2 Chronicles 8

New International Version

Solomon’s Other Activities^(A)

8 At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace,^(B) ²Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram^[a] had given him, and settled Israelites in them. ³Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. ⁴He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath.^(C) ⁵He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon^(D) and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, ⁶as well as Baalath^(E) and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses^[b]—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

⁷There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites^(F) (these people were not Israelites). ⁸Solomon conscripted^(G) the descendants of all these people remaining in the land—whom the Israelites had not destroyed—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. ⁹But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. ¹⁰They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.

¹¹Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter^(H) up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”

¹²On the altar^(I) of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord, ¹³according to the daily requirement^(J) for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths,^(K) the New Moons^(L) and the three^(M) annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(N) the Festival of Weeks^(O) and the Festival of Tabernacles.^(P) ¹⁴In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions^(Q) of the priests for their duties, and the Levites^(R) to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers^(S) by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God^(T) had ordered.^(U) ¹⁵They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.

¹⁶All Solomon’s work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid until its completion. So the temple of the Lord was finished.

¹⁷Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. ¹⁸And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents^[c] of gold,^(V) which they delivered to King Solomon.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 8:2 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verse 18
2 Chronicles 8:6 Or charioteers
2 Chronicles 8:18 That is, about 17 tons or about 15 metric tons

Psalm 136-139

New International Version

Psalm 136

¹Give thanks^(A) to the Lord, for he is good.^(B)
His love endures forever.^(C)
²Give thanks^(D) to the God of gods.^(E)
His love endures forever.
³Give thanks^(F) to the Lord of lords:^(G)
His love endures forever.

⁴to him who alone does great wonders,^(H)
His love endures forever.
⁵who by his understanding^(I) made the heavens,^(J)
His love endures forever.
⁶who spread out the earth^(K) upon the waters,^(L)
His love endures forever.
⁷who made the great lights^(M)—
His love endures forever.
⁸the sun to govern^(N) the day,
His love endures forever.
⁹the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

¹⁰to him who struck down the firstborn^(O) of Egypt
His love endures forever.
¹¹and brought Israel out^(P) from among them
His love endures forever.
¹²with a mighty hand^(Q) and outstretched arm;^(R)
His love endures forever.

¹³to him who divided the Red Sea^[a]^(S) asunder
His love endures forever.
¹⁴and brought Israel through^(T) the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
¹⁵but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;^(U)
His love endures forever.

¹⁶to him who led his people through the wilderness;^(V)
His love endures forever.

¹⁷to him who struck down great kings,^(W)
His love endures forever.
¹⁸and killed mighty kings^(X)—
His love endures forever.
¹⁹Sihon king of the Amorites^(Y)
His love endures forever.
²⁰and Og king of Bashan^(Z)—
His love endures forever.
²¹and gave their land^(AA) as an inheritance,^(AB)
His love endures forever.
²²an inheritance^(AC) to his servant Israel.^(AD)
His love endures forever.

²³He remembered us^(AE) in our low estate
His love endures forever.
²⁴and freed us^(AF) from our enemies.^(AG)
His love endures forever.
²⁵He gives food^(AH) to every creature.
His love endures forever.

²⁶Give thanks^(AI) to the God of heaven.^(AJ)
His love endures forever.^(AK)

Psalm 137

¹By the rivers of Babylon^(AL) we sat and wept^(AM)
    when we remembered Zion.^(AN)
²There on the poplars^(AO)
    we hung our harps,^(AP)
³for there our captors^(AQ) asked us for songs,
    our tormentors demanded^(AR) songs of joy;
    they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”^(AS)

⁴How can we sing the songs of the Lord^(AT)
    while in a foreign land?
⁵If I forget you,^(AU) Jerusalem,
    may my right hand forget its skill.
⁶May my tongue cling to the roof^(AV) of my mouth
    if I do not remember^(AW) you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem^(AX)
    my highest joy.

⁷Remember, Lord, what the Edomites^(AY) did
    on the day Jerusalem fell.^(AZ)
“Tear it down,” they cried,
    “tear it down to its foundations!”^(BA)
⁸Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,^(BB)
    happy is the one who repays you
    according to what you have done to us.
⁹Happy is the one who seizes your infants
    and dashes them^(BC) against the rocks.

Psalm 138

Of David.

¹I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods”^(BD) I will sing^(BE) your praise.
²I will bow down toward your holy temple^(BF)
    and will praise your name^(BG)
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,^(BH)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.^(BI)
³When I called,^(BJ) you answered me;^(BK)
    you greatly emboldened^(BL) me.

⁴May all the kings of the earth^(BM) praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵May they sing^(BN) of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord^(BO) is great.

⁶Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;^(BP)
    though lofty, he sees them^(BQ) from afar.
⁷Though I walk^(BR) in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.^(BS)
You stretch out your hand^(BT) against the anger of my foes;^(BU)
    with your right hand^(BV) you save me.^(BW)
⁸The Lord will vindicate^(BX) me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever^(BY)—
    do not abandon^(BZ) the works of your hands.^(CA)

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹You have searched me,^(CB) Lord,
    and you know^(CC) me.
²You know when I sit and when I rise;^(CD)
    you perceive my thoughts^(CE) from afar.
³You discern my going out^(CF) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.^(CG)
⁴Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.^(CH)
⁵You hem me in^(CI) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,^(CJ)
    too lofty^(CK) for me to attain.

⁷Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee^(CL) from your presence?
⁸If I go up to the heavens,^(CM) you are there;
    if I make my bed^(CN) in the depths, you are there.
⁹If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand will guide me,^(CO)
    your right hand^(CP) will hold me fast.
¹¹If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹²even the darkness will not be dark^(CQ) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

¹³For you created my inmost being;^(CR)
    you knit me together^(CS) in my mother’s womb.^(CT)
¹⁴I praise you^(CU) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,^(CV)
    I know that full well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made^(CW) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together^(CX) in the depths of the earth.^(CY)
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained^(CZ) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts,^[b]^(DA) God!^(DB)
    How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸Were I to count them,^(DC)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand^(DD)—
    when I awake,^(DE) I am still with you.

¹⁹If only you, God, would slay the wicked!^(DF)
    Away from me,^(DG) you who are bloodthirsty!^(DH)
²⁰They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries^(DI) misuse your name.^(DJ)
²¹Do I not hate those^(DK) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor^(DL) those who are in rebellion against you?
²²I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.^(DM)
²³Search me,^(DN) God, and know my heart;^(DO)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴See if there is any offensive way^(DP) in me,
    and lead me^(DQ) in the way everlasting.