2 Chronicles 2:3-18 ▼

3 And Solomon sent to Huram king of Tyre, saying, “Do as you did with David my father, sending him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in it.

4 Behold, I am building a house for the Name of YHWH my God to consecrate to Him, to burn before Him incense of spices, and for continual showbread, and for the burnt offerings at the morning and at the evening, on the Sabbaths, and on the New Moons, and at appointed seasons of YHWH our God. Forever this is upon Israel.

5 And the temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than all the gods.

6 And who can keep strength to build unto Him a temple, since the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain Him? And who am I that I should build unto Him a temple, for but to burn sacrifices before Him?

7 And now send to me a skillful man to work in the gold, and in the silver, and in the bronze, and in the iron, and in the purple and crimson and blue, and who has skill in engraving engravings with the wise who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared.

8 And send to me cedar trees, and cypress, and algums from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut trees of Lebanon. And behold, my servants will be with your servants,

9 to prepare for me trees in abundance, because the house that I am building is great and wonderful.

10 And behold, to the wood cutters cutting the trees, to your servants, I will give ground wheat, twenty thousand cors, and barley, twenty thousand cors, and wine, twenty thousand baths, and oil, twenty thousand baths.”

11 And Huram king of Tyre answered in writing, and he sent to Solomon: “In the love of YHWH to His people, He has set you as king over them.”

12 And Huram said: “Blessed be YHWH, God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth, for He has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for YHWH and a house for his kingdom.

13 And I have sent a wise man, knowing with understanding, Huram-abi,

14 son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father a man of Tyre, skilled to work in the gold, and in the silver, in the bronze, in the iron, in the stones, and in the wood, in purple, and in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson, and to engrave any engraving, and to accomplish any device that may be given to him with your wise ones, and with wise ones of my lord David your father.

15 And now the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants.

16 And we will cut trees from Lebanon, according to all your need, and we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, and you will bring them up to Jerusalem.”

17 And Solomon numbered all the men, the sojourners who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which David his father had numbered them. And they were found to be a hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

18 And he made of them seventy thousand porters, and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to make the people work.