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And it came to pass at the end of esrim shanah, wherein Sh’lomo had built the Beis Hashem, and his own bais (palace),

That the cities which Churam had restored to Sh’lomo, Sh’lomo rebuilt them, and caused the Bnei Yisroel to dwell there.

And Sh’lomo went to Chamat Tzovah, and captured it.

And he built Tadmor in the midbar, and all the storage towns, which he built in Chamat.

Also he rebuilt Upper Beit Choron, and Lower Beit Choron, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars,

And Ba’alat, and all the storage towns that Sh’lomo had, and all the towns for the chariots, and the towns for the parashim (horsemen, cavalry) all the cheshek Sh’lomo (desire of Solomon) that he desired to build in Yerushalayim, and in the Levanon, and throughout all the eretz of his Memshalet.

As for kol haAm that were left of the Chitti, and HaEmori, and the Perizzi, and the Chivi, and the Yevusi, who were not of Yisroel,

From their banim, who were left after them in HaAretz, whom the Bnei Yisroel consumed not, them did Sh’lomo conscript for forced labor until yom hazeh.

But of the Bnei Yisroel did Sh’lomo make no avadim for his melachah; for they were anshei milchamah, and commanders of his officers, and commanders of his chariots and parash.

10 And these were the chief of the officials of Sh’lomo HaMelech, even two hundred and fifty, that exercised authority over HaAm.

11 And Sh’lomo brought up the Bat Pharaoh out of Ir Dovid unto the palace that he had built for her, for he said, Isha li (wife for me) shall not dwell in the Bais Dovid Melech Yisroel, because the places whereunto the Aron Hashem hath come are Kodesh.

12 Then Sh’lomo offered up Olot unto Hashem on the Mizbe’ach Hashem, which he had built before the Ulam,

13 Even according to the requirement of each day on its day, offering according to the mitzvat Moshe, on the Shabbatot, and on Rosh Chodesh, and on the Mo’adot, three times in the year, even in the Chag HaMatzot, and in the Chag HaShavuot, and in the Chag HaSukkot.

14 And he appointed, according to the mishpat Dovid Aviv, the machlekot (divisions) of the Kohanim to their avodah service, and the Levi’im to their mishmerot (watches), to praise and minister before the Kohanim, as the requirement of every yom required; the Sho’arim (Gatekeepers) also by their machlekot (divisions) at every sha’ar; for thus was the mitzvot Dovid Ish HaElohim.

15 And they deviated not from the mitzvat HaMelech unto the Kohanim and Levi’im concerning any matter, or concerning the otzarot.

16 Now all the work of Sh’lomo was carried out from the yom musad (day of the foundation) of the Beis Hashem until its completion. So the Beis Hashem was perfected.

17 Then went Sh’lomo to Etzyon-Gever, and to Eilat, on the seacoast of Eretz Edom. [T.N. See Ep 2:20 in connection with the musad (foundation in 2Chr 8:16) where the OJBC speaks about Shluchim and Nevi’im and Moshiach as the Rosh Pinah]

18 And Churam sent him by the hands of his avadim oniyot, and avadim that were experienced seamen; and they went with the avadim of Sh’lomo to Ophir, and took from there four hundred and fifty talents of zahav, and brought them to Sh’lomo HaMelech.

Solomon’s Other Activities(A)

At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace,(B) Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram[a] had given him, and settled Israelites in them. Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath.(C) He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon(D) and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, 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.

There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites(F) (these people were not Israelites). 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. 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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verse 18
  2. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Or charioteers
  3. 2 Chronicles 8:18 That is, about 17 tons or about 15 metric tons