1 Solomon built the LORD’s temple and his own palace. It took him 20 years to build them. After that, 2 Solomon rebuilt the villages Hiram had given him. Solomon had Israelites make their homes in them. 3 Then Solomon went to Hamath Zobah. He captured it. 4 He also built up Tadmor in the desert. He built up all the cities in Hamath where he could store things. 5 He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon. He put up high walls around them. He made their city gates secure with heavy metal bars. 6 He rebuilt Baalath and all the cities where he could store things. He also rebuilt all the cities for his chariots and horses. Solomon built anything he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon and all the territory he ruled.
7 There were still many people left in the land who weren’t Israelites. They included Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 8 They were children of the people who had lived in the land before the Israelites came. The people of Israel hadn’t destroyed them. Solomon forced them to work very hard as his slaves. And they still work for Israel to this day. 9 But Solomon didn’t force the Israelites to work as his slaves. Instead, some were his fighting men. Others were commanders of his captains, chariots and chariot drivers. 10 Still others were King Solomon’s chief officials. There were 250 officials in charge of the other men.
11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. Solomon said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David, who was the king of Israel. It’s one of the places the ark of the LORD has entered. That makes it holy.”
12 Solomon had built the LORD’s altar. It stood in front of the temple porch. On that altar Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the LORD. 13 Each day he sacrificed what the Law of Moses required. He sacrificed the required offerings every Sabbath day. He also sacrificed them at each New Moon feast and during the three yearly feasts. Those three were the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths. 14 Solomon followed the orders his father David had given him. He appointed the groups of priests for their duties. He appointed the Levites to lead the people in praising the LORD. They also helped the priests do their required tasks each day. Solomon appointed the groups of men who guarded all the gates. That’s what David, the man of God, had ordered. 15 The king’s commands were followed completely. They applied to the priests and Levites. They also applied to the temple treasure.
16 All of Solomon’s work was carried out. It started the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid. It ended when the LORD’s temple was finished.
17 Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. 18 Hiram sent him ships that his own officers commanded. They were sailors who knew the sea. Together with Solomon’s men they sailed to Ophir. They brought back 17 tons of gold. They gave it to King Solomon.
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