The First Book of the Kings

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

(2 Chronicles 7:11–22)

When Salomon had finished the building of the house of ye Lord, and the kings palace, and all that Salomon desired and minded to do,

Then the Lord appeared vnto Salomon the second time, as he appeared vnto him at Gibeon.

And the Lord sayd vnto him, I haue heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I haue halowed this house (which thou hast built) to put my Name there for euer, and mine eyes, and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

And if thou wilt walke before mee (as Dauid thy father walked in purenesse of heart and in righteousnesse) to doe according to al that I haue commanded thee, and keepe my statutes, and my iudgements,

Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdome vpon Israel for euer, as I promised to Dauid thy father, saying, Thou shalt not want a man vpon the throne of Israel.

But if ye and your children turne away from mee, and wil not keepe my commandements, and my statutes (which I haue set before you) but go and serue other gods, and worship them,

Then will I cutte off Israel from the lande, which I haue giuen them, and the house which I haue halowed for my Name, will I cast out of my sight, and Israel shall be a prouerbe, and a common talke among all people.

Euen this hie house shall bee so: euery one that passeth by it, shalbe astonied, and shall hisse, and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus vnto this land and to this house?

And they shall answere, Because they forsooke the Lord their God, which brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and haue taken holde vpon other gods, and haue worshipped them, and serued them, therfore hath the Lord brought vpon them all this euill.

Solomon’s Additional Achievements

(2 Chronicles 8:1–18)

And at the ende of twentie yeeres, when Salomon had buylded the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the Kings palace,

(For the which Hiram the King of Tyrus had brought to Salomon timber of cedar, and firre trees, and golde, and whatsoeuer he desired) then King Salomon gaue to Hiram twentie cities in the land of Galil.

And Hiram came out from Tyrus to see the cities which Salomon had giuen him, and they pleased him not.

Therefore hee sayde, What cities are these which thou hast giuen me, my brother? And hee called them the land of Cabul vnto this day.

And Hiram had sent the King sixe score talents of gold.

And this is the cause of the tribute why King Salomon raised tribute, to wit, to builde the house of the Lord, and his owne house, and Millo, and the wall of Ierusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

Pharaoh King of Egypt had come vp, and taken Gezer, and burnt it with fire, and slew the Canaanites, that dwelt in the citie, and gaue it for a present vnto his daughter Salomons wife.

(Therefore Salomon builte Gezer and Beth-horon the nether,

And Baalath and Tamor in the wildernes of the land,

And all the cities of store, that Salomon had, euen cities for charets, and cities for horsemen, and all that Salomon desired and woulde build in Ierusalem, and in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion)

Al the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hiuites, and Iebusites, which were not of the children of Israel:

To wit, their children that were left after them in the lande, whome the children of Israel were not able to destroy, those did Salomon make tributaries vnto this day.

But of the children of Israel did Salomon make no bondmen: but they were men of warre and his seruants, and his princes, and his captaines, and rulers of his charets and his horsemen.

These were the princes of the officers, that were ouer Salomons worke: euen fiue hundreth and fiftie, and they ruled the people that wrought in the worke.

And Pharaohs daughter came vp from the citie of Dauid vnto the house which Salomon had built for her: then did he buylde Millo.

And thrise a yere did Salomon offer burnt offringes and peace offrings vpon the altar which he built vnto the Lord: and hee burnt incense vpon the altar that was before the Lord, when hee had finished the house.

Also King Salomon made a nauie of ships in Ezeon-geber, which is beside Eloth, and the brinke of the red Sea, in the land of Edom.

And Hiram sent with the nauie his seruats, that were mariners, and had knowledge of the sea, with the seruants of Salomon.

And they came to Ophir and sette from thence foure hundreth and twentie talents of gold, and brought it to King Salomon.

(2 Chronicles 7:11–22)

When Solomon had finished the building of the LORD’s house, the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do,

The LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.

The LORD said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.

As for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances,

then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised to David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail from you a man on the throne of Israel.’

But if you turn away from following me, you or your children, and not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them,

then I will cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and I will cast this house, which I have made holy for my name, out of my sight; and Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

Though this house is so high, yet everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss; and they will say, ‘Why has the LORD done this to this land and to this house?’

and they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the LORD their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them, and served them. Therefore the LORD has brought all this evil on them.’”

Solomon’s Additional Achievements

(2 Chronicles 8:1–18)

At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the LORD’s house and the king’s house

(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

Hiram came out of Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they didn’t please him.

He said, “What cities are these which you have given me, my brother?” He called them the land of Cabul

(a)

to this day.

Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents

(b)

of gold.

This is the reason of the forced labor which King Solomon conscripted: to build the LORD’s house, his own house, Millo, Jerusalem’s wall, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.

Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, taken Gezer, burned it with fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it for a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

Solomon built in the land Gezer, Beth Horon the lower,

Baalath, Tamar in the wilderness,

all the storage cities that Solomon had, the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

As for all the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel—

their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel were not able utterly to destroy—of them Solomon raised a levy of bondservants to this day.

But of the children of Israel Solomon made no bondservants; but they were the men of war, his servants, his princes, his captains, and rulers of his chariots and of his horsemen.

These were the five hundred fifty chief officers who were over Solomon’s work, who ruled over the people who labored in the work.

But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of David’s city to her house which Solomon had built for her. Then he built Millo.

Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he built to the LORD three times per year, burning incense with them on the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house.

King Solomon made a fleet of ships in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.

Hiram sent in the fleet his servants, sailors who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

They came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents,(c) and brought it to King Solomon.

Footnotes

(a)9:13 “Cabul” sounds like Hebrew for “good-for-nothing”.

(b)9:14 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces, so 120 talents is about 3.6 metric tons