Chronicles of the Past Dynasties_Chapter 2

Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the Lord and a palace for his kingdom.

Solomon chose 70000 to carry, 80000 to carve stones on the mountains, and 36000 to oversee the work.

Solomon sent messengers to Hiram king of Tyre and said, ‘You have brought cedar wood to build a palace with my father David to live in. Please do the same to me.’.

I will build a temple for the name of the Lord my God and consecrate it to him. I will burn fragrant incense before him and set out shewbread regularly. I will offer burnt offerings every morning and evening, every Sabbath, every new moon, and at the festivals designated by the Lord our God. This is an eternal law for the Israelites.

The temple I want to build is very large. Because our God is greater than all the gods.

Who can build a temple for him, as the heavens and the heavens are not yet sufficient for him to dwell in? Who am I. Can we build a temple for him? Just burning incense in front of him.

Now please send a skilled craftsman, who is skilled in using gold, silver, copper, iron, purple, vermilion, and blue thread, and skilled in carving, to work with the skilled craftsmen prepared by my father David in Judah and Jerusalem.

Bring me some cedar, pine, and sandalwood from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting down the trees of Lebanon. My servant will also work with your servant.

In this way, you can prepare a lot of wood for me, because the temple I want to build is exceptionally tall.

Your servants will cut down trees, and I will give them 20000 koels of beaten wheat, 20000 koels of barley, 20000 koels of wine, and 20000 koels of oil.

King Hiram of Tyre wrote a letter to Solomon, saying, Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.

And he said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who created heaven and earth. He gave King David a wise son, who had strategy and wisdom to build a house for the Lord and a palace for his kingdom.

Now I am sending a clever and clever man who was used by my father Hiram,

It is the son of a woman from the tribe of Dan. His father was from Tyre, and he was skilled in using gold, silver, copper, iron, stone, wood, purple, blue, vermilion thread, and fine linen to make all kinds of things. He was skilled in carving and could come up with all kinds of clever works. Please appoint this person to work together with your craftsmen and your father, the craftsmen of my lord David.

May my lord bring wheat, barley, wine, and oil to all his servants.

We will cut down trees from Lebanon according to your needs, tie them into rafts, and float them by sea to Joppa. You can transport it from there to Jerusalem.

Solomon numbered all the foreigners who lived in the land of Israel, according to his father David, a total of 153600.

Make 70000 people carry materials, 80000 people chisel stones on the mountains, and 3600 people supervise the work.