2 Chronicles 2
Preparations for the Temple
4Behold, I am about to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God to dedicate to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for displaying the showbread continuously, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening as well as on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is ordained for Israel forever.
4Behold, 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.
6But who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him? Who then am I, that I should build a house for Him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before Him?
6And 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?
7Send me, therefore, a craftsman skilled in engraving to work with gold and silver, with bronze and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with my craftsmen in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided.
7And 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.
8Send me also cedar, cypress,a and algumb logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber there. And indeed, my servants will work with yours
8And 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,
10I will pay your servants, the woodcutters, 20,000 cors of ground wheat,a 20,000 cors of barley,b 20,000 baths of wine,c and 20,000 baths of olive oil.”d
10And 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.”
Hiram’s Reply to Solomon
12And Hiram added:
“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son with insight and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.
12And 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.
14He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father is a man of Tyre. He is skilled in work with gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple, blue, and crimson yarn, and fine linen. He is experienced in every kind of engraving and can execute any design that is given him. He will work with your craftsmen and with those of my lord, your father David.
14son 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.
16We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, and we will float them to you as rafts by sea down to Joppa. Then you can take them up to Jerusalem.”
16And 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.”
17Solomon numbered all the foreign men in the land of Israel following the census his father David had conducted, and there were found to be 153,600 in all.
17And 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.