Solomon’s Commercial Activity

²⁶ King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea,^[a] in the land of Edom.^(A)

⁴⁸ Jehoshaphat made ships of the Tarshish type to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.^(A)

⁸ So we passed by our kin, the descendants of Esau who live in Seir, leaving behind the route of the Arabah and leaving behind Elath and Ezion-geber.

“When we had headed out along the route of the wilderness of Moab,^(A)

³⁵ They set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.^(A)

¹⁷ Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom.^{(A) 18} Huram sent him, in the care of his servants, ships and servants familiar with the sea. They went to Ophir together with the servants of Solomon and imported from there four hundred fifty talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon.^(B)

¹¹ Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter 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 King David of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”^(A)

¹² Then Solomon offered up burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord that he had built in front of the vestibule,^(B)

²² He rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah, after King Amaziah^[a] slept with his ancestors.^(A)