2 Chronicles 8
Common English Bible
Solomon’s buildings and prosperity
8 After twenty years of building the Lord’s temple and his royal palace, 2 Solomon next rebuilt the cities Huram had given him, and he settled Israelites there.
3 Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and seized it. 4 He fortified Tadmor in the wilderness, along with all the storage cities he had built in Hamath. 5 Solomon also built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon as fortress cities with walls, gates, and crossbars; 6 Baalath; all the cities he used for storage; and all the cities used for chariots and cavalry—along with everything else he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout his kingdom.
7 Any non-Israelite people who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites— 8 that is, the descendants of such people who were still in the land because the Israelites weren’t able to destroy them—Solomon forced into the labor gangs that are still in existence today. 9 However, Solomon didn’t force the Israelites to work as slaves; instead, they became warriors, chief officers, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry. 10 And Solomon had two hundred fifty chief officers[a] who were in charge of the people.
11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter from David’s City to a palace he had built for her, because he said, “My wife mustn’t live in the palace of Israel’s King David, because the places where the Lord’s chest has been are holy.”
12 Then Solomon offered entirely burned offerings to the Lord on the Lord’s altar that Solomon had built in front of the porch, 13 as each day required, according to the commandment of Moses for sabbaths, new moon festivals, and the three annual festivals—Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Booths. 14 Just as his father David had ordered, Solomon set up the divisions of the priests for their services and the Levites to their posts for offering praise and ministering in front of the priests, doing what needed to be done each day; as well as the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, because this was what David the man of God had commanded. 15 They didn’t deviate in any way from the king’s commands concerning the priests, the Levites, or the treasuries. 16 All Solomon’s work was carried out from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid until its completion. Then the Lord’s temple was completely finished.
17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth on the coast in the land of Edom. 18 Huram had his servants bring ships to Solomon, along with crews of expert sailors. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and imported four hundred fifty kikkars of gold, which they brought back to King Solomon.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 8:10 Qere; Kethib officers of the troops
2 Chronicles 8
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
8 At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house,
2 The cities which Huram had given to [him] Solomon rebuilt and fortified, and caused the Israelites to dwell there.
3 And Solomon took Hamath-zobah.
4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all his store cities in Hamath.
5 Also he built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,
6 And Baalath and all the store cities [he] had, and all the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all his dominion.
7 All the people who were left of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of Israel,
8 But descendants of those who were left in the land, whom the Israelites had not destroyed—of them Solomon made a levy for forced labor to this day.
9 But of the Israelites Solomon made no slaves for his work; but they were men of war, chiefs of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.
10 These were the chiefs of King Solomon’s officers, 250 in authority over the people.
11 Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh out of the City of David into the house he had built for her, for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy to which the ark of the Lord has come.
12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the Lord’s altar which he had built before the [temple] porch or vestibule,
13 A certain number every day, offering as Moses commanded for the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the solemn feast days three times in the year—the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, of Weeks, and of Tabernacles.
14 And he appointed, as ordered by David his father, the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites to their offices to praise and to serve before the priests as the duty of every day required, and the gatekeepers also by their divisions at every gate; for so had David the man of God commanded.
15 And they did not turn from the command of the king to the priests and Levites in any respect or concerning the treasuries.
16 Thus all the work of Solomon was prepared from the day the foundation of the Lord’s house was laid until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.
17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the shore of the [Red] Sea in the land of Edom.
18 And Huram sent him by his servants ships and servants familiar with the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir and took from there 450 talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
