God to Solomon: Follow your dad’s example
2 Chronicles 7:11-22 1So, Solomon built the Temple, his palace, and every other thing he wanted to build. 2When he was done, the LORD appeared to him for a second time in his life. Again, this happened in Gibeon.
3The LORD said, “I heard that prayer you prayed when you dedicated the Temple to me. You wrote my name on this place. And now my heart is here. I’ll never take my eyes off this Temple. 4Now about you. Your father David was a good man of integrity. He did what I told him. He followed the directions I gave him. He kept the law. You need to follow that example. 5If you do, future rulers of Israel will all come from your family. That’s the promise I made to David. It’s the promise I make to you: ‘You will never be without a successor to the throne.’
6But if you or your children break the law, ignore the instructions I gave to you, and take the devotion you have for me and give it to other gods, you’ll be headed to trouble. 7I’ll take back the land I gave you. I’ll treat the Temple like just another ruin in a ghost town. The name of Israel will become the punchline for a thousand jokes in a hundred languages. [1] 8This Temple you built will collapse into ruins. It’s a sight that will shock anyone passing by. They’ll say, ‘Why on earth would the LORD do this to the Temple and to his own people?’
9Then they’ll answer their own question: “They quit on God. He led them out of slavery in Egypt. But when they were free to make their own decisions, they decided to worship other gods. So, the LORD served them a cold dish of disaster.’ Solomon gives away 20 cities in Galilee
2 Chronicles 8:1-18 10Solomon spent 20 years building two houses. One house for God, the Temple. One house for himself, the palace. [2] 11King Hiram of Tyre supplied Solomon with all the wood he needed for these building projects. Hiram sent gold along with cedar and cypress from the Lebanon forests. In return, Solomon gave him a bonus gift [3] of 20 towns in Galilee, along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
12But when Hiram saw the 20 villages he got as a gift for his 20 years of trouble, he felt cheated. 13He told Solomon, “My friend, you call these cities?” Hiram decided to call them “Worthless.” [4] And that’s what he named the region.
14But Hiram felt obligated to give Solomon a gift in return. He sent a little less than four tons of gold. [5] Solomon the slavedriver
15This is a report about how Solomon depended on slave labor for his building projects. Slaves built the Temple for the LORD, the king’s palace, [6] and the Millo [7] terraces between the City of David and the Temple-Palace complex higher up the hill. They reinforced the walls of Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
16Before that, Egypt’s king, the Pharoah, captured the town of Gezer, burned it to the ground, and killed the Canaanites who lived there. He gave the land to his daughter as a dowry for her marriage to King Solomon.
17Solomon rebuilt Gezer, on his western border. He also rebuilt Lower Beth-horon, 18Baalath, and Tamar [8] in the desert of Judah.
19Solomon created a network of storage cities along with cities for his battlegroup of chariots and for his cavalry. Solomon used forced labor to build anything and everything he wanted in Jerusalem and in the neighboring land of Lebanon and everywhere else under his control.
20Solomon enslaved locals who were not Israelites: Amorites, Hivites, Jebusites—anyone but the people of Israel. 21These locals descended from Canaanites who survived Israel’s invasion. Israelite invaders attempted but failed to annihilate [9] the locals—men, women, and children. Solomon rounded up the leftover Canaanites and created a slave guild of builders.
22Solomon refused to enslave any of his own people, the Israelites. He appointed them as officials and soldiers: captains, commanders, charioteers, and cavalrymen. 23Solomon commissioned 550 directors to oversee the work he wanted done.
24Pharaoh’s daughter moved from her home in the City of David, in lower Jerusalem, to her home in the new palace complex Solomon built. After that, Solomon built the adjacent Millo terraces.
25Solomon offered sacrifices at the Temple three times a year. [10] He sacrificed peace offerings [11]of gratitude and burnt offerings [12] for sin. He burned incense offerings as well. Solomon finished his work on the Temple of the LORD. Solomon’s business
26Solomon owned a fleet of ships sailing out of Edom’s port city of Ezion-geber. That was close to the city of Elath, on the Reed Sea. [13] 27King Hiram stationed some of his experienced sailors [14] on Solomon’s ships. They sailed with Solomon’s men and worked side-by-side on the ships. 28They sailed to Ophir [15] and came back with about 16 tons [16] of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.
Related maps
1So, Solomon built the Temple, his palace, and every other thing he wanted to build. 2When he was done, the LORD appeared to him for a second time in his life. Again, this happened in Gibeon.
3The LORD said, “I heard that prayer you prayed when you dedicated the Temple to me. You wrote my name on this place. And now my heart is here. I’ll never take my eyes off this Temple. 4Now about you. Your father David was a good man of integrity. He did what I told him. He followed the directions I gave him. He kept the law. You need to follow that example. 5If you do, future rulers of Israel will all come from your family. That’s the promise I made to David. It’s the promise I make to you: ‘You will never be without a successor to the throne.’
6But if you or your children break the law, ignore the instructions I gave to you, and take the devotion you have for me and give it to other gods, you’ll be headed to trouble. 7I’ll take back the land I gave you. I’ll treat the Temple like just another ruin in a ghost town. The name of Israel will become the punchline for a thousand jokes in a hundred languages. [1] 8This Temple you built will collapse into ruins. It’s a sight that will shock anyone passing by. They’ll say, ‘Why on earth would the LORD do this to the Temple and to his own people?’
9Then they’ll answer their own question: “They quit on God. He led them out of slavery in Egypt. But when they were free to make their own decisions, they decided to worship other gods. So, the LORD served them a cold dish of disaster.’Solomon gives away 20 cities in Galilee
3The LORD said, “I heard that prayer you prayed when you dedicated the Temple to me. You wrote my name on this place. And now my heart is here. I’ll never take my eyes off this Temple. 4Now about you. Your father David was a good man of integrity. He did what I told him. He followed the directions I gave him. He kept the law. You need to follow that example. 5If you do, future rulers of Israel will all come from your family. That’s the promise I made to David. It’s the promise I make to you: ‘You will never be without a successor to the throne.’
6But if you or your children break the law, ignore the instructions I gave to you, and take the devotion you have for me and give it to other gods, you’ll be headed to trouble. 7I’ll take back the land I gave you. I’ll treat the Temple like just another ruin in a ghost town. The name of Israel will become the punchline for a thousand jokes in a hundred languages. [1] 8This Temple you built will collapse into ruins. It’s a sight that will shock anyone passing by. They’ll say, ‘Why on earth would the LORD do this to the Temple and to his own people?’
9Then they’ll answer their own question: “They quit on God. He led them out of slavery in Egypt. But when they were free to make their own decisions, they decided to worship other gods. So, the LORD served them a cold dish of disaster.’
Solomon gives away 20 cities in Galilee
2 Chronicles 8:1-18 10Solomon spent 20 years building two houses. One house for God, the Temple. One house for himself, the palace. [2] 11King Hiram of Tyre supplied Solomon with all the wood he needed for these building projects. Hiram sent gold along with cedar and cypress from the Lebanon forests. In return, Solomon gave him a bonus gift [3] of 20 towns in Galilee, along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
12But when Hiram saw the 20 villages he got as a gift for his 20 years of trouble, he felt cheated. 13He told Solomon, “My friend, you call these cities?” Hiram decided to call them “Worthless.” [4] And that’s what he named the region.
14But Hiram felt obligated to give Solomon a gift in return. He sent a little less than four tons of gold. [5] Solomon the slavedriver
15This is a report about how Solomon depended on slave labor for his building projects. Slaves built the Temple for the LORD, the king’s palace, [6] and the Millo [7] terraces between the City of David and the Temple-Palace complex higher up the hill. They reinforced the walls of Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
16Before that, Egypt’s king, the Pharoah, captured the town of Gezer, burned it to the ground, and killed the Canaanites who lived there. He gave the land to his daughter as a dowry for her marriage to King Solomon.
17Solomon rebuilt Gezer, on his western border. He also rebuilt Lower Beth-horon, 18Baalath, and Tamar [8] in the desert of Judah.
19Solomon created a network of storage cities along with cities for his battlegroup of chariots and for his cavalry. Solomon used forced labor to build anything and everything he wanted in Jerusalem and in the neighboring land of Lebanon and everywhere else under his control.
20Solomon enslaved locals who were not Israelites: Amorites, Hivites, Jebusites—anyone but the people of Israel. 21These locals descended from Canaanites who survived Israel’s invasion. Israelite invaders attempted but failed to annihilate [9] the locals—men, women, and children. Solomon rounded up the leftover Canaanites and created a slave guild of builders.
22Solomon refused to enslave any of his own people, the Israelites. He appointed them as officials and soldiers: captains, commanders, charioteers, and cavalrymen. 23Solomon commissioned 550 directors to oversee the work he wanted done.
24Pharaoh’s daughter moved from her home in the City of David, in lower Jerusalem, to her home in the new palace complex Solomon built. After that, Solomon built the adjacent Millo terraces.
25Solomon offered sacrifices at the Temple three times a year. [10] He sacrificed peace offerings [11]of gratitude and burnt offerings [12] for sin. He burned incense offerings as well. Solomon finished his work on the Temple of the LORD. Solomon’s business
26Solomon owned a fleet of ships sailing out of Edom’s port city of Ezion-geber. That was close to the city of Elath, on the Reed Sea. [13] 27King Hiram stationed some of his experienced sailors [14] on Solomon’s ships. They sailed with Solomon’s men and worked side-by-side on the ships. 28They sailed to Ophir [15] and came back with about 16 tons [16] of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.
Related maps
10Solomon spent 20 years building two houses. One house for God, the Temple. One house for himself, the palace. [2] 11King Hiram of Tyre supplied Solomon with all the wood he needed for these building projects. Hiram sent gold along with cedar and cypress from the Lebanon forests. In return, Solomon gave him a bonus gift [3] of 20 towns in Galilee, along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
12But when Hiram saw the 20 villages he got as a gift for his 20 years of trouble, he felt cheated. 13He told Solomon, “My friend, you call these cities?” Hiram decided to call them “Worthless.” [4] And that’s what he named the region.
14But Hiram felt obligated to give Solomon a gift in return. He sent a little less than four tons of gold. [5]
16Before that, Egypt’s king, the Pharoah, captured the town of Gezer, burned it to the ground, and killed the Canaanites who lived there. He gave the land to his daughter as a dowry for her marriage to King Solomon.
17Solomon rebuilt Gezer, on his western border. He also rebuilt Lower Beth-horon, 18Baalath, and Tamar [8] in the desert of Judah.
19Solomon created a network of storage cities along with cities for his battlegroup of chariots and for his cavalry. Solomon used forced labor to build anything and everything he wanted in Jerusalem and in the neighboring land of Lebanon and everywhere else under his control.
20Solomon enslaved locals who were not Israelites: Amorites, Hivites, Jebusites—anyone but the people of Israel. 21These locals descended from Canaanites who survived Israel’s invasion. Israelite invaders attempted but failed to annihilate [9] the locals—men, women, and children. Solomon rounded up the leftover Canaanites and created a slave guild of builders.
22Solomon refused to enslave any of his own people, the Israelites. He appointed them as officials and soldiers: captains, commanders, charioteers, and cavalrymen. 23Solomon commissioned 550 directors to oversee the work he wanted done.
24Pharaoh’s daughter moved from her home in the City of David, in lower Jerusalem, to her home in the new palace complex Solomon built. After that, Solomon built the adjacent Millo terraces.
25Solomon offered sacrifices at the Temple three times a year. [10] He sacrificed peace offerings [11]of gratitude and burnt offerings [12] for sin. He burned incense offerings as well. Solomon finished his work on the Temple of the LORD.
12But when Hiram saw the 20 villages he got as a gift for his 20 years of trouble, he felt cheated. 13He told Solomon, “My friend, you call these cities?” Hiram decided to call them “Worthless.” [4] And that’s what he named the region.
14But Hiram felt obligated to give Solomon a gift in return. He sent a little less than four tons of gold. [5]
Solomon the slavedriver
15This is a report about how Solomon depended on slave labor for his building projects. Slaves built the Temple for the LORD, the king’s palace, [6] and the Millo [7] terraces between the City of David and the Temple-Palace complex higher up the hill. They reinforced the walls of Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.16Before that, Egypt’s king, the Pharoah, captured the town of Gezer, burned it to the ground, and killed the Canaanites who lived there. He gave the land to his daughter as a dowry for her marriage to King Solomon.
17Solomon rebuilt Gezer, on his western border. He also rebuilt Lower Beth-horon, 18Baalath, and Tamar [8] in the desert of Judah.
19Solomon created a network of storage cities along with cities for his battlegroup of chariots and for his cavalry. Solomon used forced labor to build anything and everything he wanted in Jerusalem and in the neighboring land of Lebanon and everywhere else under his control.
20Solomon enslaved locals who were not Israelites: Amorites, Hivites, Jebusites—anyone but the people of Israel. 21These locals descended from Canaanites who survived Israel’s invasion. Israelite invaders attempted but failed to annihilate [9] the locals—men, women, and children. Solomon rounded up the leftover Canaanites and created a slave guild of builders.
22Solomon refused to enslave any of his own people, the Israelites. He appointed them as officials and soldiers: captains, commanders, charioteers, and cavalrymen. 23Solomon commissioned 550 directors to oversee the work he wanted done.
24Pharaoh’s daughter moved from her home in the City of David, in lower Jerusalem, to her home in the new palace complex Solomon built. After that, Solomon built the adjacent Millo terraces.
25Solomon offered sacrifices at the Temple three times a year. [10] He sacrificed peace offerings [11]of gratitude and burnt offerings [12] for sin. He burned incense offerings as well. Solomon finished his work on the Temple of the LORD.
