Day 505 of 939

2CH 8

2CH 8 · PSA 55:1-11

Not written yet

The reading for this day is below. The commentary has not been written and reviewed yet — it is added a book at a time, and every day is read by a person before it appears here.

1Now at the end of the twenty years during which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own palace, 2Solomon rebuilt the cities Hiram had given him and settled Israelites there. 3Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it. 4He built Tadmor in the wilderness, in addition to all the store cities that he had built in Hamath. 5He rebuilt Upper and Lower Beth-horon as fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars, 6as well as Baalath, all the store cities that belonged to Solomon, and all the cities for his chariots and horses —whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout the land of his dominion. 7As for all the people who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (these people were not Israelites)— 8their descendants who remained in the land, those whom the Israelites had not destroyed—Solomon conscripted these people to be forced laborers, as they are to this day. 9But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slave labor, because they were his men of war, the leaders of his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry. 10They were also the chief officers for King Solomon: 250 supervisors. 11Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her. For he said, “My wife must not live in the house of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the LORD has entered are holy.” 12At that time Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD he had built in front of the portico. 13He observed the daily requirement for offerings according to the commandment of Moses for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. 14In keeping with the ordinances of his father David, Solomon appointed the divisions of the priests over their service, and the Levites for their duties to offer praise and to minister before the priests according to the daily requirement. He also appointed gatekeepers by their divisions at each gate, for this had been the command of David, the man of God. 15They did not turn aside from the king’s command regarding the priests or the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries. 16Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out, from the day the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed. 17Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the coast of Edom. 18So Hiram sent him ships captained by his servants, along with crews of experienced sailors. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir and acquired from there 450 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon.
1Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea. 2Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught 3at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they bring down disaster upon me and resent me in their anger. 4My heart pounds within me, and the terrors of death assail me. 5Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me. 6I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. 7How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah 8I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.” 9O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. 10Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within. 11Destruction is within; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.