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And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of Jehovah, and his own house, that the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it. And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store-cities, which he built in Hamath. Also he built Beth-horon the upper, and Beth-horon the nether, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars; and Baalath, and all the store-cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

As for all the people that were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, that were not of Israel; of their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, of them did Solomon raise a [a]levy of bondservants unto this day. But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen. 10 And these were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto the house that he had built for her; for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because [b]the places are holy, whereunto the ark of Jehovah hath come.

12 Then Solomon offered burnt-offerings unto Jehovah on the altar of Jehovah, which he had built before the porch, 13 even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

14 And he appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise, and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the doorkeepers also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded. 15 And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of Jehovah, and until it was finished. So the house of Jehovah was completed.

17 Then went Solomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, on the sea-shore in the land of Edom. 18 And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and fetched from thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 8:8 Hebrew men subject to taskwork.
  2. 2 Chronicles 8:11 Hebrew they are.

Solomon’s Accomplishments and Deeds

And it happened that at the end of twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of Yahweh and his own house, Solomon also built the cities that Huram[a] had given to him, and he settled the Israelites[b] in them. And Solomon went to Hamath-Zobah and laid siege upon it. And he built Tadmor in the desert, and he built all the storage cities in Hamath. He also built Upper Beth-Horon and Lower Beth-Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars; Baalath and all the storage cities that belonged to Solomon; all the cities for chariots[c] and cities for horses; and any desire of Solomon that he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion. All the people who remained from the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites who were not from Israel, from the descendants[d] who were left over after them in the land, whom the Israelites had not destroyed, Solomon conscripted them as forced labor until this day. But from the Israelites[e] Solomon did not give as servants for his work, but they were men of war, his commanders of his officers, and commanders of his chariots[f] and his horses. 10 And these were the commanders of the garrisons that belonged to King Solomon, two hundred and fifty who exercised authority over the people.

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David, king of Israel, for those places to which the ark of Yahweh has come are holy. 12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of Yahweh that he had built before the portico, 13 as was the daily requirement,[g] to offer up according to the commandments of Moses for Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and the three annual[h] feasts: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths. 14 And in accord with the ordinance of David his father he appointed working groups of priests for their service, Levites for their responsibilities for praise and cultic service before the priests according to the daily requirement,[i] and the gatekeepers in their working groups, gate by gate. For thus David the man of God had commanded. 15 And they did not turn aside from the commandment of the king concerning the priests and the Levites concerning anything, and concerning the treasury rooms. 16 And Solomon accomplished all the work from the day the foundation stone was laid for the house of Yahweh until its completion, and the house of Yahweh was finished. 17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-Geber, and to Elath, on the edge of the sea in the land of Edom. 18 And Huram[j] sent to him, by the hand of his servants, ships and servants knowledgeable of the sea. And they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and from there they collected four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 8:2 This is the spelling in Hebrew, though many translations have “Hiram”
  2. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  3. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Hebrew “chariot”
  4. 2 Chronicles 8:8 Or “sons/children”
  5. 2 Chronicles 8:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  6. 2 Chronicles 8:9 Hebrew “chariot”
  7. 2 Chronicles 8:13 Literally “with respect to the word of the day, by day”
  8. 2 Chronicles 8:13 Literally “occurrences in the year”
  9. 2 Chronicles 8:14 Literally “according to the word of the day, by day”
  10. 2 Chronicles 8:18 This is the spelling in Hebrew, though many translations have “Hiram”