Solomon’s Additional Achievements(A)

It (B)came to pass at the end of (C)twenty years, when Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house, that the cities which [a]Hiram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them; and he settled the children of Israel there. And Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and seized it. (D)He also built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities which he built in (E)Hamath. He built Upper Beth Horon and (F)Lower Beth Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, also Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities and the cities of the cavalry, and all that Solomon (G)desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

(H)All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of Israel— that is, their descendants who were left in the land after them, whom the children of Israel did not destroy—from these Solomon raised forced labor, as it is to this day. But Solomon did not make the children of Israel [b]servants for his work. Some were men of war, captains of his officers, captains of his chariots, and his cavalry. 10 And others were chiefs of the officials of King Solomon: (I)two hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people.

11 Now Solomon (J)brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places to which the ark of the Lord has come are holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the vestibule, 13 according to the (K)daily rate, offering according to the commandment of Moses, for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the (L)three appointed yearly (M)feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 14 And, according to the [c]order of David his father, he appointed the (N)divisions of the priests for their service, (O)the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required, and the (P)gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for so David the man of God had commanded. 15 They did not depart from the command of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the (Q)treasuries.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered [d]from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to (R)Ezion Geber and [e]Elath on the seacoast, in the land of Edom. 18 (S)And Hiram sent him ships by the hand of his servants, and servants who knew the sea. They went with the servants of Solomon to (T)Ophir, and acquired four hundred and fifty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Heb. Huram, 2 Chr. 2:3
  2. 2 Chronicles 8:9 slaves
  3. 2 Chronicles 8:14 ordinance
  4. 2 Chronicles 8:16 So with LXX, Syr., Vg.; MT as far as
  5. 2 Chronicles 8:17 Heb. Eloth, 2 Kin. 14:22

And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house,

that the cities which Hiram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them up and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storecities which he built in Hamath.

Also he built Bethhoron the Upper and Bethhoron the Nether, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,

and Baalath, and all the storecities that Solomon had, and all the cities for the chariots and the cities for the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and throughout all the land of his dominion.

As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel

(of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not), these Solomon made to pay tribute until this day.

But of the children of Israel Solomon made no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10 And these were the chief of King Solomon’s officers, even two hundred and fifty, who bore 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 the places are holy unto which the ark of the Lord hath come.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porch,

13 according to a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year: on the Feast of Unleavened Bread and on the Feast of Weeks and on the Feast of Tabernacles.

14 And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests for their service, and the Levites to their charges to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the gatekeepers 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 treasurers.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was perfected.

17 Then went Solomon to Eziongeber and to Eloth at the seaside, in the land of Edom.

18 And Hiram sent him ships by the hands of his servants, and servants who had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took from thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.

Read full chapter