Other Things Solomon Did
(1 Kings 9.10-28)1 It took 20 years for the Lord's temple and Solomon's palace to be built. 2 After that, Solomon had his workers rebuild the towns that Hiram had given him. Then Solomon sent Israelites to live in those towns.
3 Solomon attacked and captured the town of Hamath-Zobah. 4 He ordered his workers to build the town of Tadmor in the desert and some towns in Hamath where he could keep his supplies. 5 He strengthened Upper Beth-Horon and Lower Beth-Horon by adding walls and gates that could be locked. 6 He did the same thing to the town of Baalath and to the cities where he kept supplies, chariots, and horses. Solomon ordered his workers to build whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and anywhere else in his kingdom.
7-9 Solomon did not force the Israelites to do his work. Instead, they were his soldiers, officers, army commanders, and cavalry troops. But he did make slaves of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who were living in Israel. These were the descendants of those foreigners the Israelites did not destroy, and they remained Israel's slaves.
10 Solomon appointed 250 officers to be in charge of his workers.
11 Solomon's wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, moved from the part of Jerusalem called David's City to her new palace that Solomon had built. The sacred chest had been kept in David's City, which made his palace sacred, and so Solomon's wife could no longer live there.
12 Solomon offered sacrifices to the Lord on the altar he had built in front of the temple porch. 13 He followed the requirements that Moses had given for sacrifices offered on the Sabbath, on the first day of each month, the Festival of Thin Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters.
14 Solomon then assigned the priests and the Levites their duties at the temple, and he followed the instructions that his father, the man of God, had given him. Some of the Levites were to lead music and help the priests in their duties, and others were to guard the temple gates 15 and the storage rooms. The priests and Levites followed these instructions exactly.
16 Everything Solomon had planned to do was now finished—from the laying of the temple's foundation to its completion.
17 Solomon went to Ezion-Geber and Eloth, two Edomite towns on the Red Sea. 18 Hiram sent him ships and some of his experienced sailors. They went with Solomon's own sailors to the country of Ophir and brought back more than 15 tons of gold for Solomon.
1 And after twentie yeere when Salomon had built the house of the Lord, and his owne house, 2 Then Salomon built the cities that Huram gaue to Salomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there. 3 And Salomon went to Hamath Zobah, and ouercame it. 4 And he built Tadmor in the wildernesse, and repayred all the cities of store which hee built in Hamath. 5 And he built Beth-horon the vpper, and Beth-horon the nether, cities defensed with walles, gates and barres: 6 Also Baalath, and al the cities of store that Salomon had, and all the charet cities, and the cities of the horsemen, and euery pleasant place that Salomon had a minde to builde in Ierusalem, and in Lebanon, and throughout all the lande of his dominion. 7 And all the people that were left to ye Hittites, and ye Amorites, and Perizzites, and the Hiuuites, and the Iebusites, which were not of Israel, 8 But of their children which were left after them in the lande, whome the children of Israel had not consumed, euen them did Salomon make tributaries vntill this day. 9 But of the children of Israel did Salomon make no seruantes for his worke: for they were men of warre, and his chiefe princes, and the captaines of his charets and of his horsemen. 10 So these were the chiefe of the officers which Salomon had, euen two hundreth and fiftie that bare rule ouer the people. 11 Then Salomon brought vp the daughter of Pharaoh out of the citie of Dauid, into the house that he had built for her: for he saide, My wife shall not dwel in the house of Dauid King of Israel: for it is holy, because that the Arke of the Lord came vnto it. 12 Then Salomon offered burnt offrings vnto the Lord, on the altar of the Lord, which he had built before the porche, 13 To offer according to the commandement of Moses euery day, in the Sabbaths, and in the newe moones, and in the solemne feastes, three times in the yeere, that is, in the feast of the Vnleauened bread, and in the feast of the Weekes, and in the feast of the Tabernacles. 14 And he set the courses of the Priestes to their offices, according to the order of Dauid his father, and the Leuites in their watches, for to praise and minister before the Priestes euery day, and the porters by their courses, at euery gate: for so was the commandement of Dauid the man of God. 15 And they declined not from the commandement of the King, concerning the Priests and the Leuites, touching al things, and touching the treasures. 16 Nowe Salomon had made prouision for all the worke, from the day of the foundation of the house of the Lord, vntill it was finished: so the house of the Lord was perfite. 17 Then went Salomon to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth by the sea side in the lande of Edom. 18 And Huram sent him by the handes of his seruants, shippes, and seruants that had knowledge of the sea: and they went with the seruants of Salomon to Ophir, and brought thence foure hundreth and fiftie talents of golde, and brought them to King Salomon.