Solomon's Achievements
(1 Kings 9.10-28)1 It took Solomon twenty years to build the Temple and his palace. 2 He also rebuilt the cities that King Hiram had given him, and sent Israelites to settle in them. 3 He captured the territory of Hamath and Zobah 4 and fortified the city of Palmyra in the desert. He rebuilt all the cities in Hamath that were centers for storing supplies. 5 Solomon also rebuilt the following cities: Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon (fortified cities with gates that could be barred), 6 the city of Baalath, all the cities where he stored supplies, and the cities where his horses and chariots were stationed. He carried out all his plans for building in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and throughout the territory that he ruled over. 7-8 Solomon employed at forced labor all the descendants of the people of Canaan whom the Israelites had not killed when they took possession of the land. These included Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, whose descendants continue to be slaves down to the present time. 9 Israelites were not used at forced labor, but served as soldiers, officers, chariot commanders, and cavalry troops. 10 There were 250 officials in charge of the forced labor working on the various building projects.
11 Solomon moved his wife, the daughter of the king of Egypt, from David's City to a house he built for her. He said, “She must not live in the palace of King David of Israel, because any place where the Covenant Box has been is holy.”
12 Solomon offered sacrifices to the Lord on the altar which he had built in front of the Temple. 13 He offered burnt offerings according to the requirements of the Law of Moses for each holy day: Sabbaths, New Moon Festivals, and the three annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Harvest Festival, and the Festival of Shelters. 14 Following the rules laid down by his father David, he organized the daily work of the priests and of the Levites who assisted the priests in singing hymns and in doing their work. He also organized the Temple guards in sections for performing their daily duties at each gate, in accordance with the commands of David, the man of God. 15 The instructions which David had given the priests and the Levites concerning the storehouses and other matters were carried out in detail.
16 By this time all of Solomon's projects had been completed. From the laying of the foundation of the Lord's Temple to its completion, all the work had been successful.
17 Then Solomon went to Eziongeber and Elath, ports on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the land of Edom. 18 King Hiram sent him ships under the command of his own officers and with experienced sailors. They sailed with Solomon's officers to the land of Ophir and brought back to Solomon about sixteen tons of gold.
أعمال سليمان
(1مل 9:10-28)1 وبَعدَما قضى سليمانُ عِشرينَ سنَةً في بناءِ الهَيكلِ وقصرِ المَلِكِ، 2 أعادَ بِناءَ المُدُنِ الّتي أعطاها لَه المَلِكُ حيرامُ، وأسكَنَ فيها جماعاتٍ، مِنْ بَني إِسرائيلَ. 3 وسارَ إلى حماةِ صُوبةَ وتغَلَّبَ علَيها. 4 وحَصَّنَ تَدمُرَ في الصَّحراءِ، وكُلَّ المُدُنِ الّتي بَناها في حماةَ لِتَخزينِ المُونةِ، 5 وأعادَ بناءَ بـيتَ حُورُونَ العُليا والسُّفلى، وهُما مَدينتانِ مُحَصَّنتانِ بالأسوارِ والأبوابِ والمَغاليقِ، 6 وبَعْلَتَ وجميعَ المُدُنِ الّتي خزَنَ فيها المُونَةَ والمَركباتِ والخَيلَ. وبَنى كُلَّ ما أحَبَّ أنْ يَبنيَهُ في أورُشليمَ ولبنانَ وكُلِّ الأراضي الّتي كانَت تَحتَ سُلطَتِهِ. 7 فسَخَّرَ لهذا الغرَضِ جميعَ الّذينَ بَقوا مِنَ الحِثِّيِّينَ والأموريِّينَ والفِرْزِّيِّينَ والحوِّيِّينَ واليَبوسيِّينَ الّذينَ لم يكونوا مِنْ بَني إِسرائيلَ. 8 هؤلاءِ لم يُبِدْهُم بَنو إِسرائيلَ، ففَرضَ علَيهِم سليمانُ أشغالَ السُّخرةِ إلى هذا اليومِ. 9 وأمَّا بَنو إِسرائيلَ، فلم يُسَخِّرْهُم سليمانُ لِعَمَلِهِ، بلِ استخدَمَهُم كجُنودٍ وضُبَّاطٍ وقادَةٍ لِخَيلِهِ ومَركباتِهِ. 10 ووَكَّلَ سليمانُ مئتينِ وخمسينَ رَجُلا يُراقبونَ الّذينَ سَخّرَهُم لِمُختَلفِ الأعمالِ الّتي قامَ بها.
11 ونقَلَ سليمانُ ابنَةَ فِرعَونَ زوجتَهُ مِنْ مدينةِ داوُدَ إلى القصرِ الّذي بَناهُ لها، لأنَّهُ قالَ: «لا تسكُنُ زوجَةٌ لي في قصرِ داوُدَ مَلِكِ إِسرائيلَ، لأنَّ كُلَّ مكانٍ دخَلَهُ تابوتُ العَهدِ مكانٌ مُقَدَّسٌ».
12 وقدَّمَ سليمانُ مُحرَقاتٍ للرّبِّ على المذبَحِ الّذي بَناهُ أمامَ رِواقِ الهَيكلِ. 13 وكانَ يفعَلُ ذلِكَ بانتظامٍ حسَبَ ما جاءَ في وصيَّةِ موسى، في السُّبوتِ ورُؤوسِ الشُّهورِ، وفي الأَعيادِ السَّنويَّةِ الثَّلاثةِ وهيَ: عيدُ الفَطيرِ وعيدُ الحَصادِ وعيدُ المَظالِّ. 14 وحسَبَ ترتيـبِ داوُدَ أبـيهِ، أقامَ سليمانُ فِرَقَ الكهَنةِ في مكانِ خِدمتِهِم واللاَّويِّينَ في التَّسبـيحِ والخِدمةِ أمامَهُم بانتظامٍ. وأقامَ أيضا، بِـحسَبِ وصيَّةِ داوُدَ رَجُلِ اللهِ، فِرَقَ البوَّابـينَ الّذينَ يَتناوبونَ على حِراسَةِ الأبوابِ. 15 ولم يَحِدْ سليمانُ عَنْ وصيَّةِ داوُدَ للكهَنةِ واللاَّويِّينَ في أمْرِ الخَزائنِ وفي كُلِّ أمْرٍ.
16 وتمَّمَ سليمانُ في ذلِكَ الوقتِ كُلَّ أعمالِهِ، الّتي كانَت ناجِحَةً مِنْ يومِ تأسيسِ الهَيكلِ إلى نهايةِ بِنائِهِ.
17 ثُمَّ ذهَبَ سليمانُ إلى عَصيونَ جابَرَ وإلى أيلةَ على شاطئِ البحرِ في أرضِ أدومَ. 18 وأرسلَ لَه المَلِكُ حيرامُ سُفنا، وملاَّحينَ مُتَمَرِّسينَ بأمورِ البحرِ، فأبحروا إلى أرضِ أوفيرَ معَ رِجالِ سليمانَ وأخذوا مِنْ هُناكَ نَحوَ أربَعةٍ وستِّينَ قِنطارا مِنَ الذَّهبِ وحمَلوها إلى المَلِكِ سليمانَ.