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2 Chronicles 2
Expanded Bible
2 Chronicles 2
Expanded Bible
Solomon Prepares for the Temple(A)
2 Solomon decided to build a ·temple [L house] ·as a place to worship [L for the name of] the Lord and also a ·palace [L royal house] for himself. 2 He ·chose [assigned; conscripted] seventy thousand men ·to carry loads [as common laborers], eighty thousand men to ·cut [quarry] stone in the hill country, and thirty-six hundred men to ·direct the workers [supervise/oversee them].
3 Solomon sent this message to ·Hiram [or Huram; C variants of the same name; 1 Chr. 14:1 calls him Hiram; the Hebrew text here reads Huram] king of the city of Tyre: “·Help me as you helped [Do as you did for] my father David by sending him cedar logs so he could build himself a ·palace [L house] to live in. 4 I ·will [am about to] build a ·temple [L house] for ·worshiping [L the name of] the Lord my God, and I will ·give [dedicate] this ·temple [L house] to him. There we will ·burn sweet-smelling spices [offer fragrant incense] ·in his presence [before him]. We will continually set out the ·holy bread [T showbread] in God’s presence. And we will burn sacrifices every morning and evening, on Sabbath days and New Moons, and on the other feast days ·commanded [appointed; prescribed] by the Lord our God. This ·is a rule for Israel to obey forever [L permanently in/upon Israel].
5 “The ·temple [L house] I ·build [am about to build] will be great, because our God is greater than all gods. 6 But ·no one can really [L who is able to…?] build a house for our God. Not even the highest of heavens can ·hold [contain] him. ·How then can I [So who am I to] build a ·temple [L house] for him except as a place to burn ·sacrifices [or incense; C what is being burned is not indicated] to him?
7 “Now send me a man skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and with purple, ·red [crimson], and ·blue thread [violet cloth]. He must also know how to make engravings. He will work with my skilled craftsmen in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David ·chose [provided].
8 “Also send me cedar, ·pine [cypress; juniper; evergreens], and ·juniper logs [sandalwood/algum timber] from Lebanon. I know your servants are ·experienced [skilled; adept] at cutting down the trees in Lebanon, and my servants will help them. 9 Send me a ·lot [vast amount] of wood, because the ·temple [L house] I am going to build will be large and ·wonderful [magnificent]. 10 I will give your servants who cut the wood ·one hundred twenty-five thousand bushels [L twenty thousand kors] of wheat, ·one hundred twenty-five thousand bushels [L twenty thousand kors] of barley, ·one hundred fifteen thousand gallons [L twenty thousand baths] of wine, and ·one hundred fifteen thousand gallons [L twenty thousand baths] of oil.”
11 Then ·Hiram [or Huram; v. 3] king of Tyre answered Solomon with this letter: “Solomon, because the Lord loves his people, he ·chose [made] you to be their king.” 12 ·Hiram [or Huram; v. 3] also said: “·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, the God of Israel, who made ·heaven [the sky] and earth! He has given King David a wise son, ·one [endowed; gifted] with ·wisdom [discernment; intelligence; discretion] and ·understanding [insight], who will build a ·temple [L house] for the Lord and a ·palace [L house] for himself.
13 “I will send you a skilled and ·wise [talented; capable] man named Huram-Abi. 14 His mother was from the people of Dan, and his father was from Tyre. Huram-Abi is ·skilled [trained; knowledgeable] in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and with purple, ·blue [violet], and ·red thread [crimson cloth/yarn], and ·expensive [fine] linen. He is skilled in making engravings and can ·make [execute] any design ·you show [given to] him. He will help your ·craftsmen [artisans] and the craftsmen of your father David.
15 “Now my lord send ·my [L to his] servants the wheat, barley, oil, and wine you ·promised [spoke of]. 16 We will cut as much wood from Lebanon as you need and will bring it on rafts by sea to Joppa. Then you may ·carry [haul; transport] it to Jerusalem.”
17 Solomon ·counted [numbered; took a census of] all the foreigners living in Israel. (This was after the time his father David had counted the people [2 Sam. 24; 1 Chr. 21].) There were one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred foreigners. 18 Solomon ·chose [assigned; conscripted] seventy thousand of them ·to carry loads [as common laborers], eighty thousand of them to ·cut [quarry] stone in the mountains, and thirty-six hundred of them to ·direct [supervise; oversee] the workers and to keep the people working.
2 Chronicles 2
New International Version
2 Chronicles 2
New International Version
Preparations for Building the Temple(A)
2 [a]Solomon gave orders to build a temple(B) for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself.(C) 2 He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them.(D)
3 Solomon sent this message to Hiram[b](E) king of Tyre:
“Send me cedar logs(F) as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. 4 Now I am about to build a temple(G) for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense(H) before him, for setting out the consecrated bread(I) regularly, and for making burnt offerings(J) every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths,(K) at the New Moons(L) and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.
5 “The temple I am going to build will be great,(M) because our God is greater than all other gods.(N) 6 But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?(O) Who then am I(P) to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?
7 “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers,(Q) whom my father David provided.
8 “Send me also cedar, juniper and algum[c] logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours 9 to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. 10 I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors[d] of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors[e] of barley, twenty thousand baths[f] of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.(R)”
11 Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon:
“Because the Lord loves(S) his people, he has made you their king.”
12 And Hiram added:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth!(T) He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.
13 “I am sending you Huram-Abi,(U) a man of great skill, 14 whose mother was from Dan(V) and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained(W) to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue(X) and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father.
15 “Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil(Y) and wine he promised, 16 and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa.(Z) You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”
17 Solomon took a census of all the foreigners(AA) residing in Israel, after the census(AB) his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. 18 He assigned(AC) 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:18, and 2:2-18 is numbered 2:1-17.
- 2 Chronicles 2:3 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verses 11 and 12
- 2 Chronicles 2:8 Probably a variant of almug
- 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,600 tons or about 3,200 metric tons of wheat
- 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,000 tons or about 2,700 metric tons of barley
- 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, about 120,000 gallons or about 440,000 liters
2 Chronicles 2
Contemporary English Version
2 Chronicles 2
Contemporary English Version
Solomon Asks Hiram To Help Build the Temple
(1 Kings 5.1-12)
2 Solomon decided to build a temple where the Lord would be worshiped, and also to build a palace for himself. 2 He assigned 70,000 men to carry building supplies and 80,000 to cut stone from the hills. And he chose 3,600 men to supervise these workers.
3 Solomon sent the following message to King Hiram of Tyre:
Years ago, when my father David was building his palace, you supplied him with cedar logs. Now will you send me supplies? 4 I am building a temple where the Lord my God will be worshiped. Sweet-smelling incense will be burned there, and sacred bread will be offered to him. Worshipers will offer sacrifices to the Lord every morning and evening, every Sabbath, and on the first day of each month, as well as during all our religious festivals. These things will be done for all time, just as the Lord has commanded.
5 This will be a great temple, because our God is greater than all other gods. 6 (A) No one can ever build a temple large enough for God—even the heavens are too small a place for him to live in! All I can do is build a place where we can offer sacrifices to him.
7 Send me a worker who can not only carve, but who can work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as make brightly colored cloth. The person you send will work here in Judah and Jerusalem with the skilled workers that my father has already hired.
8 I know that you have workers who are experts at cutting lumber in Lebanon. So would you please send me some cedar, pine, and juniper logs? My workers will be there to help them, 9 because I'll need a lot of lumber to build such a large and glorious temple. 10 I will pay your woodcutters 2,000 tons of wheat, the same amount of barley, 400,000 liters of wine, and that same amount of olive oil.
11 Hiram sent his answer back to Solomon:
I know that the Lord must love his people, because he has chosen you to be their king. 12 Praise the Lord God of Israel who made heaven and earth! He has given David a son who isn't only wise and smart, but who has the knowledge to build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.
13 I am sending Huram Abi to you. He is wise and very skillful. 14 His mother was from the Israelite tribe of Dan, and his father was from Tyre. Not only is Huram an expert at working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, but he can also make colored cloth and fine linen. And he can carve anything if you give him a pattern to follow. He can help your workers and those hired by your father King David.
15 Go ahead and send the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine you promised to pay my workers. 16 I will tell them to start cutting down trees in Lebanon. They will cut as many as you need, then tie them together into rafts, and float them down along the coast to Joppa. Your workers can take them to Jerusalem from there.
Solomon's Work Force
17 Solomon counted all the foreigners who were living in Israel, just as his father David had done when he was king, and the total was 153,600. 18 He assigned 70,000 of them to carry building supplies and 80,000 of them to cut stone from the hills. He chose 3,600 others to supervise the workers and to make sure the work was completed.
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