New Living Translation (NLT)
2 Chronicles 7
21 And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the LORD do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’
22 “And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why he has brought all these disasters on them.’”
2 Chronicles 8
1 It took Solomon twenty years to build the LORD’s Temple and his own royal palace. At the end of that time,
2 Solomon turned his attention to rebuilding the towns that King Hiram had given him, and he settled Israelites in them.
3 Solomon also fought against the town of Hamath-zobah and conquered it.
4 He rebuilt Tadmor in the wilderness and built towns in the region of Hamath as supply centers.
5 He fortified the towns of Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon, rebuilding their walls and installing barred gates.
6 He also rebuilt Baalath and other supply centers and constructed towns where his chariots and horses could be stationed. He built everything he desired in Jerusalem and Lebanon and throughout his entire realm.
7 There were still some people living in the land who were not Israelites, including the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
8 These were descendants of the nations whom the people of Israel had not destroyed. So Solomon conscripted them for his labor force, and they serve in the labor force to this day.
9 But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for his labor force. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, officers in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers.
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