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2 Chronicles 8-9
Contemporary English Version
2 Chronicles 8-9
Contemporary English Version
Other Things Solomon Did
(1 Kings 9.10-28)
8 It took 20 years for the Lord's temple and Solomon's palace to be built. 2 After that, Solomon had his workers rebuild the towns that Hiram had given him. Then Solomon sent Israelites to live in those towns.
3 Solomon attacked and captured the town of Hamath-Zobah. 4 He ordered his workers to build the town of Tadmor in the desert and some towns in Hamath where he could keep his supplies. 5 He strengthened Upper Beth-Horon and Lower Beth-Horon by adding walls and gates that could be locked. 6 He did the same thing to the town of Baalath and to the cities where he kept supplies, chariots, and horses. Solomon ordered his workers to build whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and anywhere else in his kingdom.
7-9 Solomon did not force the Israelites to do his work. Instead, they were his soldiers, officers, army commanders, and cavalry troops. But he did make slaves of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who were living in Israel. These were the descendants of those foreigners the Israelites did not destroy, and they remained Israel's slaves.
10 Solomon appointed 250 officers to be in charge of his workers.
11 Solomon's wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, moved from the part of Jerusalem called David's City to her new palace that Solomon had built. The sacred chest had been kept in David's City, which made his palace sacred, and so Solomon's wife could no longer live there.
12 Solomon offered sacrifices to the Lord on the altar he had built in front of the temple porch. 13 (A) He followed the requirements that Moses had given for sacrifices offered on the Sabbath, on the first day of each month, the Festival of Thin Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters.
14 Solomon then assigned the priests and the Levites their duties at the temple, and he followed the instructions that his father, the man of God, had given him. Some of the Levites were to lead music and help the priests in their duties, and others were to guard the temple gates 15 and the storage rooms. The priests and Levites followed these instructions exactly.
16 Everything Solomon had planned to do was now finished—from the laying of the temple's foundation to its completion.
17 Solomon went to Ezion-Geber and Eloth, two Edomite towns on the Red Sea.[a] 18 Hiram sent him ships and some of his experienced sailors. They went with Solomon's own sailors to the country of Ophir[b] and brought back more than 15 tons of gold for Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon
(1 Kings 10.1-13)
9 (B) The Queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she went to Jerusalem to test him with difficult questions. She took along several of her officials, and she loaded her camels with gifts of spices, jewels, and gold. When she arrived, she and Solomon talked about everything she could think of. 2 He answered every question, no matter how difficult it was.
3-4 The Queen was amazed at Solomon's wisdom. She was breathless when she saw his palace,[c] the food on his table, his officials, all his servants in their uniforms, and the sacrifices he offered at the Lord's temple. 5 She said:
Solomon, in my own country I had heard about your wisdom and all you've done. 6 But I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes! And there's so much I didn't hear about. You are greater than I was told. 7 Your people and officials are lucky to be here where they can listen to the wise things you say.
8 I praise the Lord your God. He is pleased with you and has made you king of Israel. God loves the people of this country and will never desert them, so he has given them a king who will rule fairly and honestly.
9 The Queen of Sheba gave Solomon more than four tons of gold, a large amount of jewels, and the best spices anyone had ever seen.
10-12 In return, Solomon gave her everything she wanted—even more than she had given him. Then she and her officials went back to their own country.
Solomon's Wealth
(1 Kings 10.14-29)
Hiram's and Solomon's sailors brought gold, juniper wood, and jewels from the country of Ophir. Solomon used the wood to make steps[d] for the temple and palace, and harps and other stringed instruments for the musicians. Nothing like these had ever been made in Judah.
13 Solomon received almost 23 tons of gold each year, 14 not counting what the merchants and traders brought him. The kings of Arabia and the leaders of Israel also gave him gold and silver.
15 Solomon made 200 gold shields that weighed over three kilograms each. 16 He also made 300 smaller gold shields that weighed almost two kilograms, and he put these shields in his palace in Forest Hall.
17 His throne was made of ivory and covered with pure gold. 18 It had a gold footstool attached to it and armrests on each side. There was a statue of a lion on each side of the throne, 19 and there were two lion statues on each of the six steps leading up to the throne. No other throne in the world was like Solomon's.
20 Solomon's cups and dishes in Forest Hall were made of pure gold, because silver was almost worthless in those days.
21 Solomon had a lot of seagoing ships.[e] Every three years he sent them out with Hiram's ships to bring back gold, silver, and ivory, as well as monkeys and peacocks.[f]
22 Solomon was the richest and wisest king in the world. 23-24 Year after year, other kings came to hear the wisdom God had given him. And they brought gifts of silver and gold, as well as clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
25 (C) Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots, and he owned 12,000 horses that he kept in Jerusalem and other towns.
26 (D) He ruled all the nations from the Euphrates River in the north to the land of Philistia in the south, as far as the border of Egypt.
27 While Solomon was king, there was silver everywhere in Jerusalem, and cedar was as common as the sycamore trees in the western foothills. 28 (E) Solomon's horses were brought in from other countries, including Musri.[g]
Solomon Dies
(1 Kings 11.41-43)
29 Everything else Solomon did while he was king is written in the records of Nathan the prophet, Ahijah the prophet from Shiloh, and Iddo the prophet who wrote about Jeroboam son of Nebat. 30 After Solomon had ruled 40 years from Jerusalem, 31 he died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam then became king.
Footnotes
- 8.17 Red Sea: Hebrew yam suph, here referring to the Gulf of Aqaba, since the term is extended to include the northeastern arm of the Red Sea (see also the note at Exodus 13.18).
- 8.18 Ophir: The location of this place is not known.
- 9.3,4 his palace: Or “the temple.”
- 9.10-12 steps: Or “stools” or “railings.”
- 9.21 seagoing ships: The Hebrew text has “ships of Tarshish,” which may have been a Phoenician city in Spain. “Ships of Tarshish” probably means large, seagoing ships.
- 9.21 peacocks: Or “baboons.”
- 9.28 Musri: See the note at 1.16,17.
2 Chronicles 8-9
New International Version
2 Chronicles 8-9
New International Version
Solomon’s Other Activities(A)
8 At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace,(B) 2 Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram[a] had given him, and settled Israelites in them. 3 Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. 4 He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath.(C) 5 He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon(D) and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, 6 as well as Baalath(E) and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses[b]—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.
7 There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites(F) (these people were not Israelites). 8 Solomon conscripted(G) the descendants of all these people remaining in the land—whom the Israelites had not destroyed—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. 9 But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 10 They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.
11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter(H) up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”
12 On the altar(I) of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord, 13 according to the daily requirement(J) for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths,(K) the New Moons(L) and the three(M) annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(N) the Festival of Weeks(O) and the Festival of Tabernacles.(P) 14 In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions(Q) of the priests for their duties, and the Levites(R) to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers(S) by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God(T) had ordered.(U) 15 They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.
16 All Solomon’s work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid until its completion. So the temple of the Lord was finished.
17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. 18 And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents[c] of gold,(V) which they delivered to King Solomon.
The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(W)
9 When the queen of Sheba(X) heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. 2 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. 3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon,(Y) as well as the palace he had built, 4 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[d] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.
5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 6 But I did not believe what they said until I came(Z) and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. 7 How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne(AA) as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king(AB) over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.”
9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[e] of gold,(AC) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir;(AD) they also brought algumwood[f] and precious stones. 11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.)
12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.
Solomon’s Splendor(AE)
13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,[g] 14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia(AF) and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels[h] of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred small shields(AG) of hammered gold, with three hundred shekels[i] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.(AH)
17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory(AI) and overlaid with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. 20 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s day. 21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[j] manned by Hiram’s[k] servants. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.
22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.(AJ) 23 All the kings(AK) of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift(AL)—articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.
25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots,(AM) and twelve thousand horses,[l] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled(AN) over all the kings from the Euphrates River(AO) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.(AP) 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries.
Solomon’s Death(AQ)
29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan(AR) the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah(AS) the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam(AT) son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David(AU) his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 8:2 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verse 18
- 2 Chronicles 8:6 Or charioteers
- 2 Chronicles 8:18 That is, about 17 tons or about 15 metric tons
- 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or and the ascent by which he went up to
- 2 Chronicles 9:9 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
- 2 Chronicles 9:10 Probably a variant of almugwood
- 2 Chronicles 9:13 That is, about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons
- 2 Chronicles 9:15 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
- 2 Chronicles 9:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
- 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish
- 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram
- 2 Chronicles 9:25 Or charioteers
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