Bible Reading Plan

Solomon's Later Building Projects

¹ At the end of 20 years^(a) during which Solomon had built the Lord 's temple and his own palace— ² Solomon had rebuilt the cities Hiram^[a] gave him and settled Israelites there— ³ Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and seized it. ⁴ He built Tadmor in the wilderness along with all the storage cities that he built in Hamath. ⁵ He built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon^(b)—fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars^(c)— ⁶ Baalath, all the storage cities that belonged to Solomon, all the chariot cities, the cavalry cities, and everything Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, or anywhere else in the land of his dominion.

⁷ As for all the peoples who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not from Israel^(d)— ⁸ their descendants who remained in the land after them, those the Israelites had not completely destroyed—Solomon imposed forced labor on them; it is this way today.^{(e) 9} But Solomon did not consign the Israelites to be slaves for his work; they were soldiers, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and his cavalry. ¹⁰ These were King Solomon's deputies: 250 who ruled over the people.

¹¹ Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh from the city of David to the house he had built for her,^(f) for he said, "My wife must not live in the house^[b] of David king of Israel because the places the ark of the Lord has come into are holy."

Public Worship Established at the Temple

¹² At that time^(g) Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the Lord 's altar he had made in front of the portico.^{(h) 13} He followed the daily requirement⁽ⁱ⁾ for offerings according to the commandment of Moses^(j) for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths.^{(k) 14} According to the ordinances of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests over their service,^(l) of the Levites over their responsibilities to offer praise and to minister before the priests following the daily requirement,^(m) and of the gatekeepers by their divisions with respect to each gate,⁽ⁿ⁾ for this had been the command of David, the man of God.^{(o) 15} They did not turn aside from the king's command regarding the priests and the Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasuries.^{(p) 16} All of 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.

Solomon's Fleet

¹⁷ At that time^(q) Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth^(r) on the seashore in the land of Edom. ¹⁸ So Hiram^[c] sent ships to him by his servants along with crews of experienced seamen. They went with Solomon's servants to Ophir, took from there 17 tons^[d] of gold, and delivered it to King Solomon.^(s)

The Queen of Sheba

¹ The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame,^(a) so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her mind. ² So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon to explain to her. ³ When the queen of Sheba observed Solomon's wisdom, the palace he had built, ⁴ the food at his table, his servants' residence, his attendants' service and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord 's temple, it took her breath away.

⁵ She said to the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. ⁶ But I didn't believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! You far exceed the report I heard. ⁷ How happy are your men.^[a](b) How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. ⁸ May the Lord your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on His throne as king for the Lord your God.^(c) Because Your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has set you over them as king to carry out justice and righteousness."^(d)

⁹ Then she gave the king four and a half tons^[b] of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There never were such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. ¹⁰ In addition, Hiram's servants and Solomon's servants who brought gold from Ophir^(e) also brought algum wood and precious stones. ¹¹ The king made the algum wood into walkways for the Lord 's temple and for the king's palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.

¹² King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.

Solomon's Wealth

¹³ The weight of gold that came to Solomon^(f) annually was 25 tons,^{[c] 14} besides what was brought by the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵ King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds^[d] of hammered gold went into each shield. ¹⁶ He made 300 small shields of hammered gold; about eight pounds^[e] of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.^(g)

¹⁷ The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. ¹⁸ The throne had six steps; there was a footstool covered in gold for the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. ¹⁹ Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

²⁰ All of King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon's time, ²¹ for the king's ships kept going to Tarshish^(h) with Hiram's servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.^[f]

²² King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and wisdom.^{(i) 23} All the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. ²⁴ Each of them would bring his own gift—items^[g] of silver and gold, clothing, weapons,^[h][i] spices, and horses and mules—as an annual tribute.

²⁵ Solomon^(j) had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.^(k) He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. ²⁶ He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt.^{(l) 27} The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. ²⁸ They were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the countries.

Solomon's Death

²⁹ The remaining events^(m) of Solomon's reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Events of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.^{(n) 30} Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years. ³¹ Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David.^(o) His son Rehoboam became king in his place.