2 Chronicles 8
8
Solomon's Achievements
(1 Kgs 9.10–28)
1It took Solomon twenty years to build the Temple and his palace. 2He also rebuilt the cities that King Hiram had given him, and sent Israelites to settle in them. 3He captured the territory of Hamath and Zobah 4and fortified the city of Palmyra in the desert. He rebuilt all the cities in Hamath that were centres for storing supplies. 5Solomon also rebuilt the following cities: Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon (fortified cities with gates that could be barred), 6the city of Baalath, all the cities where he stored supplies, and the cities where his horses and chariots were stationed. He carried out all his plans for building in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and throughout the territory that he ruled over. 7-8Solomon employed in forced labour all the descendants of the people of Canaan whom the Israelites had not killed when they took possession of the land. These included Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, whose descendants continue to be slaves down to the present time. 9Israelites were not used in forced labour, but served as soldiers, officers, chariot commanders, and horsemen. 10There were 250 officials in charge of the forced labour working on the various building projects.
11Solomon moved his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, from David's City to a house he built for her. He said, “She must not live in the palace of King David of Israel, because any place where the Covenant Box has been is holy.”
12Solomon offered sacrifices to the LORD on the altar which he had built in front of the Temple. 13#Ex 23.14–17; 34.22–23; Num 28.9; 29.39; Deut 16.16He offered burnt offerings according to the requirements of the Law of Moses for each holy day: Sabbaths, New Moon Festivals, and the three annual festivals — the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. 14Following the rules laid down by his father David, he organized the daily work of the priests and of the Levites who assisted the priests in singing hymns and in doing their work. He also organized the temple guards in sections for performing their daily duties at each gate, in accordance with the commands of David, the man of God. 15The instructions which David had given the priests and the Levites concerning the storehouses and other matters were carried out in detail.
16By this time all Solomon's projects had been completed. From the laying of the foundation of the LORD's Temple to its completion, all the work had been successful.
17Then Solomon went to Eziongeber and Elath, ports on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the land of Edom. 18King Hiram sent him ships under the command of his own officers and crewed by experienced sailors. They sailed with Solomon's officers to the land of Ophir and brought back to Solomon more than fifteen tonnes of gold.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
2 Chronicles 8
8
Solomon’s Other Achievements
1By the end of twenty years, Solomon had built the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace. 2Solomon rebuilt the towns that Hiram had given him, and Solomon sent Israelites to live in them. 3Then he went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. 4Solomon also built the town of Tadmor in the desert, and he built all the towns in Hamath as towns for storing grain and supplies. 5He rebuilt the towns of Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon, protecting them with strong walls, gates, and bars in the gates. 6He also rebuilt the town of Baalath. And he built all the other towns for storage and all the cities for his chariots and horses. He built all he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and everywhere he ruled.
7There were other people in the land who were not Israelites—the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 8They were descendants of the people that the Israelites had not destroyed. Solomon forced them to be slave workers, as is still true today. 9But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites. They were his soldiers, chief captains, commanders of his chariots, and his chariot drivers. 10These were his most important officers. There were two hundred fifty of them to direct the people.
11Solomon brought the daughter of the king of Egypt from the older part of Jerusalem to the palace he had built for her. Solomon said, “My wife must not live in King David’s palace, because the places where the Ark of the Agreement has been are holy.”
12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar he had built for the Lord in front of the Temple porch. 13He offered sacrifices every day as Moses had commanded. They were offered on the Sabbath days, New Moons, and the three yearly feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Shelters. 14Solomon followed his father David’s instructions and chose the groups of priests for their service and the Levites to lead the praise and to help the priests do their daily work. And he chose the gatekeepers by their groups to serve at each gate, as David, the man of God, had commanded. 15They obeyed all of Solomon’s commands to the priests and Levites, as well as his commands about the treasuries.
16All Solomon’s work was done as he had said from the day the foundation of the Temple of the Lord was begun, until it was finished. So the Temple was finished.
17Then Solomon went to the towns of Ezion Geber and Elath near the Red Sea in the land of Edom. 18Hiram sent ships to Solomon that were commanded by his own men, who were skilled sailors. Hiram’s men went with Solomon’s men to Ophir and brought back about thirty-four thousand pounds of gold to King Solomon.
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.