2 Chronicles 8

1 Solomon’s [workers] worked for 20 years to build the temple and the king’s palace.

And it comes to pass at the end of twenty years that Solomon has built the house of YHWH and his own house.

2 Then his [workers] rebuilt the cities that [King] Hiram had given back to Solomon, and Solomon sent Israelis to live in those cities.

As for the cities that Huram has given to Solomon, Solomon has built them, and he causes the sons of Israel to dwell there.

3 Solomon’s [army] then went to Hamath-Zobah [town] and captured it.

And Solomon goes to Hamath-Zobah, and lays hold on it;

4 His workers also rebuilt walls around Tadmor [town] in the desert, and in [the] Hamath [region] in all the towns where they kept supplies.

and he builds Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the cities of store that he has built in Hamath.

5 They rebuilt Upper Beth-Horon [town] and Lower Beth-Horon [city], and built walls around them with gates [in the walls] and bars [to fasten the gates].

And he builds Beth-Horon the upper, and Beth-Horon the lower—cities of defense, with walls, double gates, and bar—

6 They also rebuilt Baalath [town] and all the cities where supplies were kept and the cities where Solomon’s chariots and horses were kept. Solomon’s [workers] built whatever he wanted them to build, in Jerusalem and in Lebanon, and in other places in the area that he ruled.

and Ba‘alath, and all the cities of store that Solomon had, and all the cities of the chariot, 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.

7 Solomon forced people from many other groups who were not Israelis to work for him like slaves. They were people from the Heth, Amor, Periz, Hiv, and Jebus people-groups.

All the people who are left of the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, who are not of Israel—

8 They were descendants of groups whom the Israelis had not completely destroyed. Solomon forced them to become his slaves, and they are still slaves.

of their sons who have been left after them in the land, whom the sons of Israel did not consume—Solomon lifts up a tribute to this day.

9 But Solomon did not force Israelis to work for him. Israelis became his soldiers and commanders of his chariots and his chariot-drivers.

And Solomon has made none of the sons of Israel servants for his work, but they [are] men of war, and heads of his captains, and heads of his charioteers, and of his horsemen;

10 They were also King Solomon’s chief officials. There were 250 of them, and they supervised the workers.

and these [are] heads of the officers whom King Solomon has, two hundred and fifty who are rulers among the people.

11 Solomon moved his wife, who was the daughter of the king of Egypt, from [the place outside Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’ to the place that his workers had built for her. He said, “I do not want my wife to live in the palace that [my father] King David’s workers built, because the Sacred Chest [was in that palace for a while], and any place where the Sacred Chest has been is holy.”

And Solomon has brought up the daughter of Pharaoh from the City of David to the house that he built for her, for he said, “My wife does not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, for they are holy to whom the Ark of YHWH has come.”

12 On the altar that Solomon’s [workers] had built in front of the entrance [to the temple], Solomon sacrificed many offerings that were to be completely burned.

Then Solomon has caused burnt-offerings to ascend to YHWH on the altar of YHWH that he built before the porch,

13 He did that to obey the rules about what sacrifices Moses had declared should be made. These included sacrifices for every day and for the Sabbath days and to celebrate each day on which there was a new moon and for the three other festivals that were celebrated each year. Those festivals were the Festival of Eating Unleavened Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters.

even by the matter of a day in its day, to cause to ascend according to the command of Moses, on Sabbaths, and on new moons, and on appointed times, three times in a year—in the Celebration of Unleavened Things, and in the Celebration of Weeks, and in the Celebration of Shelters.

14 Obeying what his father David had commanded, he appointed the groups of priests for their work, and he appointed the descendants of Levi to lead the people while they sang to praise Yahweh and while they assisted the priests in their daily work. He also appointed groups of them to guard all the gates, because that was also what David, the man who pleased God [very well], had commanded.

And he establishes, according to the ordinance of his father David, the divisions of the priests over their service, and of the Levites over their charges, to praise and to minister before the priests, according to the matter of a day in its day, and the gatekeepers in their divisions at every gate, for so [is] the command of David the man of God.

15 The priests and other descendants of Levi obeyed completely everything that the king commanded, including [taking care of] the storerooms.

And they have not turned aside [from] the command of the king concerning the priests and the Levites, in reference to any matter, and to the treasures.

16 They did all the work [of building the temple] that Solomon told them to do, until it was all completed. So they finishing building the temple.

And all the work of Solomon is prepared until the day of the foundation of the house of YHWH, and until its completion; the house of YHWH is perfect.

17 Then some of Solomon’s men went to Ezion-Geber and Elath [cities] on the coast of the Red Sea, an area that belonged to the Edom people-group.

Then Solomon has gone to Ezion-Geber, and to Elath, on the border of the sea, in the land of Edom;

18 King Hiram sent to Solomon from [Tyre city] some ships that were commanded by his officers. They were men who were experienced sailors. These men went in the ships with Solomon’s men to [the] Ophir [region] and brought back about 17 tons of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.

and Huram sends to him, by the hand of his servants, ships and servants knowing the sea, and they go with servants of Solomon to Ophir, and take four hundred and fifty talents of gold from there, and bring it to King Solomon.