THE SECOND BOOK OF THE
CHRONICLES
2 Chronicles 2 ©
Solomon appoints workmen to build the temple, v. 1, etc. He requests also from Hiram, the king of Tyre, laborers and timber, 3. Promising to furnish them with victuals, 10. Huram consents, and sends an eminent artificer to him, 11. Solomon numbers, and divides his laborers, 17.
AND Solomon 1determined to build an 2house for 3the name of the LORD, and an 4house for his kingdom.
And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand 5to hew in the 6mountain, anda three thousand and 7six hundred 8to oversee them.
¶And Solomon sentb to 9Huram 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.
Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to 10him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the 11continual shewbread, and for the burnt offeringsc 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 12for ever to Israel.
And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.
But who is able to build him an house, seeingd the heaven and 13heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, 14save only to burn sacrifice before him?
Send me now therefore a 15man 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.
Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and 16algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skille to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
And, behold, I will 17give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand 18measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand 19baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
¶Then Huram the king of Tyre 20answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.
Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, thatf made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, 21endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.
And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of 22Huram my father's,
The son of a 23woman of the 24daughters 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 25device 26which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.
Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spokeng of, let him send unto his servants:
And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floatsh by sea to 27Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.
¶And Solomoni numbered all the 28strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewithj David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.
And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be 29bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewersk in the 30mountain, and three thousand and six hundred 31overseers to set the people a work.