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Acts 14
New Living Translation

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

14 The same thing happened in Iconium.[a] Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. 2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. 3 But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

5 Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. 6 When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. 7 And there they preached the Good News.

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe

8 While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting 9 and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. 10 So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!” 12 They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. 13 Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, 15 “Friends,[b] why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16 In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, 17 but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” 18 But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.

19 Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. 20 But as the believers[c] gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch of Syria

21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. 23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 Then they traveled back through Pisidia to Pamphylia. 25 They preached the word in Perga, then went down to Attalia.

26 Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun. The believers there had entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed. 27 Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too. 28 And they stayed there with the believers for a long time.

Footnotes

  1. 14:1 Iconium, as well as Lystra and Derbe (14:6), were towns in what is now Turkey.
  2. 14:15 Greek Men.
  3. 14:20 Greek disciples; also in 14:22, 28.
Listen to Acts 14, 1 Chronicles 29, 2 Chronicles 1-2
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Acts 14
New International Version

In Iconium

14 At Iconium(A) Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue.(B) There they spoke so effectively that a great number(C) of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.(D) 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly(E) for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.(F) 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.(G) 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews,(H) together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.(I) 6 But they found out about it and fled(J) to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach(K) the gospel.(L)

In Lystra and Derbe

8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth(M) and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed(N) 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!”(O) At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.(P)

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”(Q) 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.(R) 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes(S) and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human,(T) like you. We are bringing you good news,(U) telling you to turn from these worthless things(V) to the living God,(W) who made the heavens and the earth(X) and the sea and everything in them.(Y) 16 In the past, he let(Z) all nations go their own way.(AA) 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony:(AB) He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;(AC) he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”(AD) 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

19 Then some Jews(AE) came from Antioch and Iconium(AF) and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul(AG) and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples(AH) had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

The Return to Antioch in Syria

21 They preached the gospel(AI) in that city and won a large number(AJ) of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium(AK) and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.(AL) “We must go through many hardships(AM) to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a](AN) for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,(AO) committed them to the Lord,(AP) in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia,(AQ) 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch,(AR) where they had been committed to the grace of God(AS) for the work they had now completed.(AT) 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them(AU) and how he had opened a door(AV) of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.(AW)

Footnotes

  1. Acts 14:23 Or Barnabas ordained elders; or Barnabas had elders elected
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Acts 13
Acts 15
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1 Chronicles 29
New Living Translation

Gifts for Building the Temple

29 Then King David turned to the entire assembly and said, “My son Solomon, whom God has clearly chosen as the next king of Israel, is still young and inexperienced. The work ahead of him is enormous, for the Temple he will build is not for mere mortals—it is for the Lord God himself! 2 Using every resource at my command, I have gathered as much as I could for building the Temple of my God. Now there is enough gold, silver, bronze, iron, and wood, as well as great quantities of onyx, other precious stones, costly jewels, and all kinds of fine stone and marble.

3 “And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. 4 I am donating more than 112 tons of gold[a] from Ophir and 262 tons of refined silver[b] to be used for overlaying the walls of the buildings 5 and for the other gold and silver work to be done by the craftsmen. Now then, who will follow my example and give offerings to the Lord today?”

6 Then the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and captains of the army,[c] and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly. 7 For the construction of the Temple of God, they gave about 188 tons of gold,[d] 10,000 gold coins,[e] 375 tons of silver,[f] 675 tons of bronze,[g] and 3,750 tons of iron.[h] 8 They also contributed numerous precious stones, which were deposited in the treasury of the house of the Lord under the care of Jehiel, a descendant of Gershon. 9 The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy.

David’s Prayer of Praise

10 Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly:

“O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel,[i] may you be praised forever and ever! 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.

13 “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! 15 We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

16 “O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a Temple to honor your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! 17 I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyously.

18 “O Lord, the God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make your people always want to obey you. See to it that their love for you never changes. 19 Give my son Solomon the wholehearted desire to obey all your commands, laws, and decrees, and to do everything necessary to build this Temple, for which I have made these preparations.”

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Give praise to the Lord your God!” And the entire assembly praised the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and knelt before the Lord and the king.

Solomon Named as King

21 The next day they brought 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 male lambs as burnt offerings to the Lord. They also brought liquid offerings and many other sacrifices on behalf of all Israel. 22 They feasted and drank in the Lord’s presence with great joy that day.

And again they crowned David’s son Solomon as their new king. They anointed him before the Lord as their leader, and they anointed Zadok as priest. 23 So Solomon took the throne of the Lord in place of his father, David, and he succeeded in everything, and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officials, the warriors, and the sons of King David pledged their loyalty to King Solomon. 25 And the Lord exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and he gave Solomon greater royal splendor than any king in Israel before him.

Summary of David’s Reign

26 So David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27 He reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 28 He died at a ripe old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth, and honor. Then his son Solomon ruled in his place.

29 All the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in The Record of Samuel the Seer, The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Record of Gad the Seer. 30 These accounts include the mighty deeds of his reign and everything that happened to him and to Israel and to all the surrounding kingdoms.

Footnotes

  1. 29:4a Hebrew 3,000 talents [102 metric tons] of gold.
  2. 29:4b Hebrew 7,000 talents [238 metric tons] of silver.
  3. 29:6 Hebrew the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
  4. 29:7a Hebrew 5,000 talents [170 metric tons] of gold.
  5. 29:7b Hebrew 10,000 darics [a Persian coin] of gold, about 185 pounds or 84 kilograms in weight.
  6. 29:7c Hebrew 10,000 talents [340 metric tons] of silver.
  7. 29:7d Hebrew 18,000 talents [612 metric tons] of bronze.
  8. 29:7e Hebrew 100,000 talents [3,400 metric tons] of iron.
  9. 29:10 Israel is the name that God gave to Jacob.
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1 Chronicles 29
New International Version

Gifts for Building the Temple

29 Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced.(A) The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. 2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold(B) for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,[a](C) stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.(D) 3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided(E) for this holy temple: 4 three thousand talents[b] of gold (gold of Ophir)(F) and seven thousand talents[c] of refined silver,(G) for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”

6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials(H) in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.(I) 7 They(J) gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents[d] and ten thousand darics[e] of gold, ten thousand talents[f] of silver, eighteen thousand talents[g] of bronze and a hundred thousand talents[h] of iron. 8 Anyone who had precious stones(K) gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.(L) 9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly(M) to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer

10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, Lord,
    the God of our father Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power(N)
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.(O)
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.(P)
12 Wealth and honor(Q) come from you;
    you are the ruler(R) of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
    and praise your glorious name.

14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?(S) Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.(T) 15 We are foreigners and strangers(U) in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow,(V) without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart(W) and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.(X) 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you. 19 And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion(Y) to keep your commands, statutes and decrees(Z) and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”(AA)

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, “Praise the Lord your God.” So they all praised the Lord, the God of their fathers; they bowed down, prostrating themselves before the Lord and the king.

Solomon Acknowledged as King(AB)

21 The next day they made sacrifices to the Lord and presented burnt offerings to him:(AC) a thousand bulls, a thousand rams and a thousand male lambs, together with their drink offerings, and other sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.(AD) 22 They ate and drank with great joy(AE) in the presence of the Lord that day.

Then they acknowledged Solomon son of David as king a second time, anointing him before the Lord to be ruler and Zadok(AF) to be priest. 23 So Solomon sat(AG) on the throne(AH) of the Lord as king in place of his father David. He prospered and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the officers and warriors, as well as all of King David’s sons,(AI) pledged their submission to King Solomon.

25 The Lord highly exalted(AJ) Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor(AK) such as no king over Israel ever had before.(AL)

The Death of David(AM)

26 David son of Jesse was king(AN) over all Israel.(AO) 27 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron(AP) and thirty-three in Jerusalem.(AQ) 28 He died(AR) at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.(AS)

29 As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer,(AT) the records of Nathan(AU) the prophet and the records of Gad(AV) the seer, 30 together with the details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Israel and the kingdoms of all the other lands.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 29:2 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  2. 1 Chronicles 29:4 That is, about 110 tons or about 100 metric tons
  3. 1 Chronicles 29:4 That is, about 260 tons or about 235 metric tons
  4. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 190 tons or about 170 metric tons
  5. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 185 pounds or about 84 kilograms
  6. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 380 tons or about 340 metric tons
  7. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 675 tons or about 610 metric tons
  8. 1 Chronicles 29:7 That is, about 3,800 tons or about 3,400 metric tons
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1 Chronicles 28
2 Chronicles 1
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2 Chronicles 1-2
New Living Translation

Solomon Asks for Wisdom

1 Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful.

2 Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel—the generals and captains of the army,[a] the judges, and all the political and clan leaders. 3 Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God’s Tabernacle[b] was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the Lord’s servant, had made in the wilderness.)

4 David had already moved the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur was there[c] at Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the Lord. So Solomon and the people gathered in front of it to consult the Lord.[d] 6 There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it.

7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

8 Solomon replied to God, “You showed great and faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place. 9 O Lord God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth! 10 Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly,[e] for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people— 12 I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!”

13 Then Solomon returned to Jerusalem from the Tabernacle at the place of worship in Gibeon, and he reigned over Israel.

14 Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses.[f] He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.[g] 16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt[h] and from Cilicia[i]; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. 17 At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver,[j] and horses for 150 pieces of silver.[k] They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Preparations for Building the Temple

2 [l]Solomon decided to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord, and also a royal palace for himself. 2 [m]He enlisted a force of 70,000 laborers, 80,000 men to quarry stone in the hill country, and 3,600 foremen.

3 Solomon also sent this message to King Hiram[n] at Tyre:

“Send me cedar logs as you did for my father, David, when he was building his palace. 4 I am about to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God. It will be a place set apart to burn fragrant incense before him, to display the special sacrificial bread, and to sacrifice burnt offerings each morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, at new moon celebrations, and at the other appointed festivals of the Lord our God. He has commanded Israel to do these things forever.

5 “This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods. 6 But who can really build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain him! So who am I to consider building a Temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices to him?

7 “So send me a master craftsman who can work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as with purple, scarlet, and blue cloth. He must be a skilled engraver who can work with the craftsmen of Judah and Jerusalem who were selected by my father, David.

8 “Also send me cedar, cypress, and red sandalwood[o] logs from Lebanon, for I know that your men are without equal at cutting timber in Lebanon. I will send my men to help them. 9 An immense amount of timber will be needed, for the Temple I am going to build will be very large and magnificent. 10 In payment for your woodcutters, I will send 100,000 bushels of crushed wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley,[p] 110,000 gallons of wine, and 110,000 gallons of olive oil.[q]”

11 King Hiram sent this letter of reply to Solomon:

“It is because the Lord loves his people that he has made you their king! 12 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son, gifted with skill and understanding, who will build a Temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

13 “I am sending you a master craftsman named Huram-abi, who is extremely talented. 14 His mother is from the tribe of Dan in Israel, and his father is from Tyre. He is skillful at making things from gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and he also works with stone and wood. He can work with purple, blue, and scarlet cloth and fine linen. He is also an engraver and can follow any design given to him. He will work with your craftsmen and those appointed by my lord David, your father.

15 “Send along the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine that my lord has mentioned. 16 We will cut whatever timber you need from the Lebanon mountains and will float the logs in rafts down the coast of the Mediterranean Sea[r] to Joppa. From there you can transport the logs up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon took a census of all foreigners in the land of Israel, like the census his father had taken, and he counted 153,600. 18 He assigned 70,000 of them as common laborers, 80,000 as quarry workers in the hill country, and 3,600 as foremen.

Footnotes

  1. 1:2 Hebrew the commanders of thousands and of hundreds.
  2. 1:3 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 1:6, 13.
  3. 1:5a As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate, and some Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text reads he placed.
  4. 1:5b Hebrew to consult him.
  5. 1:10 Hebrew to go out and come in before this people.
  6. 1:14 Or charioteers; also in 1:14b.
  7. 1:15 Hebrew the Shephelah.
  8. 1:16a Possibly Muzur, a district near Cilicia; also in 1:17.
  9. 1:16b Hebrew Kue, probably another name for Cilicia.
  10. 1:17a Hebrew 600 [shekels] of silver, about 15 pounds or 6.8 kilograms in weight.
  11. 1:17b Hebrew 150 [shekels], about 3.8 pounds or 1.7 kilograms in weight.
  12. 2:1 Verse 2:1 is numbered 1:18 in Hebrew text.
  13. 2:2 Verses 2:2-18 are numbered 2:1-17 in Hebrew text.
  14. 2:3 Hebrew Huram, a variant spelling of Hiram; also in 2:11.
  15. 2:8 Or juniper; Hebrew reads algum, perhaps a variant spelling of almug; compare 9:10-11 and parallel text at 1 Kgs 10:11-12.
  16. 2:10a Hebrew 20,000 cors [4,400 kiloliters] of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley.
  17. 2:10b Hebrew 20,000 baths [420 kiloliters] of wine, and 20,000 baths of olive oil.
  18. 2:16 Hebrew the sea.
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2 Chronicles 1-2
New International Version

Solomon Asks for Wisdom(A)(B)

1 Solomon son of David established(C) himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with(D) him and made him exceedingly great.(E)

2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel(F)—to the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, to the judges and to all the leaders in Israel, the heads of families— 3 and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon,(G) for God’s tent of meeting(H) was there, which Moses(I) the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. 4 Now David had brought up the ark(J) of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent(K) for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar(L) that Bezalel(M) son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the tabernacle of the Lord; so Solomon and the assembly inquired(N) of him there. 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 That night God appeared(O) to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

8 Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me(P) king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, let your promise(Q) to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth.(R) 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead(S) this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth,(T) possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor,(U) such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.(V)”

13 Then Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting. And he reigned over Israel.

14 Solomon accumulated chariots(W) and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,[a] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold(X) as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue[b]—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. 17 They imported a chariot(Y) from Egypt for six hundred shekels[c] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.[d] They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.

Preparations for Building the Temple(Z)

2 [e]Solomon gave orders to build a temple(AA) for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself.(AB) 2 He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them.(AC)

3 Solomon sent this message to Hiram[f](AD) king of Tyre:

“Send me cedar logs(AE) 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(AF) for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense(AG) before him, for setting out the consecrated bread(AH) regularly, and for making burnt offerings(AI) every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths,(AJ) at the New Moons(AK) 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,(AL) because our God is greater than all other gods.(AM) 6 But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?(AN) Who then am I(AO) 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,(AP) whom my father David provided.

8 “Send me also cedar, juniper and algum[g] 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[h] of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors[i] of barley, twenty thousand baths[j] of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.(AQ)”

11 Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon:

“Because the Lord loves(AR) 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!(AS) 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,(AT) a man of great skill, 14 whose mother was from Dan(AU) and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained(AV) to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue(AW) 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(AX) 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.(AY) You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon took a census of all the foreigners(AZ) residing in Israel, after the census(BA) his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. 18 He assigned(BB) 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

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:14 Or charioteers
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:16 Probably Cilicia
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:17 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:17 That is, about 3 3/4 pounds or about 1.7 kilograms
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:18, and 2:2-18 is numbered 2:1-17.
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:3 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verses 11 and 12
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:8 Probably a variant of almug
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,600 tons or about 3,200 metric tons of wheat
  9. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,000 tons or about 2,700 metric tons of barley
  10. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, about 120,000 gallons or about 440,000 liters
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