2Ch 2 | NASB2020 | STEP | Now Solomon decided to build a house for the name of the Lord , and a royal palace for himself.

2 Chronicles 2

Solomon Will Build a Temple and a Palace

1 ^{▼▼Ch 1:18 in Heb
,} ^bNow Solomon ^{▼▼Lit said}decided to build a house for the name of the Lord, and a ^{▼▼Lit house for his royalty}royal palace for himself. 2 ^{▼▼Ch 2:1 in Heb}So ^fSolomon ^{▼▼Lit counted}assigned seventy thousand men to carry loads, eighty thousand men to quarry stone in the mountains, and 3,600 to supervise them.

3 ^hThen Solomon sent word to ^{▼▼In 1 Kin 5:18, Hiram}Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “ ^jAs you dealt with my father David and sent him cedars to build him a house to live in, do it for me. 4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, ^kto burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out ^lthe showbread continually, and to offer ^mburnt offerings morning and evening, ⁿon Sabbaths, on new moons, and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God. This is to be done in Israel forever. 5 The house which I am about to build will be great, for our God is ^ogreater than all the gods. 6 But ^pwho is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? And who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to ^{▼▼Lit offer up in smoke}burn incense before Him? 7 Now ^rsend me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass, iron, and in purple, crimson, and violet fabrics, one who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled workers ^{▼▼Lit who are with me
,} ^twhom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided. 8 ^uSend me also cedar, juniper, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed ^vmy servants will work with your servants, 9 to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. 10 Now behold, ^wI will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, ^{▼▼About 154,000 cubic feet or 4,360 cubic meters}twenty thousand kors of crushed wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, ^{▼▼About 120,000 gallons or 454,249 liters}twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

Huram to Assist

11 Then Huram, king of Tyre, ^{▼▼Lit said...and he sent}answered in a letter sent to Solomon: “ ^aaBecause the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.” 12 Then Huram ^{▼▼Lit said}continued, “Blessed be ^acthe Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, ^{▼▼Lit knowing discretion}endowed with discretion and understanding, ^aewho will build a house for the Lord and a ^{▼▼Lit house for his royalty}royal palace for himself.

13 “Now then, I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, ^{▼▼Lit knowing understanding}endowed with understanding, 14 ^ahthe son of a ^{▼▼Lit a woman of the daughters of Dan}Danite woman and ^{▼▼Lit whose father is a Tyrian man}a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, violet, linen, and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to ^{▼▼Lit devise any device}execute any design which is assigned to him, to work with your skilled workers and with ^{▼▼Lit skilled men}those of my lord, your father David. 15 Now then, let my lord send his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of ^amwhich he has spoken. 16 ^anWe will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you as rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, ^aofollowing the ^{▼▼Lit numbering}census which his father David had ^{▼▼Lit numbered of them}taken; and 153,600 were found. 18 ^arHe appointed seventy thousand of them to carry loads and eighty thousand to quarry stones in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.