所罗门的功绩

所罗门用二十年的时间兴建了耶和华的殿和他自己的王宫。 他重修希兰送给他的城邑,让以色列人居住。

所罗门去攻打哈马琐巴,并攻取了此城。 他兴建旷野里的达莫以及哈马境内所有的储货城, 把上伯·和仑与下伯·和仑建成有墙、有门、有闩的坚城, 还建造巴拉、所有的储货城、屯车城、养马城和他想在耶路撒冷、黎巴嫩及其统治的全境兴建的城邑。 当时国中有赫人、亚摩利人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人的后裔, 以色列人没有灭绝他们。所罗门让他们服劳役,至今如此。 所罗门王没有让以色列人服劳役,而是让他们做战士、将领、战车长和骑兵长。 10 他还任命二百五十名监工负责监管工人。

11 所罗门带法老的女儿离开大卫城,来到为她建造的宫中,因为所罗门说:“我的妻子不可住在以色列王大卫的宫里,因为约柜所到之处都是圣洁的。”

12 所罗门在门廊前他所筑的耶和华的坛上向耶和华献燔祭, 13 并照摩西的规定,在安息日、朔日和每年特定的三个节期,即除酵节、七七节和住棚节献上当献的祭。

14 所罗门照着他父亲大卫的吩咐,指派祭司分班供职,让利未人负责颂赞、辅助祭司尽每天的职责,还指派殿门守卫分班守门。这些都是上帝的仆人大卫规定的。 15 他们没有违背大卫王就库房等工作对祭司和利未人的吩咐。

16 从耶和华的殿奠基直到完工,所罗门所有的计划都已顺利完成。这样,耶和华的殿落成了。

17 之后,所罗门前往以东地区靠海的以旬·迦别和以禄。 18 希兰派懂得航海的仆人乘船只与所罗门的仆人一同到俄斐,从那里为所罗门王运回十五吨黄金。

Some of the Things Solomon Has Done

It took Solomon twenty years to build the house of the Lord and his own house. At the end of that time, he built again the cities which Huram had given to him. And he had the people of Israel live in them. Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and took it. He built Tadmor in the desert and all his store-cities in Hamath. He built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon. He made the city strong with walls, gates, and long pieces of iron. Solomon built Baalath and all the store-cities he had. He built all the cities for his war-wagons, and the cities for his horsemen. He built whatever he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.

There were people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel. They were the children of those who were left in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed. Solomon made all of these people do hard work, as they do to this day. But he did not make the people of Israel do hard work. They were soldiers, leaders, captains of war-wagons, and his horsemen. 10 These were the head leaders of King Solomon. There were 250 who ruled over the people.

11 Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house he had built for her. For he said, “My wife should not live in the house of David king of Israel. Because the places are holy where the special box of the Lord has come.”

12 Then Solomon gave burnt gifts to the Lord on the Lord’s altar which he had built in front of the porch. 13 He gave a certain number of gifts every day, as Moses had said should be given. Gifts were given for the Days of Rest, the new moons, and the three special suppers each year. These special suppers were the Special Supper of Bread Without Yeast, the Special Supper of Weeks, and the Special Supper of Tents. 14 By the law of David his father, Solomon chose the religious leaders for their different duties. He chose the Levites for their duties of praise and helping the religious leaders for each day’s needs. And he chose who should be the gate-keepers at each gate. For David the man of God had said that this must be done. 15 They did all that the king had said the religious leaders and Levites must do in every duty and with the store-houses.

16 So all the work of Solomon was done, from the day the house of the Lord was begun until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was built.

17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom. 18 Huram sent his servants to him with ships and servants who knew the sea. They went to Ophir together with Solomon’s servants to get gold. And they brought gold weighing as much as 450 men from there to King Solomon.

Solomon’s Other Activities(A)

At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace,(B) Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram[a] had given him, and settled Israelites in them. Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath.(C) He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon(D) and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, as well as Baalath(E) and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses[b]—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites(F) (these people were not Israelites). Solomon conscripted(G) the descendants of all these people remaining in the land—whom the Israelites had not destroyed—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 10 They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.

11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter(H) up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”

12 On the altar(I) of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord, 13 according to the daily requirement(J) for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths,(K) the New Moons(L) and the three(M) annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(N) the Festival of Weeks(O) and the Festival of Tabernacles.(P) 14 In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions(Q) of the priests for their duties, and the Levites(R) to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers(S) by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God(T) had ordered.(U) 15 They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.

16 All Solomon’s work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid until its completion. So the temple of the Lord was finished.

17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. 18 And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents[c] of gold,(V) which they delivered to King Solomon.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verse 18
  2. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Or charioteers
  3. 2 Chronicles 8:18 That is, about 17 tons or about 15 metric tons

And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord, and his own house,

That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.

Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which were not of Israel,

But of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10 And these were the chief of king Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy, whereunto the ark of the Lord hath come.

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch,

13 Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was perfected.

17 Then went Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

18 And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

Solomon’s Later Building Projects

At the end of twenty years(A) during which Solomon had built the Lord’s temple and his own palace— Solomon had rebuilt the cities Hiram[a] gave him and settled Israelites there— Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and seized it. He built Tadmor in the wilderness along with all the storage cities that he built in Hamath. He built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon(B)—fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars(C) Baalath, all the storage cities that belonged to Solomon, all the chariot cities, the cavalry cities, and everything Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, or anywhere else in the land of his dominion.

As for all the peoples who remained of the Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not from Israel(D) their descendants who remained in the land after them, those the Israelites had not completely destroyed—Solomon imposed forced labor on them; it is this way today.(E) But Solomon did not consign the Israelites to be slaves for his work; they were soldiers, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and his cavalry. 10 These were King Solomon’s deputies: 250 who supervised the people.

11 Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh from the city of David to the house he had built for her,(F) for he said, “My wife must not live in the house[b] of King David of Israel because the places the ark of the Lord has come into are holy.”

Public Worship Established at the Temple

12 At that time(G) Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the Lord’s altar he had made in front of the portico.(H) 13 He followed the daily requirement(I) for offerings according to the commandment of Moses(J) for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Shelters.(K) 14 According to the ordinances of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests over their service,(L) of the Levites over their responsibilities to offer praise and to minister before the priests following the daily requirement,(M) and of the gatekeepers by their divisions with respect to each temple gate,(N) for this had been the command of David, the man of God.(O) 15 They did not turn aside from the king’s command regarding the priests and the Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasuries.(P) 16 All of Solomon’s work was carried out from the day the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple until it was finished. So the Lord’s temple was completed.

Solomon’s Fleet

17 At that time(Q) Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth(R) on the seashore in the land of Edom. 18 So Hiram[c] sent ships to him by his servants along with crews of experienced seamen. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, took from there seventeen tons[d] of gold, and delivered it to King Solomon.(S)

Footnotes

  1. 8:2 = the king of Tyre
  2. 8:11 LXX reads city
  3. 8:18 Lit Huram
  4. 8:18 Lit 450 talents