1 Kings 9
Modern English Version
The Lord Appears to Solomon(A)
9 When Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s house and all else he desired, 2 the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. 3 The Lord said to him,
“I have heard your prayer and supplication, which you made before Me. I have consecrated this house which you built by putting My name there forever. And My eyes and My heart shall be there perpetually.
4 “If you will walk before Me, as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, so that you are obedient to do all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My judgments, 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom upon Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man upon the throne of Israel.’
6 “But if you and your sons turn in any way from following Me and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut Israel out of the land which I have given them, and I will cast this house, which I have consecrated for My name, out of My sight, and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people. 8 And everyone who passes by this high house will be astonished and will hiss, and they shall say, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this land, and to this house?’ 9 And they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and took hold of other gods and have worshipped and served them. That is why the Lord has brought all this disaster upon them.’ ”
Solomon’s Other Activities(B)
10 When twenty years had passed since Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king’s house 11 (now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar and fir trees, along with gold, as he had requested), King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities Solomon had given him, and he was not pleased with them. 13 He said, “What cities are these which you have given me, my brother?” And he called them the land of Kabul to this day. 14 Hiram sent to the king one hundred and twenty talents[a] of gold.
15 This is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted to build the house of the Lord and his own house, Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 For Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had gone up against and conquered Gezer and burned it with fire and slain the Canaanites that lived in the city and given it as a present to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 Solomon built Gezer and Lower Beth Horon 18 and Baalath and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land, 19 and all the storage cities that Solomon had, cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen and all that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion.
20 All the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not children of Israel, 21 the descendants of those who were left in the land and whom the people of Israel were not able to utterly destroy, were conscripted by Solomon for slave labor to this day. 22 But Solomon did not make any children of Israel into slaves, but instead used them as men of war, as his servants, his leaders, his captains, rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen. 23 These were the chief officers over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people who did the labor.
24 But Pharaoh’s daughter moved out of the City of David to her house which Solomon had built for her, and he then built Millo.
25 Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar that he built to the Lord, and he burned incense on the altar that was before the Lord. So he finished the house.
26 King Solomon built a fleet of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Elath on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. 27 Hiram sent shipmen who had knowledge of the sea to serve alongside Solomon’s men. 28 They went to Ophir and acquired four hundred and twenty talents[b] of gold there and brought it to King Solomon.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 9:14 About 4½ tons, or 4 metric tons.
- 1 Kings 9:28 About 16 tons, or 14 metric tons.
1 Kings 9
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Lord’s Response
9 When Solomon finished building the temple of the Lord,(A) the royal palace, and all that Solomon desired to do,(B) 2 the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time just as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.(C) 3 The Lord said to him:
I have heard your prayer and petition you have made before Me. I have consecrated this temple you have built, to put My name there forever;(D) My eyes and My heart will be there at all times.(E)
4 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and in what is right, doing everything I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,(F) 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David: You will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.(G)
6 If you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep My commands—My statutes that I have set before you—and if you go and serve other gods and worship them,(H) 7 I will cut off Israel from the land I gave them,(I) and I will reject[a] the temple I have sanctified for My name.(J) Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.(K) 8 Though this temple is now exalted,[b] everyone who passes by will be appalled and will mock.[c] They will say: Why did the Lord do this to this land and this temple?(L) 9 Then they will say: Because they abandoned the Lord their God who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt. They clung to other gods and worshiped and served them. Because of this, the Lord brought all this ruin on them.(M)
King Hiram’s 20 Towns
10 At the end of 20 years during which Solomon had built the two houses, the Lord’s temple and the royal palace(N)— 11 Hiram king of Tyre(O) having supplied him with cedar and cypress logs and gold(P) for his every wish(Q)—King Solomon gave Hiram 20 towns in the land of Galilee. 12 So Hiram went out from Tyre to look over the towns that Solomon had given him, but he was not pleased with them. 13 So he said, “What are these towns you’ve given me, my brother?” So he called them the Land of Cabul,[d] as they are still called today.(R) 14 Now Hiram had sent the king 9,000 pounds[e] of gold.(S)
Solomon’s Forced Labor
15 This is the account of the forced labor(T) that King Solomon had imposed to build the Lord’s temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces,(U) the wall of Jerusalem,(V) and Hazor,(W) Megiddo,(X) and Gezer.(Y) 16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He then burned it down, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and gave it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.(Z) 17 Then Solomon rebuilt Gezer, Lower Beth-horon,(AA) 18 Baalath,(AB) Tamar[f][g] in the Wilderness of Judah, 19 all the storage cities that belonged to Solomon, the chariot cities,(AC) the cavalry cities,(AD) and whatever Solomon desired to build(AE) in Jerusalem, Lebanon, or anywhere else in the land of his dominion.
20 As for all the peoples who remained of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not Israelites— 21 their descendants who remained in the land after them, those whom the Israelites were unable to completely destroy(AF)—Solomon imposed forced labor on them; it is this way until today.(AG) 22 But Solomon did not consign the Israelites to slavery;(AH) they were soldiers, his servants, his commanders, his captains, and commanders of his chariots and his cavalry. 23 These were the deputies(AI) who were over Solomon’s work: 550 who ruled over the people doing the work.(AJ)
Solomon’s Other Activities
24 Pharaoh’s daughter moved from the city of David(AK) to the house that Solomon had built for her;(AL) he then built the terraces.(AM)
25 Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, and he burned incense with them in the Lord’s presence.(AN) So he completed the temple.(AO)
26 King Solomon put together a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber,(AP) which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. 27 With the fleet, Hiram sent his servants, experienced seamen, along with Solomon’s servants. 28 They went to Ophir(AQ) and acquired gold there—16 tons[h]—and delivered it to Solomon.(AR)
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 9:7 Lit send from My presence
- 1 Kings 9:8 Some ancient versions read temple will become a ruin
- 1 Kings 9:8 Lit hiss
- 1 Kings 9:13 = Like Nothing
- 1 Kings 9:14 Lit 120 talents
- 1 Kings 9:18 Alt Hb traditions, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read Tadmor; 2Ch 8:4
- 1 Kings 9:18 Tamar was a city in southern Judah; Ezk 47:19; 48:28.
- 1 Kings 9:28 Lit 420 talents
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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