they fulfilled on earth,
for there are principalities, authorities, and world-rulers, and we demons fly about
in the air; and we hear the voices of the heavenly beings, and survey all the powers.
But as we have no ground on which to alight and rest, we lose strength and fall off like
leaves from trees.
And men seeing us imagine that the stars are falling from heaven.
But it is not really so, O king; we fall because of our weakness, and because we do not have
anything to lay hold of; and so we fall down like lightning in the depth of the night and
suddenly, and we set cities in flames and fire to the fields.
Finding it hard to believe, Solomon, ordered that the demon be guarded for five days.
After the five days had expired, Solomon called for the old man again, and was about to question
him about his son.
But the old man came to him in grief and with a sad face.
And Solomon said to him: "Tell me, old man, where is your son?
And why do you look gloomy?"
And he answered: "Lo, I have become childless, and now sit by my son's grave in despair,
for it has already been two days since he died."
And Solomon, on hearing this knew that the demon Ornias had told him the truth.
The queen of the South saw all this happen, and was marveled.
She beheld the temple of God with all of its great works and precious stones, and donated
a shekel of gold, and one hundred myriads of silver and of bronze.