1 Kings 9:15-28
Expanded Bible
15 This is the account of the forced labor Solomon ·used [conscripted] to build the ·Temple [L house] and ·the palace [L his own house]. He had them fill in the ·land [terraces; L the Millo; C a fortification of uncertain type] and build the ·wall [fortifications] around Jerusalem. He also had them rebuild the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 (In the past Pharaoh, king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. After burning it, he killed the Canaanites who lived there. Then he gave it as a ·wedding present [dowry] to his daughter, who married Solomon. 17 So Solomon rebuilt it.) He also built the cities of Lower Beth Horon 18 and Baalath, as well as Tadmor, which is in the ·desert [wilderness]. 19 King Solomon also built ·cities for storing grain and supplies [supply centers/cities/towns] and ·cities for [towns to station] his chariots and horses. He built whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and everywhere he ruled.
20 There were other people in the land who were not ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel]—Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 21 They were descendants of people that the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] had ·not destroyed [been unable to completely exterminate]. Solomon ·forced them to work for him as slaves [conscripted them for forced/slave labor], as is still true today. 22 But Solomon did not ·make slaves of [conscript] the Israelites. They were his soldiers, government ·leaders [officials], officers, captains, chariot commanders, and ·drivers [charioteers].
23 These were his ·most important officers [chief officials] over the work. There were five hundred fifty supervisors over the people who did the work on Solomon’s projects.
24 The daughter of ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh] moved from the old part of the City of David [C Jerusalem] to the ·palace [L house] that Solomon had built for her. Then Solomon ·filled in the surrounding land [built the terraces/Millo; 9:15].
25 Three times each year Solomon offered whole burnt offerings and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1] on the altar he had built for the Lord. He also burned incense before the Lord. So he finished the ·work on the Temple [L house].
26 King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, a town near Elath on the shore of the ·Red Sea [or Sea of Reeds; Ex. 10:19], in the land of Edom. 27 Hiram sent ·skilled sailors [L seamen who knew the sea] to serve in these ships with Solomon’s ·men [servants]. 28 The ships sailed to Ophir and brought back ·about thirty-two thousand pounds [L 420 talents] of gold to King Solomon.
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1 Kings 9:15-28
New American Standard Bible
15 Now this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon (A)conscripted to build the house of the Lord, his own house, the [a](B)Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, (C)Hazor, (D)Megiddo, and (E)Gezer. 16 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and overthrown Gezer and burned it with fire, and killed the (F)Canaanites who lived in the city; and he had (G)given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 So Solomon rebuilt Gezer and the lower (H)Beth-horon, 18 and (I)Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, 19 and all the storage cities which Solomon had, that is, (J)the cities for [b]his chariots and the cities for [c](K)his horsemen, and [d](L)everything that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land [e]under his rule. 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 sons of Israel, 21 (M)their descendants who were left after them in the land, (N)whom the sons of Israel were unable to completely eliminate, (O)from them Solomon conscripted (P)forced laborers, as they are to this day. 22 But Solomon (Q)did not make slaves of the sons of Israel; for they were men of war, his servants, his commanders, his charioteers, his chariot commanders, and his horsemen.
23 These were the [f](R)chief officers who were in charge of Solomon’s work, 550, (S)who ruled over the people doing the work.
24 As soon as (T)Pharaoh’s daughter came up from the city of David to her house which Solomon had built for her, (U)he then built the Millo.
25 Now (V)three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he had built for the Lord, burning incense with them on the altar which was before the Lord. So he finished the house.
26 King Solomon also built a (W)fleet of ships in (X)Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the [g]Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 27 (Y)And Hiram sent his servants with the fleet, sailors who knew the sea, along with the servants of Solomon. 28 And they went to (Z)Ophir and received [h]420 talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.
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- 1 Kings 9:15 I.e., terraced structure
- 1 Kings 9:19 Lit the
- 1 Kings 9:19 Lit the
- 1 Kings 9:19 Lit the desire of Solomon which he desired to build in Jerusalem
- 1 Kings 9:19 Lit of
- 1 Kings 9:23 Or officers of the deputies
- 1 Kings 9:26 Lit Sea of Reeds
- 1 Kings 9:28 About 16 tons or 14 metric tons
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