BNP blending of 1 Kings 9:10-10:13; 2 Chronicles 8-9:12

Bible Narrative Project Blending #13: 1 Kings 9:10-10:13 & 2 Chronicles 8-9:12

Solomon’s Activities and Accomplishments; Cities Given to Hiram

10 Now it came about at the end of twenty years in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD and the king’s own house 11 Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber and gold according to all his desire, then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 So Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they did not please him. 13 He said, “What are these cities which you have given me, my brother?” So they were called the land of Cabul to this day. 14 And Hiram sent to the king 120 talents of gold. 2 [Solomon] built the cities which Huram had given to him, and settled the sons of Israel there. 3 Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it. 4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath. 5 He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates and bars; 6 and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule. 15 Now this is the account of the forced labor which King Solomon levied to build the house of the LORD, his own house, the Millo, the wall of Jerusalem, Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. 16 For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 17 So Solomon rebuilt Gezer and the lower Beth-horon 18 and Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah, 19 and all the storage cities which Solomon had, even the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.

20 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 sons of Israel, 21 namely, from their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel were unable to destroy utterly, from them Solomon raised forced laborers, even to this day. 22 But Solomon did not make slaves for his work from the sons of Israel; for they were men of war, his servants, his princes, his chief captains, his chariot commanders, and his horsemen. 23 These were the chief officers of King Solomon who were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, who ruled over the people doing the work. 11 Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy where the ark of the LORD has entered.” 24 As soon as Pharaoh’s daughter came up from the city of David to her house which Solomon had built for her, then he built the Millo. 12 Then three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch; 13 and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new moons and the three annual feasts -the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths, burning incense with them on the altar which was before the LORD. 14 Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for David the man of God had so commanded. 15 And they did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any manner or concerning the storehouses. 16 Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed. 25. So he finished the house. 17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom. 26 King Solomon also built a fleet of ships in Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom. 27 And Hiram by his servants, sent his servants with the ships, sailors who knew the sea, along with the servants of Solomon. 28 They went to Ophir and took four hundred and twenty talents of gold from there, and brought it to King Solomon.

Visit of the Queen of Sheba

1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult questions. 2 So she came to Jerusalem with a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and a large amount of gold and precious stones. When she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 3 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon the king which he did not explain to her. 4 When the queen of Sheba perceived all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his waiters and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her (she was breathless). 6 Then she said to the king, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 “Nevertheless I did not believe their reports, until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed in wisdom and prosperity the report that I heard. 8 “How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. 9 “Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you to set you on His throne of Israel as king for the LORD your God; because the LORD your God loved Israel, establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.” 10 She gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great amount of spices and precious stones. Never again did such abundance of spices come in; there had never been spice as that which the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon. 11 Also the ships servants of Hiram and Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a very great number of almug/algum trees and precious stones. 12 The king made of the almug/algum trees supports and steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and also lyres and harps for the singers; such almug trees have not come in again nor have they been seen to this day, and none like that was seen before in the land of Judah. 13 King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested, besides what he gave her according to his royal bounty, a return for what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land together with her servants.