所羅門的功績

所羅門用二十年的時間興建了耶和華的殿和他自己的王宮。 他重修希蘭送給他的城邑,讓以色列人居住。

所羅門去攻打哈馬瑣巴,並攻取了此城。 他興建曠野裡的達莫以及哈馬境內所有的儲貨城, 把上伯·和崙與下伯·和崙建成有牆、有門、有閂的堅城, 還建造巴拉、所有的儲貨城、屯車城、養馬城和他想在耶路撒冷、黎巴嫩及其統治的全境興建的城邑。 當時國中有赫人、亞摩利人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人的後裔, 以色列人沒有滅絕他們。所羅門讓他們服勞役,至今如此。 所羅門王沒有讓以色列人服勞役,而是讓他們做戰士、將領、戰車長和騎兵長。 10 他還任命二百五十名監工負責監管工人。

11 所羅門帶法老的女兒離開大衛城,來到為她建造的宮中,因為所羅門說:「我的妻子不可住在以色列王大衛的宮裡,因為約櫃所到之處都是聖潔的。」

12 所羅門在門廊前他所築的耶和華的壇上向耶和華獻燔祭, 13 並照摩西的規定,在安息日、朔日和每年特定的三個節期,即除酵節、七七節和住棚節獻上當獻的祭。

14 所羅門照著他父親大衛的吩咐,指派祭司分班供職,讓利未人負責頌讚、輔助祭司盡每天的職責,還指派殿門守衛分班守門。這些都是上帝的僕人大衛規定的。 15 他們沒有違背大衛王就庫房等工作對祭司和利未人的吩咐。

16 從耶和華的殿奠基直到完工,所羅門所有的計劃都已順利完成。這樣,耶和華的殿落成了。

17 之後,所羅門前往以東地區靠海的以旬·迦別和以祿。 18 希蘭派懂得航海的僕人乘船隻與所羅門的僕人一同到俄斐,從那裡為所羅門王運回十五噸黃金。

More on Solomon

1-6 At the end of twenty years, Solomon had quite a list of accomplishments. He had:

built The Temple of God and his own palace;

rebuilt the cities that Hiram had given him and colonized them with Israelites;

marched on Hamath Zobah and took it;

fortified Tadmor in the desert and all the store-cities he had founded in Hamath;

built the fortress cities Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon, complete with walls, gates, and bars;

built Baalath and store-cities;

built chariot-cities for his horses.

Solomon built impulsively and extravagantly—whenever a whim took him. And in Jerusalem, in Lebanon—wherever he fancied.

7-10 The remnants from the original inhabitants of the land (Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites—all non-Israelites), survivors of the holy wars, were rounded up by Solomon for his gangs of slave labor. The policy is in effect today. But true Israelites were not treated this way; they were used in his army and administration—government leaders and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. They were also the project managers responsible for Solomon’s building operations—250 in all in charge of the workforce.

11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter from the City of David to a house built especially for her, “Because,” he said, “my wife cannot live in the house of David king of Israel, for the areas in which the Chest of God has entered are sacred.”

12-13 Then Solomon offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings to God on the Altar of God that he had built in front of The Temple porch. He kept to the regular schedule of worship set down by Moses: Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual feasts of Unraised Bread (Passover), Weeks (Pentecost), and Booths.

14-15 He followed the practice of his father David in setting up groups of priests carrying out the work of worship, with the Levites assigned to lead the sacred music for praising God and to assist the priests in the daily worship; he assigned security guards to be on duty at each gate—that’s what David the man of God had ordered. The king’s directions to the priests and Levites and financial stewards were kept right down to the fine print—no innovations—including the treasuries.

16 All that Solomon set out to do, from the groundbreaking of The Temple of God to its finish, was now complete.

17-18 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. Hiram sent him ships and with them veteran sailors. Joined by Solomon’s men they sailed to Ophir (in east Africa), loaded on fifteen tons of gold, and brought it back to King Solomon.

* * *

And it came to pass at the end of esrim shanah, wherein Sh’lomo had built the Beis Hashem, and his own bais (palace),

That the cities which Churam had restored to Sh’lomo, Sh’lomo rebuilt them, and caused the Bnei Yisroel to dwell there.

And Sh’lomo went to Chamat Tzovah, and captured it.

And he built Tadmor in the midbar, and all the storage towns, which he built in Chamat.

Also he rebuilt Upper Beit Choron, and Lower Beit Choron, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars,

And Ba’alat, and all the storage towns that Sh’lomo had, and all the towns for the chariots, and the towns for the parashim (horsemen, cavalry) all the cheshek Sh’lomo (desire of Solomon) that he desired to build in Yerushalayim, and in the Levanon, and throughout all the eretz of his Memshalet.

As for kol haAm that were left of the Chitti, and HaEmori, and the Perizzi, and the Chivi, and the Yevusi, who were not of Yisroel,

From their banim, who were left after them in HaAretz, whom the Bnei Yisroel consumed not, them did Sh’lomo conscript for forced labor until yom hazeh.

But of the Bnei Yisroel did Sh’lomo make no avadim for his melachah; for they were anshei milchamah, and commanders of his officers, and commanders of his chariots and parash.

10 And these were the chief of the officials of Sh’lomo HaMelech, even two hundred and fifty, that exercised authority over HaAm.

11 And Sh’lomo brought up the Bat Pharaoh out of Ir Dovid unto the palace that he had built for her, for he said, Isha li (wife for me) shall not dwell in the Bais Dovid Melech Yisroel, because the places whereunto the Aron Hashem hath come are Kodesh.

12 Then Sh’lomo offered up Olot unto Hashem on the Mizbe’ach Hashem, which he had built before the Ulam,

13 Even according to the requirement of each day on its day, offering according to the mitzvat Moshe, on the Shabbatot, and on Rosh Chodesh, and on the Mo’adot, three times in the year, even in the Chag HaMatzot, and in the Chag HaShavuot, and in the Chag HaSukkot.

14 And he appointed, according to the mishpat Dovid Aviv, the machlekot (divisions) of the Kohanim to their avodah service, and the Levi’im to their mishmerot (watches), to praise and minister before the Kohanim, as the requirement of every yom required; the Sho’arim (Gatekeepers) also by their machlekot (divisions) at every sha’ar; for thus was the mitzvot Dovid Ish HaElohim.

15 And they deviated not from the mitzvat HaMelech unto the Kohanim and Levi’im concerning any matter, or concerning the otzarot.

16 Now all the work of Sh’lomo was carried out from the yom musad (day of the foundation) of the Beis Hashem until its completion. So the Beis Hashem was perfected.

17 Then went Sh’lomo to Etzyon-Gever, and to Eilat, on the seacoast of Eretz Edom. [T.N. See Ep 2:20 in connection with the musad (foundation in 2Chr 8:16) where the OJBC speaks about Shluchim and Nevi’im and Moshiach as the Rosh Pinah]

18 And Churam sent him by the hands of his avadim oniyot, and avadim that were experienced seamen; and they went with the avadim of Sh’lomo to Ophir, and took from there four hundred and fifty talents of zahav, and brought them to Sh’lomo HaMelech.