Third Millennium Bible TMB
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD and a house for his kingdom.
1
Solomon gave orders to begin building the temple for the LORD's name and a royal palace for himself.
2 And Solomon counted out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
2
Solomon drafted 70,000 men to carry heavy loads, 80,000 to quarry stones in the mountains, and 3,600 foremen.
3 And Solomon sent to Hiram, the king of Tyre, saying, "As thou didst deal with David my father and didst send him cedars to build him a house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.
3
Solomon sent word to King Huram of Tyre by saying, "Do what you did for my father David. You sent him cedar so that he could build a palace to live in.
4 Behold, I build a house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him and to burn before Him sweet incense, and for the continual showbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.
4
I want to build the temple for the name of the LORD my God. I want to dedicate it to him, burn sweet-smelling incense in his presence, and have rows of bread there continually. I want to [sacrifice] burnt offerings every morning and evening, on weekly worship days, New Moon Festivals, and during the annual festivals appointed by the LORD our God. ([These festivals] are always to be celebrated by Israel.)
5 And the house which I build is great, for great is our God above all gods.
5
The temple I am building will be great because our God is greater than all other gods.
6 But who is able to build Him a house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a house, save only to burn sacrifice before Him?
6
But who is able to build him a temple when heaven itself, the highest heaven, cannot hold him? Who am I to build him a temple except as a place to sacrifice in his presence?
7 Send me now therefore a man skillful to work in gold and in silver, and in brass and in iron, and in purple and crimson and blue, and who can expertly engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.
7
"Send me a man who has the skill to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron as well as purple, dark red, and violet cloth. He should know how to make engravings with the skilled men whom my father David provided for me in Judah and Jerusalem.
8 Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon. And behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,
8
Send me cedar, cypress, and sandalwood from Lebanon. I know that your servants are skilled Lebanese lumberjacks. My workers will work with your workers.
9 even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.
9
They'll prepare plenty of lumber for me, because the temple I want to build will be large and astonishing.
10 And behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers who cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil."
10
I will give your lumberjacks 120,000 bushels of ground wheat, 120,000 bushels of barley, 200,000 gallons of wine, and 200,000 gallons of olive oil."
11 Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon: "Because the LORD hath loved His people, He hath made thee king over them."
11
Then King Huram of Tyre responded to Solomon by sending a letter that said, "Because the LORD loves his people, he made you their king."
12 Hiram said moreover: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, who might build a house for the LORD and a house for his kingdom.
12
Huram added, "May the LORD God of Israel be praised. He made the heavens and the earth and has given King David a wise son who has insight and intelligence and can build the LORD's temple and a royal palace.
13 "And now I have sent a skillful man, endued with understanding, Hiramabi
13
And now, I'm sending a man with skill and intelligence--Huram Abi.
14 (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skillful to work in gold and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to engrave any manner of engraving and to figure out every design which shall be put to him, with thy skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David thy father.
14
He was the son of a woman from the tribe of Dan, and his father is a native of Tyre. Huram knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, wood, purple, violet, and dark red cloth, and linen. He also knows how to make all kinds of engravings and follow any set of plans that will be given to him. [He can work] with your skilled workmen and the skilled workmen of His Majesty David, your father.
15 Now therefore, the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants;
15
Your Majesty may now send the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he promised the workers.
16 and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need; and we will bring it to thee as rafts by sea to Joppa, and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem."
16
We will cut all the lumber you need in Lebanon. Then we will make rafts out of it and send them to you in Joppa by sea. You can take it [from there] to Jerusalem."
17 And Solomon numbered all the strangers who were in the land of Israel, according to the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found a hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.
17
Solomon counted all the men who were foreigners in the land of Israel, as his father David had counted them. Solomon counted 153,600 foreigners.
18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people to work.
18
He made 70,000 of them carry heavy loads, 80,000 of them quarry stone in the mountains, and 3,600 of them supervise the work as foremen.
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.