8 After the twenty years that it took Shelomoh (Solomon) to build Yahweh’s temple and his palace, 2 he rebuilt the cities that King Huram had given to him, and he got Israelis to live in them.

3 Then Shelomoh attacked Hamat-Tsovah and captured it. 4 He rebuilt Tadmor in the wilderness, and storage cities in the Hamat region. 5 He rebuilt the fortified cities of Upper Beyt-Horon and Lower Beyt-Horon with walls and barred gates, 6 as well as Ba’alat and all the storage cities, and all the cities for Shelomoh’s chariots and horsemen that he wanted to build in Yerushalem (Jerusalem) and Levanon, and throughout his kingdom. 7 All the people who lived in Yisrael (Israel) but who were actually remnants of the Hitim, Amorim, Perizim, Hivim, and Yevusim, 8 who were descendants of groups that the Israelis hadn’t completely destroyed, were forced to become Shelomoh’s labourers, and they still continue in that role. 9 However, Shelomoh didn’t make the Israelis become labourers, because they became his soldiers, officers, chariot commanders, and horsemen. 10 Some 250 Israelis were also King Shelomoh’s chief officials who had authority over the people.

11 Shelomoh brought his wife, Par’oh’s (Pharaoh’s) daughter, up from the city of David to the house he’d built for her, because he said, “My wife mustn’t live in the palace of Yisrael’s King David, because the places where Yahweh’s box has been are sacred.”

12 Then Shelomoh sacrificed burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar that had been built in front of the temple’s porch. 13 He followed Mosheh’s (Moses’) instructions about the daily sacrifices for the rest days[ref] and the new moons,[ref] and for the three appointed occasions each year: the Festival of Flat Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Celebration Living in Shelters.[ref] 14 Then, as his father David had instructed, he assigned the priests to divisions for their various tasks, and the Levites who would praise and minister in front of the priests and help in their daily tasks, and gatekeepers in their divisions at the various gates. All that was what David, the man of God, had commanded. 15 The priests and Levites followed the king’s instructions concerning all their duties, as well as their supervision of the treasuries.

16 So now, all of Shelomoh’s work on Yahweh’s temple was completed—from the foundation through to its completion and operation.

17 Then Shelomoh went to Etsyon-Gever and to Eylot on the edge of the ocean, in the Edom region. 18 King Huram (from Tsor (Tyre) ) sent ships to him, as his servants knew the sea well. Then Shelomoh’s men boarded the ships and sailed with them to Ofir, where they obtained fifteen tonnes of gold and brought it back to King Shelomoh.