2 Chronicles Chapter 2
Showing all 18 verses for 2 Chronicles Chapter 2.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom. "
"Solomon decided to build a temple for the LORD's name and a palace for his own kingdom."
Every great work of your life starts as a decision in your heart before it becomes visible to anyone else. Don't wait for permission or perfect conditions to commit to what genuinely matters to you.
"And Solomon told 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. "
"Solomon assigned seventy thousand men to carry loads, eighty thousand to cut stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to supervise them."
Dreaming big is good, but I also want you to do the unglamorous work of organising and delegating so the dream can actually be built. Vision without structure rarely becomes reality.
"And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. "
"Solomon sent word to Huram king of Tyre: "Just as you supplied cedar to my father David to build his palace, do the same for me.""
I never expect you to have every resource or skill within yourself. Reach out, build honest partnerships, and let other people's strengths fill in where yours run out.
"Behold, I build an 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 shewbread, 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. "
""I am building a house for the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate to him - to burn fragrant incense before him, for the regular showbread, and for burnt offerings morning and evening, on Sabbaths, new moons, and appointed festivals of the LORD our God. This is a lasting rule for Israel.""
The best things you build in life are the ones meant to serve people long after you're no longer the one maintaining them. Build for continuity, not just for the moment you get credit.
"And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. "
""The house I'm building will be great, because our God is greater than all gods.""
What you give your best effort to says something true about what you value most. Let your best work go towards what actually deserves it.
"But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? "
""But who can really build him a house, when even the highest heavens can't contain him? Who am I to build him a house, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?""
Even your greatest achievements don't need to carry more weight than they can bear. Build boldly, but hold what you build with open, humble hands rather than treating it as the whole story.
"Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide. "
""So send me a man skilled in gold, silver, bronze, iron, purple, crimson, and blue thread, who also knows how to engrave, to work alongside the skilled craftsmen my father David already provided in Judah and Jerusalem.""
When you ask for help, be specific about what you actually need - vague requests get vague results. I want you to know your own needs clearly enough to name them.
"Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, "
""Also send me cedar, cypress, and algum wood from Lebanon, because I know your servants know how to cut Lebanon's timber. My men will work alongside yours.""
The best partnerships aren't transactions - they're shared effort where both sides show up and work. Don't just take what others offer; contribute alongside them.
"Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great. "
""I need a huge amount of timber, because the house I'm building will be extraordinarily great.""
When something truly matters to you, it's alright to give it your full, undivided effort and resources. Let your devotion show up in how much you're willing to give, not just in what you say.
"And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that 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. "
""I will give your servants who cut the timber twenty thousand measures of wheat, twenty thousand of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.""
Honour the people who work for you or with you by making sure they're properly and fairly provided for. Generosity in what you give back is part of what love looks like in practice.
"Then Huram 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. "
"Huram king of Tyre replied in writing to Solomon: "Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you king over them.""
Don't assume that only people who think exactly like you can see and honour what's good in you. I work through recognition and respect that crosses every boundary people build between "us" and "them."
"Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom. "
"Huram continued, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, for giving David the king such a wise son, full of good judgement and understanding, to build a house for the LORD and a palace for his kingdom.""
Live in a way where your good judgement and kindness are obvious even to people who see the world completely differently from you. That's often a stronger witness than anything you could say.
"And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father’s, "
""I am sending you a skilled craftsman, full of understanding - one who belonged to Huram my father.""
When you give, give your best - not merely what costs you least. I notice the difference between token generosity and genuine investment in someone else's need.
"The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful 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 grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father. "
""He is the son of a woman from the tribe of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre - skilled in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, timber, purple, blue, fine linen, and crimson, able to engrave anything and design any device given to him, to work with your skilled craftsmen and those of your father David.""
Don't let anyone tell you that having a mixed or complicated background makes you less capable or less welcome. I use exactly the people the world might overlook to build the most beautiful things.
"Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants: "
""Now let my lord send the wheat, barley, oil, and wine he mentioned, to his servants.""
Say what you mean and then actually do it. Trustworthiness in the small, practical agreements of life is part of what makes you someone people can build something meaningful with.
"And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem. "
""We will cut as much wood from Lebanon as you need and bring it to you by sea on rafts to Joppa, and you can carry it up to Jerusalem.""
Don't be discouraged by the practical, unglamorous logistics standing between you and something meaningful. I'm present in the planning and the shipping as much as in the inspiration.
"And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred. "
"Solomon counted all the foreigners living in the land of Israel, following the earlier census his father David had taken, and found there were a hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred of them."
You don't have to reinvent everything from scratch. Build wisely on what others before you have already learned and recorded - that's not a shortcut, it's good stewardship.
"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 a work. "
"He assigned seventy thousand of them as burden bearers, eighty thousand as stone-cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred as supervisors to keep the people working."
An idea in your heart becomes real in the world only once you give it shape - roles, structure, people who know what they're responsible for. Don't stop at the dream; carry it all the way into action.