The Second Book of the Chronicles

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- Chapter 8 -

(1 Kings 9:10–28)

Then, twenty years having passed since Solomon built the house of the Lord and his own house,

he built the cities that Hiram had given to Solomon, and he caused the sons of Israel to live there.

Also, he went to Hamath Zobah, and he obtained it.

And he built Palmira in the desert, and he built very fortified cities in Hamath.

And he built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, as walled cities, having gates and bars and locks,

as well as Baalath, and all the very strong cities which were of Solomon, and all the cities of the chariots, and the cities of the horsemen. Everything whatsoever that Solomon willed and decided, he built in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout the entire land of his authority.

All the people who had been left from the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, those who were not from the stock of Israel,

those of their sons and their posterity whom the sons of Israel had not put to death, Solomon subjugated as tributaries, even to this day.

But he did not appoint anyone from the sons of Israel to serve in the works of the king. For they were men of war, and first rulers, and commanders of his chariots and horsemen.

Now all the leaders of the army of king Solomon were two hundred fifty, who were instructing the people.

Truly, he transferred the daughter of Pharaoh, from the City of David, to the house that he had built for her. For the king said: “My wife shall not live in the house of David, king of Israel, for it has been sanctified. For the ark of the Lord has entered into it.”

Then Solomon offered holocausts to the Lord on the altar of the Lord, which he had constructed before the portico,

so that every day there would be an offering on it, in accord with the precept of Moses, on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and three times a year on the feast days, that is, on the solemnity of unleavened bread, and on the solemnity of weeks, and on the solemnity of tabernacles.

And he appointed, in accord with the plan of his father David, the offices of the priests in their ministries; and those of the Levites, in their orders, so that they might praise and minister before the priests according to the ritual of each day; and the porters, in their divisions, from gate to gate. For so had David, the man of God, instructed.

Neither the priests, nor the Levites, transgressed against the commands of the king, in all that he had instructed, and in the keeping of the treasuries.

Solomon had all the expenses prepared, from the day on which he founded the house of the Lord, even until the day when he perfected it.

Then Solomon went away to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, on the coast of the Red Sea, which is in the land of Edom.

And Hiram sent to him ships, by the hands of his servants, sailors and skillful navigators of the sea, and they went away with the servants of Solomon to Ophir. And they took from there four hundred fifty talents of gold, and they brought it to king Solomon.

(1 Kings 9:10–28)

At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the LORD’s house and his own house,

Solomon built the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

Solomon went to Hamath Zobah, and prevailed against it.

He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities, which he built in Hamath.

Also he built Beth Horon the upper and Beth Horon the lower, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars;

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

As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, 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 didn’t consume—of them Solomon conscripted forced labor to this day.

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

These were the chief officers of King Solomon, even two-hundred fifty, who ruled over the people.

Solomon brought up Pharaoh’s daughter out of David’s city 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, because the places where the LORD’s ark has come are holy.”

Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the LORD’s altar which he had built before the porch,

even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times per year, during the feast of unleavened bread, during the feast of weeks, and during the feast of booths.(a)

He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the divisions 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 divisions at every gate, for David the man of God had so commanded.

They didn’t depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasures.

Now all the work of Solomon was accomplished from the day of the foundation of the LORD’s house until it was finished. So the LORD’s house was completed.

Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Eloth, on the seashore in the land of Edom.

Huram sent him ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea by the hands of his servants; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred fifty talents

(b)

of gold, and brought them to King Solomon.

Footnotes

(a)8:13 or, feast of tents (Sukkot)

(b)8:18 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 450 talents is about 13.5 metric tons