2 Chronicles 8

Solomon Builds Cities

1At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house, 2Solomon rebuilt the cities that Huram had given to Solomon and settled the children of Israel there. 3Solomon went to Hamath-Zobah and prevailed against it. 4He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities that he built in Hamath. 5He built Upper Beth-Horon and Lower Beth-Horon, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, 6and Baalath, and all the storage cities that Solomon had, all the chariot cities, the cities for the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout all the land of his dominion.

Forced Labor and Israelite Officials

7All the people who remained from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not from Israel— 8from their descendants who remained after them in the land, whom the children of Israel had not destroyed—Solomon raised forced laborers, as it is to this day. 9But from the children of Israel Solomon did not make servants for his work, for they were men of war, his commanders, his officers, and commanders of his chariots and horsemen. 10These were the chief officers of King Solomon, two hundred fifty, who ruled over the people.

Pharaoh’s Daughter Is Moved

11Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not live in the house of David king of Israel, for the places to which the ark of the LORD has come are holy.”

Solomon Orders Temple Worship

12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD upon the altar of the LORD that he had built before the porch, 13according to the daily requirement, offering according to the commandment of Moses on Sabbaths, new moons, and appointed festivals three times in the year: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths. 14According to the ordinance of David his father, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service and the Levites for their duties, to praise and minister before the priests according to the daily requirement, and the gatekeepers in their divisions at each gate, for so David the man of God had commanded. 15They did not turn aside from the king’s command concerning the priests and Levites in any matter or concerning the treasuries.

Solomon’s Fleet

16Thus all the work of Solomon was prepared from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed. 17Then Solomon went to Ezion-Geber and to Eloth on the shore of the sea in the land of Edom. 18Huram sent him by the hand of his servants ships and servants who knew the sea. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and took from there four hundred fifty talents of gold and brought it to King Solomon.