Solomon’s Other Activities
1At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace, 2Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram8:2 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verse 18 had given him, and settled Israelites in them. 3Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. 4He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath. 5He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, 6as well as Baalath and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses8:6 Or charioteers—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.
7There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (these people were not Israelites). 8Solomon conscripted the descendants of all these people remaining in the land—whom the Israelites had not destroyed—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. 9But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 10They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.
11Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”
12On the altar of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord, 13according to the daily requirement for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths, the New Moons and the three annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. 14In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their duties, and the Levites to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God had ordered. 15They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.
16All Solomon’s work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid until its completion. So the temple of the Lord was finished.
17Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. 18And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents8:18 That is, about 17 tons or about 15 metric tons of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.
Shughuli Nyingine Za Solomoni
(1 Wafalme 9:10-28)
18:1 1Fal 9:10Miaka ishirini ilipopita, ambayo katika hiyo Solomoni alilijenga Hekalu la Bwana na jumba lake mwenyewe la kifalme, 2Solomoni akajenga tena vijiji vile ambavyo Hiramu alikuwa amempa, naye akawapa Waisraeli waishi humo. 38:3 Hes 13:21; 2Sam 8:2-3Kisha Solomoni akaenda Hamath-Soba na kuuteka. 48:4 1Fal 9:14Pia akajenga mji wa Tadmori katika jangwa na miji yote ya kuhifadhia vitu katika Hamathi. 58:5 Yos 10:10; 1Nya 7:24; Hes 13:21Akajenga tena Beth-Horoni ya Juu na Beth-Horoni ya Chini, miji yenye ngome, kuta, malango na makomeo. 68:6 Yos 15:11Solomoni pia akajenga Baalathi na miji yake yote ya kuhifadhia vitu, na miji kwa ajili ya magari yake na kwa ajili ya farasi wake, chochote alichotaka kujenga katika Yerusalemu, katika Lebanoni na katika nchi yote aliyotawala.
78:7 Mwa 15:18-21; 1Fal 9:20; Ezr 9:1; Mwa 10:15Watu wote waliosalia kutoka kwa Wahiti, Waamori, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi (haya mataifa hayakuwa Waisraeli), 88:8 1Fal 9:21; 2Nya 2:18yaani, wazao wao waliobakia katika nchi, ambao Waisraeli hawakuwa wamewaangamiza: hawa Solomoni akawalazimisha kuwa watumwa katika shokoa, kama ilivyo hadi leo. 98:9 Kut 19:5; Kum 23:19; Law 25:39; Gal 4:28-31Lakini Solomoni hakuwafanya Waisraeli watumwa kwa ajili ya kazi yake, bali walikuwa wapiganaji, majemadari, maafisa wake, majemadari wa magari yake ya vita na waendesha magari ya vita. 108:10 1Fal 5:16; 9:23; 2Nya 2:18Pia walikuwa maafisa wakuu wa Mfalme Solomoni, yaani, maafisa wakaguzi 250 waliosimamia watu.
118:11 1Fal 7:8; 9:24Solomoni akampandisha mke wake binti Farao kutoka Mji wa Daudi na kumleta jumba la kifalme alilokuwa amemjengea, kwa kuwa alisema, “Mke wangu hataishi katika jumba la kifalme la Daudi mfalme wa Israeli, kwa sababu mahali ambapo Sanduku la Bwana limefika ni patakatifu.”
128:12 1Fal 8:64; 1Nya 4:1Mfalme Solomoni akamtolea Bwana dhabihu za kuteketezwa juu ya madhabahu ya Bwana ambayo alikuwa ameijenga mbele ya ukumbi, 138:13 Kut 29:38; Hes 28:3-9; Kut 23:14-16; Kum 16:16; 1Fal 9:25kulingana na mahitaji ya kila siku kwa ajili ya sadaka zilizoamriwa na Mose kwa ajili ya Sabato, Mwezi Mwandamo na sikukuu nyingine tatu za mwaka, yaani, Sikukuu ya Mikate Isiyotiwa Chachu, Sikukuu ya Majuma na Sikukuu ya Vibanda. 148:14 1Nya 24:1; 9:17; Neh 12:24, 36, 45; 1Nya 23:6; 2Sam 23:2; 2Nya 5:11; 31:2; 1Nya 25:1; 26:1Kwa kushika maagizo ya Daudi baba yake, aliweka migawanyo ya makuhani kwa ajili ya kazi zao, nao Walawi kuongoza kusifu na kusaidia makuhani kufuatana na mahitaji ya kila siku. Pia akaweka mabawabu katika migawanyo kwa ajili ya malango mbalimbali, kwa sababu hili ndilo Daudi mtu wa Mungu alilokuwa ameagiza. 15Nao hawakuziacha amri za mfalme alizoamuru makuhani au Walawi katika jambo lolote, ikiwa ni pamoja na zile za hazina.
16Kazi yote ya Mfalme Solomoni ilifanyika kuanzia siku msingi wa Hekalu la Bwana ulipowekwa mpaka kukamilika kwake. Kwa hiyo Hekalu la Bwana likamalizika kujengwa.
178:17 Kum 2:8; 2Fal 14:22; 1Fal 9:26Ndipo Solomoni akaenda Esion-Geberi na Elathi katika pwani ya Edomu. 188:18 1Fal 9:27; Isa 13:12; 2Nya 9:9; Mwa 10:29; Ay 22:24Naye Hiramu alimpelekea meli zilizoongozwa na maafisa wake mwenyewe, watu waliokuwa na ujuzi wa baharini. Hawa watu pamoja na wale wa Solomoni wakasafiri kwa bahari mpaka Ofiri, wakaleta kutoka huko talanta 450 za dhahabu, ambazo walimkabidhi Mfalme Solomoni.
