Foreign Affairs and Building Projects

9:10 After twenty years, during which Solomon built the Lord’s temple and the royal palace,19 9:11 King Solomon gave King Hiram of Tyre20 twenty cities in the region of Galilee, because Hiram had supplied Solomon with cedars, evergreens, and all the gold he wanted. 9:12 When Hiram went out from Tyre to inspect the cities Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them.21 9:13 Hiram asked,22 “Why did you give me these cities, my friend23?” He called that area the region of Cabul, a name which it has retained to this day.24 9:14 Hiram had sent to the king one hundred twenty talents25 of gold.

9:15 Here are the details concerning the work crews26 King Solomon conscripted27 to build the Lord’s temple, his palace, the terrace, the wall of Jerusalem,28 and the cities of29 Hazor,30 Megiddo,31 and Gezer. 9:16 (Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer. He burned it and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city. He gave it as a wedding present to his daughter, who had married Solomon.) 9:17 Solomon built up Gezer, lower Beth Horon, 9:18 Baalath, Tadmor in the wilderness,32 9:19 all the storage cities that belonged to him,33 and the cities where chariots and horses were kept.34 He built whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout his entire kingdom.35 9:20 Now several non-Israelite peoples were left in the land after the conquest of Joshua, including the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.36 9:21 Their descendants remained in the land (the Israelites were unable to wipe them out completely). Solomon conscripted them for his work crews, and they continue in that role to this very day.37 9:22 Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews;38 the Israelites served as his soldiers, attendants, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his chariot forces.39 9:23 These men were also in charge of Solomon’s work projects; there were a total of 550 men who supervised the workers.40 9:24 Solomon built the terrace as soon as Pharaoh’s daughter moved up from the city of David41 to the palace Solomon built for her.42

9:25 Three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings43 on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense along with them before the Lord. He made the temple his official worship place.44

9:26 King Solomon also built ships45 in Ezion Geber, which is located near Elat in the land of Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. 9:27 Hiram sent his fleet and some of his sailors, who were well acquainted with the sea, to serve with Solomon’s men.46 9:28 They sailed47 to Ophir, took from there four hundred twenty talents48 of gold, and then brought them to King Solomon.