2 Chronicles, 8

1. At the end of the twenty years which it took Solomon to build the Temple of Yahweh and his own palace,

1. And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD, and his own house,

2. and to rebuild the towns which Huram had given him and settle them with Israelites,

2. That the cities which Huram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

3. Solomon mounted an expedition against Hamath-Zobah and captured it.

3. And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

4. He also fortified Tadmor in the desert and all the storage towns which he had built in Hamath.

4. And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the store cities, which he built in Hamath.

5. He also built Upper Beth-Horon and Lower Beth-Horon as fortified towns with walls and gates and bars,

5. Also he built Bethhoron the upper, and Bethhoron the nether, fenced cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

6. also Baalath and all Solomon's storage towns, all the towns for his chariots and horses, and everything which Solomon was pleased to build in Jerusalem, in the Lebanon and throughout the territory under his rule.

6. And Baalath, and all the store cities that Solomon had, and all the chariot cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

7. All those who survived of the Hittite, Amorite, Perizzite, Hivite and Jebusite peoples, who did not belong to Israel-

7. [As for] all the people [that were] left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which [were] not of Israel,

8. those of their descendants still remaining in the country, whom the Israelites had not exterminated, these Solomon levied for forced labour, as is still the case today.

8. [But] of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not, them did Solomon make to pay tribute until this day.

9. Solomon did not, however, impose forced labour on the Israelites for his work -- for they were soldiers, his senior officers and his chariot and cavalry commanders.

9. But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no servants for his work; but they [were] men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

10. There were two hundred and fifty of King Solomon's officials in charge of the foremen who supervised the people.

10. And these [were] the chief of king Solomon's officers, [even] two hundred and fifty, that bare rule over the people.

11. Solomon moved Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the palace which he had built for her. 'I must not be responsible', he said, 'for a woman living in the palace of David king of Israel, for these buildings to which the ark of Yahweh has come are sacred.'

11. And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the city of David unto 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 are] holy, whereunto the ark of the LORD hath come.

12. Thereafter, Solomon made burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of Yahweh which he had built in front of the portico,

12. Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch,

13. in accordance with the regular prescriptions for burnt sacrifice as commanded by Moses, on the Sabbaths, New Moons and the three annual feasts; the feast of Unleavened Bread, the feast of Weeks and the feast of Shelters.

13. Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, [even] in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.

14. Following the prescriptions of his father David, he assigned the orders of priests to their duties and the Levites to their tasks of praise and of assisting the priests in accordance with day-to-day requirements; as also the gatekeepers in their various orders to each gate- for cush was the command of David, man of God.

14. And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required: the porters also by their courses at every gate: for so had David the man of God commanded.

15. Nor was there deviation on any point from the king's command as regards the priests, the Levites or even the storehouses.

15. And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

16. Thus, all the work was over which Solomon had put in hand when the Temple of Yahweh was founded until it was finished. The Temple of Yahweh was complete in every detail.

16. Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. [So] the house of the LORD was perfected.

17. Solomon then mounted an expedition to Ezion-Geber and Elath on the sea-coast of Edom.

17. Then went Solomon to Eziongeber, and to Eloth, at the sea side in the land of Edom.

18. Huram sent him ships through his agents, as well as experienced sailors, who went to Ophir with men in Solomon's service, where they took on four hundred and fifty talents of gold, which they brought back to King Solomon.

18. And Huram sent him by the hands of his servants ships, and servants that had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and brought [them] to king Solomon.