2 Chronicles 1-2

Complete Jewish Bible

1 Shlomo the son of David grew stronger in his rulership; Adonai his God was with him, making him greater and greater.

²Shlomo spoke to all Isra’el — to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges and to every leader in all Isra’el, the heads of clans. ³Shlomo and the whole community with him went to the high place at Giv‘on, because in that place was God’s tent of meeting, which Moshe the servant of Adonai had made in the desert. ⁴But the ark of God David had brought up from Kiryat-Ye‘arim to the place he had prepared for it — he had set up a tent for it in Yerushalayim. ⁵The bronze altar crafted by B’tzal’el the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had been placed before the tabernacle of Adonai; and there Shlomo and the community consulted him. ⁶On the bronze altar at the tent of meeting Shlomo offered a thousand burnt offerings before Adonai.

⁷That night God appeared to Shlomo and said to him, “Tell me what I should give you.” ⁸Shlomo said to God, “You showed much grace to your servant David my father and have made me king in his place. ⁹Now, Adonai, God, you have been faithful to your promise to David my father; for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth. ¹⁰So now, give me wisdom and knowledge; so that I will be able to lead this people. For who is equal to judging this great people of yours?”

¹¹God said to Shlomo, “Because you set your heart on this — because, instead of asking for riches, wealth, honor, the death of those who hate you, or long life, you asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, so that you would be able to judge my people, over whom I made you king — ¹²not only are wisdom and knowledge being given to you, but I will also give you riches, wealth and honor such as no king before you has ever had; and no king after you will have as much.” ¹³So Shlomo came away from the high place at Giv‘on, from in front of the tent of meeting, to Yerushalayim; and he ruled over Isra’el.

¹⁴Shlomo amassed chariots and horsemen; he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen; he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Yerushalayim. ¹⁵The king made silver and gold in Yerushalayim as common as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as sycamore-fig trees in the Sh’felah. ¹⁶Shlomo’s horses had been brought from Egypt and from Keve, with the king’s agents having bought them from the dealers in Keve at the going price. ¹⁷A chariot brought from Egypt cost fifteen pounds of silver shekels and a horse three-and-three quarters pounds [of shekels]; all the kings of the Hittim and the kings of Aram purchased them at these prices through Shlomo’s agents.

¹⁸^(2:1)Shlomo then decided to build a house for the name of Adonai and a royal palace for himself.

2 ⁽²⁾Shlomo enlisted 70,000 men who carried loads, another 80,000 men who were stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 supervising them. ²⁽³⁾Then Shlomo sent this message to Huram the king of Tzor: “[Deal with me] as you dealt with David my father when you sent him cedar logs, so that he could build himself a palace to live in. ³⁽⁴⁾Here, I am about to build a house for the name of Adonai my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before Him incense made of sweet spices; the house will also be for the continuing showbread and for the burnt offerings presented every morning and evening, on the shabbats, at every Rosh-Hodesh, and at the designated times of Adonai our God. This is a perpetual regulation for Isra’el. ⁴⁽⁵⁾The house I will build will be great, because our God is greater than all gods. ⁵⁽⁶⁾But who is equal to building him a house? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain him; so who am I to build him a house, except to offer sacrifices before him?

⁶⁽⁷⁾“Now, therefore, send me a man skilled at working with gold, silver, bronze and iron; dealing with purple, crimson, and blue dyed materials; and capable of doing all kinds of engraving. He will be with the skilled craftsmen I have with me in Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, whom David my father provided. ⁷⁽⁸⁾Also send me cedar, cypress and sandalwood logs from the L’vanon; for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber in the L’vanon. I will have my servants work together with your servants ⁸⁽⁹⁾to prepare me an abundant supply of timber, for the house I am about to build must be magnificent and wonderful. ⁹⁽¹⁰⁾I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the timber, 100,000 bushels of cracked wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley, 100,000 gallons of wine, and 100,000 gallons of olive oil.”

¹⁰⁽¹¹⁾Huram the king of Tzor wrote this answer and sent it to Shlomo: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.” ¹¹⁽¹²⁾Huram continued, “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Isra’el, who made heaven and earth, who has given David the king a wise, knowledgeable son with common sense to build a house for Adonai and a royal palace for himself. ¹²⁽¹³⁾Now I am sending a man of skill and understanding, my master craftsman Huram, ¹³⁽¹⁴⁾the son of a woman who was one of the daughters of Dan, while his father was a man from Tzor. He is skilled in working gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and timber, as well as purple and blue dyed materials, fine linen and crimson material; he can do any kind of engraving; and he can make all the equipment necessary to accomplish any task assigned to him, with the help of your craftsmen and those of my lord David your father. ¹⁴⁽¹⁵⁾Therefore let my lord send his servants the wheat, barley, oil and wine he has spoken of; ¹⁵⁽¹⁶⁾and we will cut wood from the L’vanon, as much as you need; we will float it to you as rafts by sea to Yafo, and you will take it up to Yerushalayim.”

¹⁶⁽¹⁷⁾Shlomo took a census of all the foreigners in the land of Isra’el, following the pattern of the census of David his father; they were found to number 153,600. ¹⁷⁽¹⁸⁾He appointed 70,000 of them to carry loads, 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as supervisors to assign the people their work.