2 Chronicles 8

1 At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the LORD’s house and his own house,

It had taken twenty years for Solomon to build the Temple of the Lord and his own palace.

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

Solomon rebuilt the towns Hiram had given him, and sent Israelites to live there.

3 Solomon went to Hamath Zobah, and prevailed against it.

Then Solomon attacked Hamath-zobah and captured it.

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

He built Tadmor in the wilderness and also built all the storehouse towns in Hamath.

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

He rebuilt Upper and Lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls and barred gates,

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

and also Baalath. He built all the storehouse towns that belonged to him, and all the towns where he kept his chariots and horses. He built everything he wanted to in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout his entire kingdom.

7 As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel—

There were some people who remained in the land: the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—people who were not Israelites.

8 of their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel did not consume—of them Solomon conscripted forced labor to this day.

They were the remaining descendants of the peoples that the Israelites had not destroyed. Solomon made them work as forced laborers, as they are to this day.

9 But of the children of Israel, Solomon made no servants for his work, but they were men of war, chief of his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.

But Solomon did not make any of the Israelites work as slaves. Instead, they were his military men, his officers, and commanders of his chariots and horsemen.

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

They were also King Solomon's chief officers, 250 men who supervised the people.

11 Solomon brought up Pharaoh’s daughter 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 the LORD’s ark has come are holy.”

Solomon moved Pharaoh's daughter from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. For he said, “My wife cannot live in the palace of David king of Israel, because wherever the Ark of the Lord has gone are holy places.”

12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the LORD’s altar which he had built before the porch,

Then Solomon presented burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of the Lord he had built in front of the Temple's porch.

13 even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times per year, during the feast of unleavened bread, during the feast of weeks, and during the feast of booths.

He followed the requirement for daily offerings as Moses had ordered for Sabbaths, new moons, and the three annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Shelters.

14 He 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 David the man of God had so commanded.

Following the instructions of his father David, he assigned the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites in their responsibilities to offer praise, and to help the priests in their daily duties. He also assigned gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate as David, the man of God, had instructed.

15 They did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasures.

They followed David's instructions exactly regarding the priests, the Levites, and anything to do with the treasuries.

16 Now all the work of Solomon was accomplished from the day of the foundation of the LORD’s house until it was finished. So the LORD’s house was completed.

This is how all Solomon's work was carried out, from the day the foundation was laid for the Lord's Temple until it was finished. So the Lord's Temple was completed.

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

After this Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the coast of the land of Edom.

18 Huram 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.

Hiram sent him ships under the command of his own officers, along with experienced sailors. They went with Solomon's men to Ophir where they loaded 450 talents of gold, which they then brought back to King Solomon.