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15 This is the reason of the levy which king Solomon raised, to build Yahweh’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, taken Gezer, burned it with fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it for a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 Solomon built in the land Gezer, Beth Horon the lower, 18 Baalath, Tamar in the wilderness, 19 all the storage cities that Solomon had, the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. 20 As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel; 21 their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy, of them Solomon raised a levy of bondservants to this day. 22 But of the children of Israel Solomon made no bondservants; but they were the men of war, his servants, his princes, his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen. 23 These were the five hundred fifty chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, who ruled over the people who labored in the work. 24 But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of David’s city to her house which Solomon had built for her. Then he built Millo. 25 Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to Yahweh three times per year, burning incense with them, on the altar that was before Yahweh. So he finished the house. 26 King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 27 Hiram sent in the fleet his servants, sailors who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. 28 They came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents,[a] and brought it to king Solomon.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:28 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 420 talents is about 12.6 metric tons

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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 9:15 Or the Millo; also in verse 24
  2. 1 Kings 9:18 The Hebrew may also be read Tamar.
  3. 1 Kings 9:19 Or charioteers
  4. 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.
  5. 1 Kings 9:26 Or the Sea of Reeds
  6. 1 Kings 9:28 That is, about 16 tons or about 14 metric tons