(En.) King Solomon wished to build a temple with unhewn stone,as he was not allowed to use iron, that being forbidden by law. So he tried to obtain Shamir which he was told was in possession of Ashmedai, the king of the demons. He sent Benaya his general with a chain, upon which was engraved the name of God, and also with his seal, some wool, and skins full of wine. Benaya sunk a well below that from which Ashmedai used to drink and a higher one next to it. He then drained the water into the lower well and filled the empty well with the wine from the upper one. Ashmedai, tempted, drank of it. When he was overcome, Benaya bound him with the chain and led him to Solomon. On the way the prisoner uprooted some trees, broke down a house and hurt himself rather than touch the hut of a widow. He also helped a blind man and a child on the way. He wept at a feast and laughed at a man who ordered boots to last seven years, and again at a conjror playing his tricks. He was kept waiting three days by King Solomon and when he was brought before him he threw at his feet a cane four cubits long saying " When you diest that is the whole space thou shalt occupy, whilst now thou art not satisfied with the whole world." King Solomon said that he only wanted his assistance to obtain the Shamir.Ashmedai advised him how to obtain it, saying it had been handed over to a special wild bird. Upon his advice they covered the nest with a glass bell and the bird brought the Shamir and placed it over the bell that it might split it. Frightened by the noise of King Solomon’s messengers, he dropped the Shamir which was picked up by them and brought to the king. Ashmedai then explained the reason of his strange behavior on the way to King Solomon. He helped the blind man because he was a pious man and he knew that he would be rewarded for it; he helped the young boy because he knew that he would be a great sinner and it was therefore desirable that he should obtain the reward for these two actions during his life time. He cried at the feast because the bridegroom would die within three days and the bride would have to wait 13 years for her brother-in-law to grow up to be her Yibom; he laughed because the man who ordered boots to last 7 years would not live 7 days, and he laughed at the conjuror who told the fortunes of the people because he did not know that he himself was sitting on a treasure. Whilst the Temple was being built,Ashmedai was brought to King Solomon, who took off the chain and gave him his ring, in order to show him, as he said, marvellous things.Ashmedai swallowed the ring and spread out his wings, the one touching the earth and the other the heavens, and threw the king a distance of 400 miles, who then wandered about saying, " I am Qohelet who was king in Jerusalem." The sages, pertubed, wished to get at the truth and they asked Benaya whether he had recently been summoned by the King, since Ashmedai had taken his place (assuming the form of King Solomon). They asked the women to examine the feet of Ashmedai and were told that he always came in shoes, and they asked other similar questions because they were doubtful as to the genuineness of King Solomon’s being on the throne. So they gave King Solomon, who had reached Jerusalem, the ring and the chain with the divine Name upon them at the sight of which Ashmedai disappeared. (Gaster, pp.79-81)

(Fr.) Le roi Salomon voulait construire le temple, mais il ne savait comment tailler les pierres, l’usage du fer étant interdit par la Loi, comme symbole de destruction. Il tenta donc d’obtenir le Shamir, ver qui coupait tout matériau et qui était en la possession d’Ashmedai, le roi des démons. Il envoya un de ses fidèles généraux Benaya ben Yehoyada, et le munit d’une chaîne avec le nom de Dieu gravé dessus, de son sceau, d’échevaux de laine et de vin. Ashmedai partait chaque matin de chez lui pour aller entendre le choeur des anges au ciel et étudier la Torah et revenait le soir assoiffé chez lui et buvait l’eau de son puits scellé. Arrivé pendant son absence, Benaya creusa un puits au-dessous de celui d’Ashmedai et un au-dessus. Il draina l’eau du puits à l’aide de la laine vers le puits du dessous et emplit le puits d' Ashmedai de vin par le puits creusé en haut. Puis il effaça toute trace de sa supercherie. Ashmedai revint assoiffé, et voulut boire de l’eau, mais reconnut l’odeur du vin et résista à la tentation pendant un certain temps, mais à la fin, il s’enivra et s’endormit. Benaya le saisit alors, le lia avec la chaîne de Salomon et le conduisit au roi. Sur le chemin, le démon se conduisit de façon étrange, aidant un aveugle et un petit garçon, pleurant à la vue d’un mariage, et se moquant d’un homme qui commandait des bottes devant résister 7 ans à l’usure. Arrivé devant le roi Salomon, il jeta par terre un bâton long de 7 coudées et lui dit : " C’est l’espace que tu occuperas une fois mort, et aujourd’hui tu n’es pas satisfait de posséder le monde entier !" Salomon lui expliqua qu’il avait besoin de son aide pour construire le Temple et trouver le Shamir. Ce ver était confié à un oiseau sauvage très rare et Benaya réussit à s’en emparer par la ruse. Ashmedai expliqua au roi Salomon la cause de sa conduite pendant le voyage. L’aveugle était un juste, et s’il l’aidait, il serait récompensé au ciel. Le petit garçon serait un malfaiteur et donc il lui accordait maintenant la récompense des deux seules bonnes actions qu’il ferait dans sa vie, pour qu’il puisse être châtié plus tard. Le jeune marié devait mourir une semaine après son mariage, et la jeune femme devrait attendre 13 ans pour se remarier avec son beau-frère; quant à l’homme qui commandait des bottes, lui aussi devait mourir dans les jours à venir et ne pourrait même pas les porter pendant 7 jours ! Ashmedai ayant promis de révéler au roi les merveilles du monde s’il le délivrait et lui donnait sa bague, il s’envola alors et jeta le roi loin de Jérusalem. Puis il prit sa place sur le trône en empruntant son apparence. Le roi, après avoir erré pendant longtemps, finit par arriver à Jérusalem et prétendit récupérer son trône. Les sages troublés firent une enquête, et comprirent qu'Ashmedai était un imposteur. Ils remirent à Salomon la chaîne avec le nom de Dieu et la bague, et à cette vue Ashmedai disparut.