1 I t took Solomon twenty years to build the house of the Lord and his own house. At the end of that time,

Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the Lord and his own house

2 h e built again the cities which Huram had given to him. And he had the people of Israel live in them.

that he built the cities which Huram had given to him, and settled the sons of Israel there.

3 T hen Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and took it.

Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it.

4 H e built Tadmor in the desert and all his store-cities in Hamath.

He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath.

5 H e built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon. He made the city strong with walls, gates, and long pieces of iron.

He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates and bars;

6 S olomon built Baalath and all the store-cities he had. He built all the cities for his war-wagons, and the cities for his horsemen. He built whatever he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.

and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.

7 T here were people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel.

All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,

8 T hey were the children of those who were left in the land, whom the people of Israel had not destroyed. Solomon made all of these people do hard work, as they do to this day.

namely, from their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, them Solomon raised as forced laborers to this day.

9 B ut he did not make the people of Israel do hard work. They were soldiers, leaders, captains of war-wagons, and his horsemen.

But Solomon did not make slaves for his work from the sons of Israel; they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen.

10 T hese were the head leaders of King Solomon. There were 250 who ruled over the people.

These were the chief officers of King Solomon, two hundred and fifty who ruled over the people.

11 T hen Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house he had built for her. For he said, “My wife should not live in the house of David king of Israel. Because the places are holy where the special box of the Lord has come.”

Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house which 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 where the ark of the Lord has entered.”

12 T hen Solomon gave burnt gifts to the Lord on the Lord’s altar which he had built in front of the porch.

Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord which he had built before the porch;

13 H e gave a certain number of gifts every day, as Moses had said should be given. Gifts were given for the Days of Rest, the new moons, and the three special suppers each year. These special suppers were the Special Supper of Bread Without Yeast, the Special Supper of Weeks, and the Special Supper of Tents.

and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new moons and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths.

14 B y the law of David his father, Solomon chose the religious leaders for their different duties. He chose the Levites for their duties of praise and helping the religious leaders for each day’s needs. And he chose who should be the gate-keepers at each gate. For David the man of God had said that this must be done.

Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for David the man of God had so commanded.

15 T hey did all that the king had said the religious leaders and Levites must do in every duty and with the store-houses.

And they did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any manner or concerning the storehouses.

16 S o all the work of Solomon was done, from the day the house of the Lord was begun until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was built.

Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, and until it was finished. So the house of the Lord was completed.

17 T hen Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth on the shore of the sea, in the land of Edom.

Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom.

18 H uram sent his servants to him with ships and servants who knew the sea. They went to Ophir together with Solomon’s servants to get gold. And they brought gold weighing as much as 450 men from there to King Solomon.

And Huram by his servants sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, and took from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.