TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

I - Chapter 9

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1When Shlomo had finished building the House of Hashem and the royal palace and everything that Shlomo had set his heart on constructing,

אוַיְהִי כְּכַלּוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה לִבְנוֹת אֶת־בֵּית־יְהֹוָה וְאֶת־בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֵת כָּל־חֵשֶׁק שְׁלֹמֹה אֲשֶׁר חָפֵץ לַעֲשׂוֹת׃

2Hashem appeared to Shlomo a second time, as He had appeared to him at Givon.

בוַיֵּרָא יְהֹוָה אֶל־שְׁלֹמֹה שֵׁנִית כַּאֲשֶׁר נִרְאָה אֵלָיו בְּגִבְעוֹן׃

3Hashem said to him, “I have heard the prayer and the supplication which you have offered to Me. I consecrate this House which you have built and I set My name there forever. My eyes and My heart shall ever be there.

גוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֵלָיו שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת־תְּפִלָּתְךָ וְאֶת־תְּחִנָּתְךָ אֲשֶׁר הִתְחַנַּנְתָּה לְפָנַי הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר בָּנִתָה לָשׂוּם־שְׁמִי שָׁם עַד־עוֹלָם וְהָיוּ עֵינַי וְלִבִּי שָׁם כָּל־הַיָּמִים׃

4As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked before Me, wholeheartedly and with uprightness, doing all that I have commanded you [and] keeping My laws and My rules,

דוְאַתָּה אִם־תֵּלֵךְ לְפָנַי כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ דָּוִד אָבִיךָ בְּתָם־לֵבָב וּבְיֹשֶׁר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ חֻקַּי וּמִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמֹר׃

5then I will establish your throne of kingship over Yisrael forever, as I promised your father David, saying, ‘Your line on the throne of Yisrael shall never end.'

הוַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־כִּסֵּא מַמְלַכְתְּךָ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעֹלָם כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי עַל־דָּוִד אָבִיךָ לֵאמֹר לֹא־יִכָּרֵת לְךָ אִישׁ מֵעַל כִּסֵּא יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

6[But] if you and your descendants turn away from Me and do not keep the commandments [and] the laws which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,

ואִם־שׁוֹב תְּשֻׁבוּן אַתֶּם וּבְנֵיכֶם מֵאַחֲרַי וְלֹא תִשְׁמְרוּ מִצְוׂתַי חֻקֹּתַי אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵיכֶם וַהֲלַכְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם׃

7then I will sweep Yisrael off the land which I gave them; I will reject the House which I have consecrated to My name; and Yisrael shall become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

זוְהִכְרַתִּי אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָהֶם וְאֶת־הַבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי לִשְׁמִי אֲשַׁלַּח מֵעַל פָּנָי וְהָיָה יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמָשָׁל וְלִשְׁנִינָה בְּכָל־הָעַמִּים׃

8And as for this House, once so exalted, everyone passing by it shall be appalled and shall hiss. And when they ask, ‘Why did Hashem do thus to the land and to this House?'

חוְהַבַּיִת הַזֶּה יִהְיֶה עֶלְיוֹן כָּל־עֹבֵר עָלָיו יִשֹּׁם וְשָׁרָק וְאָמְרוּ עַל־מֶה עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה כָּכָה לָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְלַבַּיִת הַזֶּה׃

9they shall be told, ‘It is because they forsook Hashem their God who freed them from the land of Egypt, and they embraced other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore Hashem has brought all this calamity upon them.'”

טוְאָמְרוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר עָזְבוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיא אֶת־אֲבֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיַּחֲזִקוּ בֵּאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וישתחו [וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ] לָהֶם וַיַּעַבְדֻם עַל־כֵּן הֵבִיא יְהֹוָה עֲלֵיהֶם אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת׃

10At the end of the twenty years during which Shlomo constructed the two buildings, Hashem's House and the royal palace

יוַיְהִי מִקְצֵה עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אֲשֶׁר־בָּנָה שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־שְׁנֵי הַבָּתִּים אֶת־בֵּית יְהֹוָה וְאֶת־בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

11since King Hiram of Tyre had supplied Shlomo with all the cedar and cypress timber and gold that he required—King Shlomo in turn gave Hiram twenty towns in the region of Galilee.

יאחִירָם מֶלֶךְ־צֹר נִשָּׂא אֶת־שְׁלֹמֹה בַּעֲצֵי אֲרָזִים וּבַעֲצֵי בְרוֹשִׁים וּבַזָּהָב לְכָל־חֶפְצוֹ אָז יִתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה לְחִירָם עֶשְׂרִים עִיר בְּאֶרֶץ הַגָּלִיל׃

12But when Hiram came from Tyre to inspect the towns that Shlomo had given him, he was not pleased with them.

יבוַיֵּצֵא חִירָם מִצֹּר לִרְאוֹת אֶת־הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לוֹ שְׁלֹמֹה וְלֹא יָשְׁרוּ בְּעֵינָיו׃

13“My brother,” he said, “what sort of towns are these you have given me?” So they were named the land of Cabul, as is still the case.

יגוַיֹּאמֶר מָה הֶעָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַתָּה לִּי אָחִי וַיִּקְרָא לָהֶם אֶרֶץ כָּבוּל עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃

14However, Hiram sent the king one hundred and twenty kikarim of gold.

ידוַיִּשְׁלַח חִירָם לַמֶּלֶךְ מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים כִּכַּר זָהָב׃

15This was the purpose of the forced labor which Shlomo imposed: It was to build the House of Hashem, his own palace, the Millo, and the wall of Yerushalayim, and [to fortify] Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. (

v'-ZEH d'-var ha-MAS a-sher he-e-LAH ha-ME-lekh sh'-lo-MO liv-NOT et BAYT a-do-NAI v'-et bay-TO v'-et ha-mi-LO v'-AYT kho-MAT y'-ru-sha-LA-im v'-et kha-TZOR v'-et m'-gi-DO v'-et GA-zer

טווְזֶה דְבַר־הַמַּס אֲשֶׁר־הֶעֱלָה הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה לִבְנוֹת אֶת־בֵּית יְהֹוָה וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ וְאֶת־הַמִּלּוֹא וְאֵת חוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְאֶת־חָצֹר וְאֶת־מְגִדּוֹ וְאֶת־גָּזֶר׃

 9:15   The wall of Yerushalayim

Walls of the Old City of Jerusalem

The walls of Yerushalayim, like those of all ancient cities, have great importance; they are designed to provide physical protection from invaders. In Yerushalayim’s case, however, they also have spiritual significance, as certain commandments, like the eating of the Passover sacrifice, must be performed only within the city’s walls. The current Old City of Yerushalayim, in which the Western Wall and the Temple Mount are located, is still surrounded by walls. These walls are much newer, having been built by the Turkish ruler of the city almost 500 years ago. Yet, they too have spiritual significance as the boundary of the heart of the holiest city on earth.

16Pharaoh king of Egypt had come up and captured Gezer; he destroyed it by fire, killed the Canaanites who dwelt in the town, and gave it as dowry to his daughter, Shlomo's wife.)

טזפַּרְעֹה מֶלֶךְ־מִצְרַיִם עָלָה וַיִּלְכֹּד אֶת־גֶּזֶר וַיִּשְׂרְפָהּ בָּאֵשׁ וְאֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּעִיר הָרָג וַיִּתְּנָהּ שִׁלֻּחִים לְבִתּוֹ אֵשֶׁת שְׁלֹמֹה׃

17So Shlomo fortified Gezer, lower Beth-horon,

יזוַיִּבֶן שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־גָּזֶר וְאֶת־בֵּית חֹרֹן תַּחְתּוֹן׃

18Baalith, and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land [of Yehuda],

יחוְאֶת־בַּעֲלָת וְאֶת־תמר [תַּדְמֹר] בַּמִּדְבָּר בָּאָרֶץ׃

19and all of Shlomo's garrison towns, chariot towns, and cavalry towns—everything that Shlomo set his heart on building in Yerushalayim and in the Lebanon, and throughout the territory that he ruled.

יטוְאֵת כָּל־עָרֵי הַמִּסְכְּנוֹת אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ לִשְׁלֹמֹה וְאֵת עָרֵי הָרֶכֶב וְאֵת עָרֵי הַפָּרָשִׁים וְאֵת חֵשֶׁק שְׁלֹמֹה אֲשֶׁר חָשַׁק לִבְנוֹת בִּירוּשָׁלִַם וּבַלְּבָנוֹן וּבְכֹל אֶרֶץ מֶמְשַׁלְתּוֹ׃

20All the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who were not of the Israelite stock

ככָּל־הָעָם הַנּוֹתָר מִן־הָאֱמֹרִי הַחִתִּי הַפְּרִזִּי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵמָּה׃

21those of their descendants who remained in the land and whom the Israelites were not able to annihilate—of these Shlomo made a slave force, as is still the case.

כאבְּנֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר נֹתְרוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָכְלוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַחֲרִימָם וַיַּעֲלֵם שְׁלֹמֹה לְמַס־עֹבֵד עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃

22But he did not reduce any Israelites to slavery; they served, rather, as warriors and as his attendants, officials, and officers, and as commanders of his chariotry and cavalry.

כבוּמִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא־נָתַן שְׁלֹמֹה עָבֶד כִּי־הֵם אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה וַעֲבָדָיו וְשָׂרָיו וְשָׁלִשָׁיו וְשָׂרֵי רִכְבּוֹ וּפָרָשָׁיו׃

23These were the prefects that were in charge of Shlomo's works and were foremen over the people engaged in the work, who numbered 550.

כגאֵלֶּה שָׂרֵי הַנִּצָּבִים אֲשֶׁר עַל־הַמְּלָאכָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה חֲמִשִּׁים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת הָרֹדִים בָּעָם הָעֹשִׂים בַּמְּלָאכָה׃

24As soon as Pharaoh's daughter went up from the City of David to the palace that he had built for her, he built the Millo.

כדאַךְ בַּת־פַּרְעֹה עָלְתָה מֵעִיר דָּוִד אֶל־בֵּיתָהּ אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה־לָהּ אָז בָּנָה אֶת־הַמִּלּוֹא׃

25Shlomo used to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices of well-being three times a year on the mizbayach that he had built for Hashem, and he used to offer incense on the one that was before Hashem. And he kept the House in repair.

כהוְהֶעֱלָה שְׁלֹמֹה שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה עֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה לַיהֹוָה וְהַקְטֵיר אִתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וְשִׁלַּם אֶת־הַבָּיִת׃

26King Shlomo also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Sea of Reeds in the land of Edom.

כווָאֳנִי עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בְּעֶצְיוֹן־גֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר אֶת־אֵלוֹת עַל־שְׂפַת יַם־סוּף בְּאֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם׃

27Hiram sent servants of his with the fleet, mariners who were experienced on the sea, to serve with Shlomo's men.

כזוַיִּשְׁלַח חִירָם בָּאֳנִי אֶת־עֲבָדָיו אַנְשֵׁי אֳנִיּוֹת יֹדְעֵי הַיָּם עִם עַבְדֵי שְׁלֹמֹה׃

28They came to Ophir; there they obtained gold in the amount of four hundred and twenty kikarim, which they delivered to King Shlomo.

כחוַיָּבֹאוּ אוֹפִירָה וַיִּקְחוּ מִשָּׁם זָהָב אַרְבַּע־מֵאוֹת וְעֶשְׂרִים כִּכָּר וַיָּבִאוּ אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה׃