1And at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the Temple of the LORD, and his own palace, 2Solomon rebuilt the cities which Hiram had restored to him, and settled the children of Israel in them. 3And Solomon went to Hamath-zobah, and captured it. 4And he built Tadmor (Tamar) in the wilderness, and all the storage cities he had built in Hamath. 5He also rebuilt upper and lower Beth-horon, fortified cities, with walls, gates, and bars; 6As well as Baalath, and all the storage cities, and the cities for his chariots and horses; and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and throughout all his dominion.

7There were still non-Israelites - Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites. 8Solomon used the descendants of them that were left in the land, and had not been destroyed, for forced labor, even as this day. 9But Solomon did not use any of the Israelites for forced labor - they were men of war, and commanders of his officers, and captains of his chariots and horsemen. 10There were two hundred fifty senior officers of King Solomon, who supervised the forced labor.

11And Solomon brought his wife, daughter of Pharaoh, up from the city of David to the house that he had built for her; for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David, king of Israel, because the places where the ark of the LORD has been are holy.”

12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built in front of the porch - 13Offerings in accordance with the commandment of Moses, on the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual festivals - the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 14And he appointed divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests, as they required each day; and gatekeepers assigned at every gate, as ordered by David, his father, the man of God. 15The priests and Levites did not deviate from the commands of the king regarding any matter, or concerning the treasuries.

16All the work of Solomon was carried out, from the day the foundation was laid for the Temple of the LORD, and until it was finished. And so, the Temple of the LORD was completed.

17Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber, and to Eloth, at the seaside of the Red Sea in the land of Edom. 18And Hiram sent him, ships, and skilled seamen; and they accompanied Solomon’s servants to Ophir, and brought four hundred fifty talents (about 30,000 pounds) of gold, from there to King Solomon.