8Solomon built the Lord’s temple and his own palace. It took him 20 years to build them. After that, ²Solomon rebuilt the villages Hiram had given him. He settled Israelites in them.

³Then Solomon went to Hamath Zobah. He captured it. ⁴He also built up Tadmor in the desert. He built up all of the cities in Hamath where he could store things. ⁵He rebuilt Lower Beth Horon and Upper Beth Horon. He put up high walls around them. He made their city gates secure with heavy metal bars. ⁶He rebuilt Baalath and all of the cities where he could store things. He also rebuilt all of the cities for his chariots and horses.

Solomon built anything he wanted to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon and all of the territory he ruled over.

⁷There were still many people left in the land who weren’t Israelites. They included Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ⁸They were children of the people who had lived in the land before the Israelites came. The people of Israel hadn’t destroyed them. Solomon had forced them to work very hard as his slaves. And they still work for Israel to this very day.

⁹But Solomon didn’t force the men of Israel to work as his slaves. Instead, some were his fighting men. Others were commanders of his captains, chariots and chariot drivers. ¹⁰Still others were King Solomon’s chief officials. There were 250 officials in charge of the other men.

¹¹Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. He 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.”

¹²Solomon had built the Lord’s altar. It stood in front of the temple porch. On that altar Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord. ¹³Each 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.

¹⁴Solomon 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 of the gates. That’s what David, the man of God, had ordered. ¹⁵King David’s commands were followed completely. They applied to the priests and Levites. They also applied to the temple treasure.

¹⁶All 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.

¹⁷Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. ¹⁸Hiram sent him ships that his own officers commanded. They were men 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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