Chronicles II 8

1 And it came to pass after twenty years, in which Solomon built the house of the Lord, and his own house,

It came about at the end of twenty years, during which Solomon had built the house of Yahweh and his own house,

2 that Solomon rebuilt the cities which Chiram had given to Solomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell in them.

that Solomon rebuilt the towns that Hiram had given to him, and he settled the people of Israel in them.

3 And Solomon came to Baesoba, and fortified it.

Solomon attacked Hamathzobah and defeated it.

4 And he built Thoedmor in the wilderness, and all the strong cities which he built in Emath.

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

5 And he built Baethoron the upper, and Baethoron the lower, strong cities, —they had walls, gates, and bars;

Also he built Beth Horon the Upper and Beth Horon the Lower, cities fortified with walls, gates, and bars.

6 and Balaath, and all the strong cities which Solomon had, and all his chariot cities, and cities of horsemen, and all things that Solomon desired according to his desire of building, in Jerusalem, and in Libanus, and in all his kingdom.

He built Baalath and all the store cities that he possessed, and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and whatever he wished to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the lands under his rule.

7 [As for] all the people that was left of the Chettites, and the Amorites, and the Pherezites, and the Evites, and the Jebusites, who are not of Israel,

As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who did not belong to Israel,

8 but were of the children of them whom the children Israel destroyed not, that were left after them in the land, even them did Solomon make tributaries to this day.

their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed—Solomon made them into forced laborers, which they are to this day.

9 But Solomon did not make any of the children of Israel servants in his kingdom; for, behold, [they were] warriors and rulers, and mighty [men], and captains of chariots and horsemen.

However, Solomon made no forced laborers of the people of Israel. Instead, they became his soldiers, his commanders, his officers, and commanders of his chariot forces and his horsemen.

10 And these are the chiefs of the officers of king Solomon, two hundred and fifty overseeing the work amongst the people.

These were also the chief officers managing the supervisors who belonged to King Solomon, 250 of them, who supervised the people who did the work.

11 And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharao from the city of David to the house which he had built for her: for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the city of David, the king of Israel, for [the place] is holy into which the ark of the Lord has entered.

Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the house of David king of Israel, because wherever the ark of Yahweh has come is holy.”

12 Then Solomon offered up to the Lord whole burnt offerings on the altar which he had built to the Lord before the temple,

Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on his altar that he had built in front of the portico.

13 according to the daily rate, to offer up [sacrifices] according to the commandments of Moses, on the sabbaths, and at the new moons, and at the feasts, three times in the year, at the feast of unleavened bread, and at the feast of weeks, and at the feast of tabernacles.

He offered sacrifices just as the daily schedule required; he offered them, following the directions found in the commandment of Moses, on the Sabbath days, the new moons, and on the set festivals three times every year: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Shelters.

14 And he established, according to the order of his father David, the courses of the priests, and [that] according to their public ministrations: and the Levites [were appointed] over their charges, to praise and minister before the priests according to the daily order: and the porters were appointed according to their courses to the different gates: for thus [were] the commandments of David the man of God.

In keeping with the decrees of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests to their work, and the Levites to their positions, in order to praise God and to serve before the priests, as the daily schedule required. He also appointed the gatekeepers by their divisions to every gate, for David, the man of God, had also commanded this.

15 They transgressed not the commandments of the king concerning the priests and the Levites with regard to everything else, and with regard to the treasures.

These people did not deviate from the commands of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the storerooms.

16 Now all the work had been prepared from the day when the foundation was laid, until Solomon finished the house of the Lord.

All the work ordered by Solomon was completed, from the day the foundation of the house of Yahweh was laid until it was finished. The house of Yahweh was completed.

17 Then Solomon went to Gasion Gaber, and to Aelath near the sea in the land of Idumea.

Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and then to Elath on the coast, in the land of Edom.

18 And Chiram sent by the hand of his servants ships, and servants skilled in naval affairs; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Sophira, and brought thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and they came to king Solomon.

Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own officers, men who knew the sea, and with the servants of Solomon they went to Ophir and they took from there 450 talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon.