Preparations for the Temple (2 Chronicles 2:1–10)
1 UST Hiram, the king of the city of Tyre, had always been an ally of King David. So when he heard that Solomon had succeeded his father David as king, he sent messengers to Solomon{ to congratulate him}. BSB BSB: Now when Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king in his father’s place, he sent envoys to Solomon; for Hiram had always been a friend of David.
2 UST { In response,} Solomon sent his own messengers to Hiram to give him this message: BSB BSB: And Solomon relayed this message to Hiram:
3 UST “You know that my father David wanted to build a temple in which we could worship Yahweh our God. But he was not able to do that, because the enemy kings around him kept attacking him. Yahweh finally enabled him to defeat all his enemies. BSB BSB: “As you are well aware, due to the wars waged on all sides against my father David, he could not build a house for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD had put his enemies under his feet.
4 UST Yahweh our God has enabled us to have peaceful relations now with all of the countries around us. No one is attacking us, and nothing bad is happening. BSB BSB: But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or crisis.
5 UST So I am now planning to build a temple in which we can worship Yahweh our God. I will be doing what Yahweh promised my father David when he told him,‘I am going to make one of your sons the next king after you die, and that son will build a temple where you Israelites can worship me.’ BSB BSB: So behold, I plan to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God, according to what the LORD said to my father David: ‘I will put your son on your throne in your place, and he will build the house for My Name.’
6 UST So I am asking you to order your workers to cut down cedar trees in Lebanon{ to make lumber} for me. My men will work with them, and I will pay your workers whatever you ask. I want to hire your workers because, as you know, none of us Israelites know how to cut down trees as well as you Sidonians do.” BSB BSB: Now therefore, order that cedars of Lebanon be cut down for me. My servants will be with your servants, and I will pay your servants whatever wages you set, for you know that there are none among us as skilled in logging as the Sidonians.”
Hiram’s Reply to Solomon (2 Chronicles 2:11–18)
7 UST When Hiram heard the message from Solomon, he was very happy. He said,“I thank Yahweh today for giving David such a wise son to rule that great nation!” BSB BSB: When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD this day! He has given David a wise son over this great people!”
8 UST He sent this message back to Solomon,“You sent messengers to ask me to do something, and I agree to do it. I will provide as many cedar and cypress logs as you want. BSB BSB: Then Hiram sent a reply to Solomon, saying: “I have received your message; I will do all you desire regarding the cedar and cypress timber.
9 UST My workers will bring the logs down from the Lebanon mountains to the sea. Then they will tie the logs together to make rafts{, and they will float them along the coast} to the place that you indicate to me. Then my workers will untie the rafts, and your workers can take the logs out of the sea{ and bring them to Jerusalem}. In exchange, I ask you to supply food for the people to whom I serve meals in my palace.” BSB BSB: My servants will haul the logs from Lebanon to the Sea, and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate the logs, and you can take them away. And in exchange, you can meet my needs by providing my household with food.”
10 UST { Solomon agreed,} so Hiram arranged for his workers to supply all the cedar and cypress logs that Solomon wanted. BSB BSB: So Hiram provided Solomon with all the cedar and cypress timber he wanted,
11 UST Each year Solomon provided Hiram with over 2, 000 metric tons of wheat and over 4, 000 liters of pure olive oil to feed the people in his palace. BSB BSB: and year after year Solomon would provide Hiram with 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household, as well as 20,000 baths of pure olive oil.
12 UST Yahweh had promised that he would make Solomon wise, and he did that. Solomon and Hiram made a treaty with each other and agreed to be friends. BSB BSB: And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
Solomon’s Labor Force 13 UST King Solomon required 30, 000 Israelite men to become his workers. BSB BSB: Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel.
14 UST { Solomon’ s official} Adoniram supervised these men. Each month 10, 000 of them went to Lebanon and worked for a month there. Then those men went back home for two months{ and other men went to work in Lebanon}. BSB BSB: He sent them to Lebanon in monthly shifts of 10,000 men, so that they would spend one month in Lebanon and two months at home. And Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.
15 UST Solomon also forced 80, 000 men to cut large blocks of stone out of the hills and 70, 000 men to haul those stones{ to Jerusalem}. BSB BSB: Solomon had 70,000 porters and 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains,
16 UST Solomon also assigned 3, 300 men to supervise the work of all these other men. BSB BSB: not including his 3,300 foremen who supervised the workers.
17 UST The stone workers did what King Solomon had ordered them to do. They cut huge blocks of stone from quarries. They made sure that the stone in the blocks was solid. They trimmed the blocks to make them smooth and straight. That way the blocks could be the foundation of the temple. BSB BSB: And the king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones.
18 UST So the men who worked for King Solomon and for King Hiram shaped the stones and prepared the timber to build the temple. Men from the city of Gebal{ who were experts in that kind of work} helped them. BSB BSB: So Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders, along with the Gebalites, quarried the stone and prepared the timber and stone for the construction of the temple.
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