2Chronicles 2

Preparations for Building the Temple

Solomon decided to build a Temple to honor the name of the LORD, and also a royal palace for himself.H8010H559H1129H1004H8034H3068H1004H44382

He enlisted a force of 70,000 laborers, 80,000 men to quarry stone in the hill country, and 3,600 foremen.H8010H5608H7657H505H376H5449H8084H505H376H2672H2022H7969H505H8337H3967H53293Solomon also sent this message to King Hiram

at Tyre: "Send me cedar logs as you did for my father, David, when he was building his palace.H8010H7971H2361H4428H6865H559H6213H1732H1H7971H730H1129H1004H34274I 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.H1129H1004H8034H3068H430H6942H6999H6440H5561H7004H8548H4635H5930H1242H6153H7676H2320H4150H3068H430H5769H34785"This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods.H1004H1129H1419H1419H430H4306But 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?H6113H3581H1129H1004H8064H8064H8064H3557H1129H1004H518H6999H64407"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.H7971H376H2450H6213H2091H3701H5178H1270H710H3758H8504H3045H6605H6603H2450H3063H3389H1732H1H35598"Also send me cedar, cypress, and red sandalwood

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.H7971H730H6086H1265H418H3844H3045H5650H3045H3772H6086H3844H5650H56509An immense amount of timber will be needed, for the Temple I am going to build will be very large and magnificent.H3559H6086H7230H1004H1129H6381H141910In payment for your woodcutters, I will send 100,000 bushels of crushed wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley

, 110,000 gallons of wine, and 110,000 gallons of olive oil."H5414H5650H2404H3772H6086H6242H505H3734H4347H2406H6242H505H3734H8184H6242H505H1324H3196H6242H505H1324H808111King Hiram sent this letter of reply to Solomon: "It is because the LORD loves his people that he has made you their king!H2361H4428H6865H559H3791H7971H8010H3068H160H5971H5414H442812Praise 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.H2361H559H1288H3068H430H3478H6213H8064H776H5414H1732H4428H2450H1121H3045H7922H998H1129H1004H3068H1004H443813"I am sending you a master craftsman named Huram-abi, who is extremely talented.H7971H2450H376H3045H998H2361H114His 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.H1121H802H1323H1835H1H376H6876H3045H6213H2091H3701H5178H1270H68H6086H713H8504H948H3758H6605H6603H2803H4284H5414H2450H2450H113H1732H115"Send along the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine that my lord has mentioned.H2406H8184H8081H3196H113H559H7971H565016We will cut whatever timber you need from the Lebanon mountains and will float the logs in rafts down the coast of the Mediterranean Sea

to Joppa. From there you can transport the logs up to Jerusalem."H3772H6086H3844H6878H935H7513H3220H3305H5927H338917Solomon took a census of all foreigners in the land of Israel, like the census his father had taken, and he counted 153,600.H8010H5608H582H1616H776H3478H310H5610H1732H1H5608H4672H3967H2572H505H7969H505H8337H396718He assigned 70,000 of them as common laborers, 80,000 as quarry workers in the hill country, and 3,600 as foremen.H6213H7657H505H5449H8084H505H2672H2022H7969H505H8337H3967H5329H5647H5971H5647