2 Chronicles 8

Modern

Literal

Solomon’s Additional Achievements

¹Now at the end of the twenty years during which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own palace,

¹And it came to pass at the end of twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of YHWH and his own house,

²Solomon rebuilt the cities Hiram^a had given him and settled Israelites there.

²that the cities that Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them, and there he settled the sons of Israel.

³Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it.

³And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and seized it.

⁴He built Tadmor in the wilderness, in addition to all the store cities that he had built in Hamath.

⁴And He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities that he built in Hamath.

⁵He rebuilt Upper and Lower Beth-horon as fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,

⁵And He built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,

⁶as well as Baalath, all the store cities that belonged to Solomon, and all the cities for his chariots and horses—^awhatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion.

⁶and Baalath and all the storage cities that were unto Solomon, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all the desire of Solomon that he desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion.

⁷As for all the people who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (these people were not Israelites) —

⁷And all the people remaining of the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite (who they were not of Israel—

⁸their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites had not destroyed—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day.

⁸of their sons who were left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel did not destroy), Solomon lifted up as forced labor to this day.

⁹But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slave labor, because they were his men of war, the leaders of his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry.

⁹And Solomon did not make the sons of Israel servants for his work, for they were men of war, and captains of his officers, and captains of his chariots, and his cavalry.

¹⁰They were also the chief officers for King Solomon: 250 supervisors.

¹⁰And these were chiefs of the officers who were of King Solomon, two hundred and fifty ruling over the people.

¹¹Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. For he said, “My wife must not live in the house of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy.”

¹¹And the daughter of Pharaoh Solomon brought up 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, because they are holy to whom the ark of YHWH has come.”

¹²At that time Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD he had built in front of the portico.

¹²Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to YHWH on the altar of YHWH, which he had built before the face of the portico,

¹³He observed the daily requirement for offerings according to the commandment of Moses for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread,^a the Feast of Weeks,^b and the Feast of Tabernacles.^c

¹³by the matter of a day in its day, to cause to ascend according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, and the New Moons, and the appointed feasts three times yearly—in the Feast of the Unleavened, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Booths.

¹⁴In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests according to the daily requirement. He also appointed gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate, for this had been the command of David, the man of God.

¹⁴And he appointed, according to the judgment of David his father, the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties, to praise and serve before the priests, according to the matter of a day in its day, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate; for thus David had commanded the man of God.

¹⁵They did not turn aside from the king’s command regarding the priests or the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.

¹⁵And they did not depart from the command of the king concerning the priests and the Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasuries.

¹⁶Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out, from the day the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.

¹⁶And all the work of Solomon was prepared from the day of the foundation of the house of YHWH, and until it was finished. And the house of YHWH was completed.

¹⁷Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth^a on the coast of Edom.^b

¹⁷Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the lip of the sea in the land of Edom.

¹⁸So Hiram sent him ships captained by his servants, along with crews of experienced sailors. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and acquired from there 450 talents of gold,^a which they delivered to King Solomon.

¹⁸And Huram sent him by the hand of his servants ships, and servants who knew the sea, and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir and acquired from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon.