2 Chronicles 8-9

World English Bible

8 At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built Yahweh’s house and his own house, ² Solomon built the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

³ Solomon went to Hamath Zobah, and prevailed against it. ⁴ He built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities, which he built in Hamath. ⁵ Also he built Beth Horon the upper and Beth Horon the lower, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars; ⁶ and Baalath, and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

⁷ As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel; ⁸ of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel didn’t consume, of them Solomon conscripted forced labor to this day. ⁹ But of the children of Israel, Solomon made no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen. ¹⁰ These were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two-hundred fifty, who ruled over the people.

¹¹ Solomon brought up Pharaoh’s daughter out of David’s city to the house that he had built for her; for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places where Yahweh’s ark has come are holy.”

¹² Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on Yahweh’s altar, which he had built before the porch, ¹³ even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times per year, during the feast of unleavened bread, during the feast of weeks, and during the feast of booths.^[a]

¹⁴ He appointed, according to the ordinance of David his father, the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the doorkeepers also by their divisions at every gate, for David the man of God had so commanded. ¹⁵ They didn’t depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

¹⁶ Now all the work of Solomon was prepared from the day of the foundation of Yahweh’s house until it was finished. So Yahweh’s house was completed.

¹⁷ Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Eloth, on the seashore in the land of Edom. ¹⁸ Huram sent him ships and servants who had knowledge of the sea by the hands of his servants; and they came with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and brought from there four hundred fifty talents^[b] of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

9 When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to test Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great caravan, including camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she talked with him about all that was in her heart. ² Solomon answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything hidden from Solomon which he didn’t tell her. ³ When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, ⁴ the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers, their clothing, his cup bearers also, their clothing, and his ascent by which he went up to Yahweh’s house; there was no more spirit in her.^[c]

⁵ She said to the king, “It was a true report that I heard in my own land of your acts and of your wisdom. ⁶ However I didn’t believe their words until I came, and my eyes had seen it; and behold half of the greatness of your wisdom wasn’t told me. You exceed the fame that I heard! ⁷ Happy are your men, and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you, and hear your wisdom. ⁸ Blessed be Yahweh your God, who delighted in you, to set you on his throne, to be king for Yahweh your God; because your God loved Israel, to establish them forever. Therefore he made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”

⁹ She gave the king one hundred and twenty talents^[d] of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones. There was never before such spice as the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. ¹⁰ The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees^[e] and precious stones. ¹¹ The king used algum tree wood to make terraces for Yahweh’s house and for the king’s house, and harps and stringed instruments for the singers. There were none like these seen before in the land of Judah. ¹² King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, in addition to that which she had brought to the king. So she turned, and went to her own land, she and her servants.

¹³ Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents^[f] of gold, ¹⁴ in addition to that which the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. ¹⁵ King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels^[g] of beaten gold went to one buckler. ¹⁶ He made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three hundred shekels^[h] of gold went to one shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon. ¹⁷ Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. ¹⁸ There were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and armrests on either side by the place of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. ¹⁹ Twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other on the six steps. There was nothing like it made in any other kingdom. ²⁰ All king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. ²¹ For the king had ships that went to Tarshish with Huram’s servants. Once every three years, the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

²² So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. ²³ All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. ²⁴ They each brought tribute, vessels of silver, vessels of gold, clothing, armor, spices, horses, and mules every year. ²⁵ Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, that he stationed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. ²⁶ He ruled over all the kings from the River even to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. ²⁷ The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars to be as abundant as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland. ²⁸ They brought horses for Solomon out of Egypt and out of all lands.

²⁹ Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, aren’t they written in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? ³⁰ Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. ³¹ Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in his father David’s city: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.