1    ^noteSolomon had taken twenty years to build the house of the Lord and his own palace, 2   and he rebuilt the cities which Huram had given him and settled Israelites in them. 3   He went to Hamath-zobah and seized it, 4   and rebuilt Tadmor in the wilderness and all the store-cities which he had built in Hamath. 5   He also built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon as fortified cities with walls and barred gates, 6   and Baalath, as well as all his store-cities, and all the towns where he quartered his chariots and horses; and he carried out all his cherished plans for building in Jerusalem, in the Lebanon, and throughout his whole dominion. 7   All the survivors of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, 8   and Jebusites, who did not belong to Israel—that is their descendants who survived in the land, wherever the Israelites had been unable to exterminate them—were employed by Solomon on forced labour, as they still are. 9   He put none of the Israelites to forced labour for his public works; they were his fighting men, his captains and lieutenants, ^note and the commanders of his chariots and of his cavalry. 10   These were King Solomon's officers, two hundred and fifty of them, in charge of the foremen who superintended the people.

11   Solomon brought Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the house he had built for her, for he said, ‘No wife of mine shall live in the house of David king of Israel, because this place which the Ark of the Lord has entered is ^note holy.’

12   Then Solomon offered whole-offerings to the Lord on the altar which he had built to the east of the vestibule, 13   according to what was required for each day, making offerings according to the law of Moses for the sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual appointed feasts—the pilgrim-feasts of Unleavened Bread, of Weeks, and of Tabernacles. ^note 14   Following the practice of his father David, he drew up the roster of service for the priests and that for the Levites for leading the praise and for waiting upon the priests, as each day required, and

The reign of Solomon that for the door-keepers at each gate; for such was the instruction which David the man of God had given. 15   The instructions which David had given concerning the priests and the Levites and concerning the treasuries were not forgotten.

16   By this time all Solomon's work was achieved, from the foundation of the house of the Lord to its completion; the house of the Lord was perfect. 17   Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the coast of Edom, 18   and Huram sent ships under the command of his own officers and manned by crews of experienced seamen; and these, in company with Solomon's servants, went to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

Previous section

Next section