2 Chronicles 2

And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

1Solomon decided to build a house for the LORD's name. He also decided to build a palace for himself as king.

2And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

2He put 70,000 men to work carrying loads. He put 80,000 men to cut stone in the mountains. He chose 3,600 men to be in charge of them.

3And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

3Solomon sent a message to Huram, the king of Tyre. He said, "You helped my father David. You sent him cedar logs to build his house. Please help me the same way.

4Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

4I am going to build a house for the LORD my God. It will be set apart just for him. There we will burn sweet-smelling incense before him. There we will always keep the special bread on the table. We will give burnt offerings every morning and evening. We will do it on Sabbath days, on new moon days, and at the feasts God chose. God told Israel to do this always.

NoteThe "special bread" (the KJV calls it shewbread) was twelve loaves kept on a table in God's house. Fresh loaves were set out each week.

5And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.

5The house I build will be great. Our God is greater than all other gods.

6But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

6But no one can really build a house for him. Even the highest heavens are too small to hold him. So who am I to build him a house? I can only build a place to burn offerings to him.

7Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.

7So please send me a man with great skill. He must know how to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. He must know how to work with purple, red, and blue yarn. He must know how to carve. He will work with my own skilled men in Judah and Jerusalem. My father David found those men.

NoteThe KJV word "cunning" here means very skilled, not sneaky. It had a good meaning in 1611.

8Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

8Please send me cedar, cypress, and algum logs from Lebanon. I know your workers are good at cutting trees there. My workers will help your workers.

9Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.

9They will get me plenty of wood. The house I am building will be very large and fine.

10And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

10I will pay your woodcutters well. I will give them 20,000 measures of ground wheat. I will give them 20,000 measures of barley. I will give them 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of olive oil."

NoteA bath was a measure for liquids, about six gallons. The wheat and barley were measured in large baskets called cors.

11Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.

11Then Huram, the king of Tyre, wrote back to Solomon. He said, "The LORD loves his people. That is why he made you their king."

12Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

12Huram also said, "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel! He made the heavens and the earth. He gave King David a wise son. This son is smart and careful. He will build a house for the LORD and a palace for himself.

13And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father’s,

13So I am sending you a very skilled man. His name is Huram-abi. He is clever and full of good ideas.

14The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

14His mother came from the tribe of Dan. His father was a man from Tyre. He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. He can work with stone and wood. He can work with purple, blue, and red yarn, and fine linen. He can carve any kind of design. He can make anything you ask him to make. He will work with your skilled men and with the men of your father David.

15Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

15So please send your servants the wheat, barley, oil, and wine you promised.

16And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

16We will cut all the wood you need from Lebanon. We will tie the logs together and float them by sea to Joppa. Then you can carry them up to Jerusalem."

NoteJoppa was a town on the coast of the sea. Jerusalem sat up in the hills, so the logs had to be hauled uphill from there.

17And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

17Solomon counted all the foreign men living in Israel. He counted them the way his father David had. There were 153,600 of them.

18And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.

18He put 70,000 of them to work carrying loads. He put 80,000 to cut stone in the mountains. He made 3,600 of them leaders to keep the work going.