1 A t the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built Yahweh’s house, and his own house,

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

2 t he cities which Huram had given to Solomon, Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

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

3 S olomon went to Hamath Zobah, and prevailed against it.

Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and took it.

4 H e built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storage cities, which he built in Hamath.

He built Tadmor in the desert and all his store-cities in Hamath.

5 A lso he built Beth Horon the upper, and Beth Horon the lower, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars;

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

6 a nd Baalath, and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots, and the cities for his horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

Solomon 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.

7 A s for all the people who were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel;

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

8 o f 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.

They 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.

9 B ut 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.

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

10 T hese were the chief officers of king Solomon, even two-hundred fifty, who ruled over the people.

These were the head leaders of King Solomon. There were 250 who ruled over the people.

11 S olomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh 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.”

Then 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.”

12 T hen Solomon offered burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of Yahweh, which he had built before the porch,

Then Solomon gave burnt gifts to the Lord on the Lord’s altar which he had built in front of the porch.

13 e ven as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times in the year, in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tents.

He 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.

14 H e 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 so had David the man of God commanded.

By 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.

15 T hey didn’t depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter, or concerning the treasures.

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

16 N ow all the work of Solomon was prepared to the day of the foundation of Yahweh’s house, and until it was finished. So Yahweh’s house was completed.

So 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.

17 T hen went Solomon to Ezion Geber, and to Eloth, on the seashore in the land of Edom.

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

18 H uram 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 of gold, and brought them to king Solomon.

Huram 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.