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1 Kings 9:15-28
Holman Christian Standard Bible
1 Kings 9:15-28
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Solomon’s Forced Labor
15 This is the account of the forced labor(A) that King Solomon had imposed to build the Lord’s temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces,(B) the wall of Jerusalem,(C) and Hazor,(D) Megiddo,(E) and Gezer.(F) 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.(G) 17 Then Solomon rebuilt Gezer, Lower Beth-horon,(H) 18 Baalath,(I) Tamar[a][b] in the Wilderness of Judah, 19 all the storage cities that belonged to Solomon, the chariot cities,(J) the cavalry cities,(K) and whatever Solomon desired to build(L) 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(M)—Solomon imposed forced labor on them; it is this way until today.(N) 22 But Solomon did not consign the Israelites to slavery;(O) they were soldiers, his servants, his commanders, his captains, and commanders of his chariots and his cavalry. 23 These were the deputies(P) who were over Solomon’s work: 550 who ruled over the people doing the work.(Q)
Solomon’s Other Activities
24 Pharaoh’s daughter moved from the city of David(R) to the house that Solomon had built for her;(S) he then built the terraces.(T)
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.(U) So he completed the temple.(V)
26 King Solomon put together a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber,(W) 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(X) and acquired gold there—16 tons[c]—and delivered it to Solomon.(Y)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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
1 Kings 9:15-28
New Living Translation
1 Kings 9:15-28
New Living Translation
Solomon’s Many Achievements
15 This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the Lord’s Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces,[a] the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 (Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer, killing the Canaanite population and burning it down. He gave the city to his daughter as a wedding gift when she married Solomon. 17 So Solomon rebuilt the city of Gezer.) He also built up the towns of Lower Beth-horon, 18 Baalath, and Tamar[b] in the wilderness within his land. 19 He built towns as supply centers and constructed towns where his chariots and horses[c] could be stationed. He built everything he desired in Jerusalem and Lebanon and throughout his entire realm.
20 There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 21 These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not completely destroyed.[d] So Solomon conscripted them as slaves, and they serve as forced laborers to this day. 22 But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for forced labor. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, government officials, officers and captains in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers. 23 Solomon appointed 550 of them to supervise the people working on his various projects.
24 Solomon moved his wife, Pharaoh’s daughter, from the City of David to the new palace he had built for her. Then he constructed the supporting terraces.
25 Three times each year Solomon presented burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord. He also burned incense to the Lord. And so he finished the work of building the Temple.
26 King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, a port near Elath[e] in the land of Edom, along the shore of the Red Sea.[f] 27 Hiram sent experienced crews of sailors to sail the ships with Solomon’s men. 28 They sailed to Ophir and brought back to Solomon some sixteen tons[g] of gold.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 9:15 Hebrew the millo; also in 9:24. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 9:18 An alternate reading in the Masoretic Text reads Tadmor.
- 9:19 Or and charioteers.
- 9:21 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
- 9:26a As in Greek version (see also 2 Kgs 14:22; 16:6); Hebrew reads Eloth, a variant spelling of Elath.
- 9:26b Hebrew sea of reeds.
- 9:28 Hebrew 420 talents [14 metric tons].
1 Kings 9:15-28
New International Version
1 Kings 9:15-28
New International Version
15 Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted(A) to build the Lord’s temple, his own palace, the terraces,[a](B) the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor,(C) Megiddo and Gezer.(D) 16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter,(E) Solomon’s wife. 17 And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He built up Lower Beth Horon,(F) 18 Baalath,(G) and Tadmor[b] in the desert, within his land, 19 as well as all his store cities(H) and the towns for his chariots(I) and for his horses[c]—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.
20 There were still people left from the Amorites, Hittites,(J) Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites(K) (these peoples were not Israelites). 21 Solomon conscripted the descendants(L) of all these peoples remaining in the land—whom the Israelites could not exterminate[d](M)—to serve as slave labor,(N) as it is to this day. 22 But Solomon did not make slaves(O) of any of the Israelites; they were his fighting men, his government officials, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 23 They were also the chief officials(P) in charge of Solomon’s projects—550 officials supervising those who did the work.
24 After Pharaoh’s daughter(Q) had come up from the City of David to the palace Solomon had built for her, he constructed the terraces.(R)
25 Three(S) times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense before the Lord along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.
26 King Solomon also built ships(T) at Ezion Geber,(U) which is near Elath(V) in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea.[e] 27 And Hiram sent his men—sailors(W) who knew the sea—to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s men. 28 They sailed to Ophir(X) and brought back 420 talents[f] of gold,(Y) which they delivered to King Solomon.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 9:15 Or the Millo; also in verse 24
- 1 Kings 9:18 The Hebrew may also be read Tamar.
- 1 Kings 9:19 Or charioteers
- 1 Kings 9:21 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
- 1 Kings 9:26 Or the Sea of Reeds
- 1 Kings 9:28 That is, about 16 tons or about 14 metric tons
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