2 Chronicles 2 - Introduction

1 and

17 Solomons labourers for the building of the Temple.

3 His embassage to Huram for workemen and prouision of stuffe.

11 Huram sendeth him a kinde answere.

1 And Solomon determined to build an house for the Name of the Lord, and an house for his kingdome.

2 And Solomon told out threescore and tenne thousand men to beare burdens, and fourescore thousand to hewe in the mountaine, and three thousand and sixe hundred to ouersee them.

3 And Solomon sent to [Note: Or, Hiram, 1 Kings 5:1.] Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou diddest deale with Dauid my father, and diddest send him Cedars to builde him an house to dwell therein, euen so deale with me.

[Preparation for the Temple.]

4 Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burne before him [Note: Hebrew: incense of spices.] sweet incense, and for the continuall shew-bread, and for the burnt offrings morning and euening, on the Sabbaths, and on the new Moones, and on the solemne feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance for euer to Israel.

5 And the house which I build, is great: for great is our God aboue all gods.

6 [Note: 1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chronicles 6:18.] But who [Note: Hebrew: hath retained, or obtained strength.] is able to build him an house, seeing the heauen, and heauen of heauens cannot conteine him? Who am I then that I should build him an house? Saue onely to burne sacrifice before him?

7 Send me now therefore a man, cunning to worke in gold and in siluer, and in brasse, and in yron, and in purple and crimson, and blew, and that can skil to [Note: Hebrew: to graue grauings.] graue, with the cunning men that are with me in Iudah, and in Ierusalem, whome Dauid my father did prouide.

8 Send me also Cedar trees, firre trees, and [Note: Or, Al. muggim, 1 Kings 10:11.] Algume trees, out of Lebanon: (for I know that thy seruants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon) and behold, my seruants shalbe with thy seruants,

9 Euen to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build, shalbe [Note: Hebrew: great and wonderfull.] wonderfull great.

10 And behold, I will giue to thy seruants the hewers that cut timber, twentie thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twentie thousand measures of barley, and twentie thousand baths of wine, and twentie thousand baths of oyle.

11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which hee sent to Solomon: Because the Lord hath loued his people, hee hath made thee King ouer them.

12 Huram said moreouer, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that made heauen and earth, who hath giuen to Dauid the King a wise sonne, [Note: Hebrew: knowing prudence and vnderstanding.] indued with prudence and vnderstanding, that might build an house for the Lord, and an house for his kingdome.

13 And now I haue sent a cunning man (indued with vnderstanding) of Huram my fathers:

14 The sonne of a woman of the

[The building of the Temple.]

daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilfull to worke in golde and in siluer, in brasse, in yron, in stone and in timber, in purple, in blew, and in fine linen, and in crimson: also to graue any maner of grauing, and to find out euery deuice which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord Dauid thy father.

15 Now therefore the wheate and the barley, the oyle and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send vnto his seruants:

16 And wee will cut wood out of Lebanon, [Note: Hebrew: according to all thy need.] as much as thou shalt need, and wee will bring it to thee in flotes by sea to [Note: Hebrew: Iapho.] Ioppa, and thou shalt carie it vp to Ierusalem.

17 [Note: As 2 Chronicles 2:3.] And Solomon numbred all [Note: Hebrew: the men the strangers.] the strangers that were in the lande of Israel, after the numbring wherewith Dauid his father had numbred them: and they were found an hundred and fiftie thousand, and three thousand and sixe hundred.

18 And he set [Note: As it is 2 Chronicles 2:1.] threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourescore thousand to be hewers in the mountaine, and three thousand and sixe hundred ouerseers to set the people a worke.