1Solomon built the LORD’s temple and his own palace. It took him 20 years to build them. After that,2Solomon rebuilt the villages Hiram had given him. Solomon let Israelites make their homes in them.3Then Solomon went to Hamath Zobah. He captured it.4He also built up Tadmor in the desert. He built up all the cities in Hamath where he could store things.5He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon. He put up high walls around them. He made their city gates secure with heavy metal bars.6He rebuilt Baalath and all the cities where he could store things. He also rebuilt all the cities for his chariots and horses. Solomon built anything he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon and all the territory he ruled.7There were still many people left in the land who weren’t Israelites. They included Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.8They were children of the people who had lived in the land before the Israelites came. The people of Israel hadn’t destroyed them. Solomon forced them to work very hard as his slaves. And they still work for Israel to this day.9But Solomon didn’t force the Israelites to work as his slaves. Instead, some were his fighting men. Others were commanders of his captains, chariots and chariot drivers.10Still others were King Solomon’s chief officials. There were 250 officials in charge of the other men.11Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. Solomon said, ‘My wife must not live in the palace of David, who was the king of Israel. It’s one of the places the ark of the LORD has entered. That makes it holy.’12Solomon had built the LORD’s altar. It stood in front of the temple porch. On that altar Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the LORD.13Each day he sacrificed what the Law of Moses required. He sacrificed the required offerings every Sabbath day. He also sacrificed them at each New Moon feast and during the three yearly feasts. Those three were the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths.14Solomon followed the orders his father David had given him. He appointed the groups of priests for their duties. He appointed the Levites to lead the people in praising the LORD. They also helped the priests do their required tasks each day. Solomon appointed the groups of men who guarded all the gates. That’s what David, the man of God, had ordered.15The king’s commands were followed completely. They applied to the priests and Levites. They also applied to the temple treasure.16All of Solomon’s work was carried out. It started the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid. It ended when the LORD’s temple was finished.17Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom.18Hiram sent him ships that his own officers commanded. They were sailors who knew the sea. Together with Solomon’s men they sailed to Ophir. They brought back 16 tonnes of gold. They gave it to King Solomon.
2 Chronicles 8
English Standard Version
Solomon’s Accomplishments
1At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, (1Ki 9:10)2Solomon rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given to him, and settled the people of Israel in them.3And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and took it.4He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store cities that he built in Hamath.5He also built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, (De 3:5; Jos 16:3; Jos 16:5; 2Ch 14:7)6and Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.7All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, (Ge 15:18)8from their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed—these Solomon drafted as forced labor, and so they are to this day. (Jos 16:10; 1Ki 4:6; 1Ki 9:21; 1Ki 12:18; 2Ch 10:18)9But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; they were soldiers, and his officers, the commanders of his chariots, and his horsemen.10And these were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250, who exercised authority over the people.11Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.” (1Ki 3:1; 1Ki 7:8; 1Ki 9:24)12Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord that he had built before the vestibule, (2Ch 4:1; 2Ch 15:8)13as the duty of each day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. (Ex 23:14; Ex 29:38; Nu 28:3; Nu 28:9; Nu 28:11; Nu 28:26; Nu 29:2; De 16:16)14According to the ruling of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their offices of praise and ministry before the priests as the duty of each day required, and the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David the man of God had commanded. (1Ch 9:17; 1Ch 9:26; 2Ch 7:6; 2Ch 8:13; Ne 12:24; Ne 12:36)15And they did not turn aside from what the king had commanded the priests and Levites concerning any matter and concerning the treasuries.16Thus was accomplished all the work of Solomon from[1] the day the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.17Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom. (De 2:8; 1Ki 9:26; 2Ki 14:22)18And Hiram sent to him by the hand of his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea, and they went to Ophir together with the servants of Solomon and brought from there 450 talents[2] of gold and brought it to King Solomon. (1Ki 9:28; 2Ch 9:10)