2 Chronicles 2:1-9 ▼

1 Now Solomon decided to build a house for the name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself.

2 So Solomon assigned 70000 men to carry loads and 80,000 men to quarry [stone] in the mountains and 3,600 to supervise them.

3 Then Solomon sent [word] to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, |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, to burn fragrant incense before Him and [to set out] the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, 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 greater is our God than all the gods.

6 |But 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 burn [incense] before Him?

7 |Now 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 whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.

8 |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 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.