2 ChroniclesChapter 2

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¹Solomon planned to build a house for the Name of the LORD. He also planned a royal palace for himself. ²So he forced 70,000 men to carry loads. He forced 80,000 men to cut stone in the mountains. And he put 3,600 men over them as bosses. ³Then Solomon sent a message to Hiram king of Tyre. He said, "Do for me what you did for my father David. You sent him cedar logs to build a house to live in. ⁴Now I am about to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God. I will set it apart for him. There we will burn sweet incense before him. We will always set out the showbread. We will give burnt offerings every morning and evening. We will give them on the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is a law for Israel forever. ⁵The house I am building will be great, because our God is greater than all gods. ⁶But who can build a house for him? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot hold him. So who am I to build a house for him? It can only be a place to burn sacrifices before him. ⁷So send me a man who is skilled at engraving. He must know how to work with gold and silver, bronze and iron, and purple, red, and blue yarn. He will work with my skilled workers in Judah and Jerusalem. My father David provided them. ⁸Also send me cedar, cypress, and algum logs from Lebanon. I know your servants are skilled at cutting wood there. My servants will work with yours ⁹to get plenty of lumber ready for me, because the temple I am building will be great and wonderful. ¹⁰I will pay your servants who cut the wood. I will give them 20,000 cors of ground wheat and 20,000 cors of barley. I will give them 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of olive oil."a ¹¹Then Hiram king of Tyre wrote a letter back to Solomon. He said, "The LORD loves his people, so he has made you king over them." ¹²Hiram also said, "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son. This son has good sense and understanding. He will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself. ¹³So now I am sending you Huram-abi. He is a skilled man, gifted with great ability. ¹⁴His mother was from the tribe of Dan, and his father was a man from Tyre. He is skilled at working with gold and silver, bronze and iron, and stone and wood. He can work with purple, blue, and red yarn and with fine linen. He knows every kind of engraving. He can make any design that is given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, your father David. ¹⁵Now let my lord send his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he promised. ¹⁶We will cut as many logs from Lebanon as you need. We will tie them into rafts and float them by sea to Joppa. Then you can take them up to Jerusalem." ¹⁷Solomon counted all the foreigners living in the land of Israel. This followed the count his father David had made. There were 153,600 in all. ¹⁸Solomon made 70,000 of them carry loads and 80,000 cut stone in the mountains. He made 3,600 of them bosses over the workers.