2 Chronicles 2:1-12

New American Standard Bible 1995

Solomon Will Build a Temple and Palace

2 ^[a](A)Now Solomon ^[b]decided to build a house for the name of the Lord and a ^[c]royal palace for himself. ^2 [d]So ^(B)Solomon ^[e]assigned 70,000 men to carry loads and 80,000 men to quarry stone in the mountains and 3,600 to supervise them.

^3 (C)Then Solomon sent word to ^[f]Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “^(D)As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build him a house to dwell in, so do for me. ⁴ Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, ^(E)to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out ^(F)the showbread continually, and to offer ^(G)burnt offerings morning and evening, ^(H)on sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, this being required forever in Israel. ⁵ The house which I am about to build will be great, for ^(I)greater is our God than all the gods. ⁶ But ^(J)who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to ^[g]burn incense before Him? ⁷ Now ^(K)send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass and iron, and in purple, crimson and violet fabrics, and who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled men ^[h](L)whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. ^8 (M)Send me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed ^(N)my servants will work with your servants, ⁹ to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. ¹⁰ Now behold, ^(O)I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, 20,000 ^[i]kors of crushed wheat and 20,000 ^[j]kors of barley, and 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil.”

Huram to Assist

¹¹ Then Huram, king of Tyre, ^[k]answered in a letter sent to Solomon: “^(P)Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.” ¹² Then Huram ^[l]continued, “Blessed be ^(Q)the Lord, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, ^[m]endowed with discretion and understanding, ^(R)who will build a house for the Lord and a ^[n]royal palace for himself.