1Solomon gave orders to build a temple. That’s where the LORD would put his Name. Solomon also gave orders to build a royal palace for himself.2He chose 70,000 men to carry things. He chose 80,000 to cut stones in the hills. He put 3,600 men in charge of them.3Solomon sent a message to Hiram. Hiram was king of Tyre. Solomon said, ‘Send me cedar logs, just as you did for my father David. You sent him cedar to build a palace to live in.4Now I’m about to build a temple. The Name of the LORD my God will be there. I’ll set the temple apart for him. Sweet-smelling incense will be burned in front of him there. The holy bread will be set out at regular times. Burnt offerings will be sacrificed there every morning and evening. They will be sacrificed every Sabbath day. They will be sacrificed at every New Moon feast. And they will be sacrificed at every yearly appointed feast of the LORD our God. That’s a law for Israel that will last for all time to come.5‘The temple I’m going to build will be beautiful. That’s because our God is greater than all other gods.6So who is able to build a temple for him? After all, the heavens can’t hold him. In fact, not even the highest heavens can hold him. So who am I to build a temple for him? It will only be a place to burn sacrifices in front of him.7‘Send me a man skilled at working with gold, silver, bronze and iron. He must also be able to work with purple, blue and bright red yarn. He must be skilled in the art of carving. Send him to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers. My father David provided them to help me.8‘Also send me cedar, juniper and algum logs from Lebanon. I know that your servants are skilled in cutting wood there. My servants will work with yours.9They’ll provide me with plenty of lumber. That’s because the temple I’m building must be large and beautiful.10I’ll pay your servants. They will cut the wood. I’ll pay them 3,000 tonnes of wheat that has been ground up. I’ll pay them 2,400 tonnes of barley. I’ll also pay them 480,000 litres of wine and 480,000 litres of olive oil.’11King Hiram of Tyre replied to Solomon. He wrote a letter to him. In it Hiram said, ‘The LORD loves his people. That’s why he has made you their king.’12Hiram continued, ‘I praise the LORD. He is the God of Israel. He made heaven and earth. He has given King David a wise son. You have good sense. You understand what is right. You will build a temple for the LORD. You will also build a palace for yourself.13‘I’m sending Huram-Abi to you. He is very skilful.14His mother was from Dan. His father was from Tyre. He is trained to work with gold, silver, bronze and iron. He knows how to work with stone and wood. He can also work with purple, blue and bright red yarn and fine linen. He’s skilled in all kinds of carving. He can follow any pattern you give him. He’ll work with your skilled workers. He’ll also work with those of your father David. David was my master.15‘Now please send us what you promised. Send us the wheat, barley, olive oil and wine.16And we’ll cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need. We’ll make rafts out of them. We’ll float them by sea down to Joppa. Then you can take them up to Jerusalem.’17Solomon counted all the outsiders who were living in Israel. He did it after his father David had counted them. There were 153,600 of them.18He chose 70,000 to carry things. He chose 80,000 to cut stones in the hills. He put 3,600 men in charge of the people to keep them working.
2 Chronicles 2
English Standard Version
Preparing to Build the Temple
1[1] Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal palace for himself. (1Ki 5:5)2[2] And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to oversee them. (1Ki 5:15; 1Ki 5:16; 1Ki 9:20; 2Ch 2:18; 2Ch 8:7)3And Solomon sent word to Hiram the king of Tyre: “As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. (1Ki 5:2; 1Ch 14:1)4Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God and dedicate it to him for the burning of incense of sweet spices before him, and for the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, as ordained forever for Israel. (Ex 30:7; Le 24:5; Nu 28:3; Nu 28:9; Nu 28:11; Nu 28:19; Nu 28:26; 2Ch 8:13)5The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. (Ex 15:11; 1Ch 16:25; Ps 86:8; Ps 135:5)6But who is able to build him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him? (1Ki 8:27; 2Ch 6:18; Isa 66:1; Ac 7:49)7So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, trained also in engraving, to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. (1Ch 22:15; 2Ch 2:13)8Send me also cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants, (2Ch 9:10)9to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house I am to build will be great and wonderful.10I will give for your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, 20,000 cors[3] of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths[4] of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil.” (1Ki 5:11)11Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in a letter that he sent to Solomon, “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.” (1Ki 10:9; 2Ch 9:8)12Hiram also said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, who has discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself. (Ge 1:1; 2Ch 2:1)13“Now I have sent a skilled man, who has understanding, Huram-abi,14the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen, and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him, with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. (1Ki 7:14; 2Ch 2:7)15Now therefore the wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants. (2Ch 2:10)16And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.” (Jos 19:46; 1Ki 5:9)17Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600. (1Ch 22:2)18Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work. (2Ch 2:2)