2 Chronicles 8

1 It had taken twenty years for Solomon to build the Temple of the Lord and his own palace.

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

2 Solomon rebuilt the towns Hiram had given him, and sent Israelites to live there.

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

3 Then Solomon attacked Hamath-zobah and captured it.

Solomon attacked Hamathzobah and defeated it.

4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and also built all the storehouse towns in Hamath.

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

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

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

6 and also Baalath. He built all the storehouse towns that belonged to him, and all the towns where he kept his chariots and horses. He built everything he wanted to in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout his entire 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 There were some people who remained in the land: the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—people who were not Israelites.

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 They were the remaining descendants of the peoples that the Israelites had not destroyed. Solomon made them work as forced laborers, as they are 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 Israelites work as slaves. Instead, they were his military men, his officers, and commanders of his 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 They were also King Solomon's chief officers, 250 men who supervised 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 Solomon moved Pharaoh's daughter from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. For he said, “My wife cannot live in the palace of David king of Israel, because wherever the Ark of the Lord has gone are holy places.”

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 presented burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord he had built in front of the Temple's porch.

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

13 He followed the requirement for daily offerings as Moses had ordered for Sabbaths, new moons, and the three annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Shelters.

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 Following the instructions of his father David, he assigned the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites in their responsibilities to offer praise, and to help the priests in their daily duties. He also assigned gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate as David, the man of God, had instructed.

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 followed David's instructions exactly regarding the priests, the Levites, and anything to do with the treasuries.

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

16 This is how all Solomon's work was carried out, from the day the foundation was laid for the Lord's Temple until it was finished. So the Lord's Temple was completed.

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 After this Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the coast of the land of Edom.

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

18 Hiram sent him ships under the command of his own officers, along with experienced sailors. They went with Solomon's men to Ophir where they loaded 450 talents of gold, which they then brought back 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.