2 Chronicles 8
1NOW after the twenty years in which Solomon built the house of the Lord, and his own house,
2he rebuilt those cities which Chiram returned to him, and caused the Israelites to dwell there.
3Then he went to Baisoba and strengthened it.
4And he built Thoedmor in the wilderness, and all those fortified cities which he built in Emath.
5He rebuilt also the upper and the lower Baithoron, cities fortified with walls, gates and bars;
6and Balath and all the strong cities which belonged to Solomon; and all the chariot cities, and the cities for the cavalry, and whatever he had an inclination to build at Jerusalem, or on Lebanon, or in all his kingdom.
7With regard to all the people who were left of the Chettites and the Amorites and the Pheresites and the Evites and the Jebusites who were not Israelites,
8but descendants of the children of them who were left in the land, whom the children of Israel had not rooted out, these Solomon laid under tribute as at this day.
9But of the children of Israel he made no servants for his kingdom. For behold they were warriors, and chiefs, and officers, and the captains of chariots and horsemen.
10And there were two hundred and fifty of them who superintended king Solomon’s overseers who kept the people to work.
11Moreover king Solomon brought Pharao’s daughter from the city of David, to the house which he had built for her; for he said, My wife shall not dwell in the city of David king of Israel; for the place to which the ark of the Lord hath come is holy.
12Then Solomon offered whole burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar which he had built to the Lord over against the temple
13according to the daily rate for every day, which were to be offered according to the commands of Moses, on the sabbaths and at the new moons, and at the festivals which were three in the year—the festival of unleavened bread, the festival of weeks, and the festival of tabernacles.
14And according to the regulation of his father David, he appointed the courses of the priests according to their services; and the Levites were set to their charges to sing praises and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; and the keepers of the gates were distributed into their classes for every gate. For so David, the man of God had commanded.
15They transgressed not the commands of the king, respecting the priests or the Levites who were appointed to every charge, or over the treasures.
16Now all this business had been prepared from the day Solomon laid the foundation, but it was deferred until he had finished the house of the Lord.
17Then Solomon went to Gesion-Gaber and to Ailath, which is on the seashore in the land of Idumea;
18and Chiram sent him by the hand of his servants, ships and seamen, and they went with Solomon’s servants to Sopphira, and brought thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold, and came to Solomon.