2:1 (1:18) 1 Solomon ordered a temple to be built to honor the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself. 2 2:2 (2:1) Solomon had 3 70,000 common laborers 4 and 80,000 stonecutters 5 in the hills, in addition to 3,600 supervisors. 6
2:3 Solomon sent a message to King Huram 7 of Tyre: 8 “Help me 9 as you did my father David, when you sent him cedar logs 10 for the construction of his palace. 11 2:4 Look, I am ready to build a temple to honor 12 the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him in order to burn fragrant incense before him, to set out the bread that is regularly displayed, 13 and to offer burnt sacrifices each morning and evening, and on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other times appointed by the Lord our God. This is something Israel must do on a permanent basis. 14 2:5 I will build a great temple, for our God is greater than all gods. 2:6 Of course, who can really build a temple for him, since the sky 15 and the highest heavens cannot contain him? Who am I that I should build him a temple! It will really be only a place to offer sacrifices before him. 16
2:7 “Now send me a man who is skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as purple, crimson, and violet colored fabrics, and who knows how to engrave. He will work with my skilled craftsmen here in Jerusalem 17 and Judah, whom my father David provided. 2:8 Send me cedars, evergreens, and algum 18 trees from Lebanon, for I know your servants are adept 19 at cutting down trees in Lebanon. My servants will work with your servants 2:9 to supply me with large quantities of timber, for I am building a great, magnificent temple. 2:10 Look, I will pay your servants who cut the timber 20,000 kors 20 of ground wheat, 20,000 kors of barley, 120,000 gallons 21 of wine, and 120,000 gallons of olive oil.”
2:11 King Huram 22 of Tyre sent this letter to Solomon: “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.” 2:12 Huram also said, “Worthy of praise is the Lord God of Israel, who made the sky and the earth! He has given David a wise son who has discernment and insight and will build a temple for the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself. 23 2:13 Now I am sending you Huram Abi, 24 a skilled and capable man, 2:14 whose mother is a Danite and whose father is a Tyrian. 25 He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stones, and wood, as well as purple, violet, white, and crimson fabrics. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and understands any design given to him. He will work with your skilled craftsmen and the skilled craftsmen of my lord David your father. 2:15 Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he has promised; 2:16 we will get all the timber you need from Lebanon 26 and bring it 27 in raft-like bundles 28 by sea to Joppa. You can then haul it on up to Jerusalem.”
2:17 Solomon took a census 29 of all the male resident foreigners in the land of Israel, after the census his father David had taken. There were 153,600 in all. 2:18 He designated 30 70,000 as common laborers, 31 80,000 as stonecutters 32 in the hills, and 3,600 as supervisors to make sure the people completed the work. 33
1:1 From James, 34 a slave 35 of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. 36 Greetings!
1:2 My brothers and sisters, 37 consider it nothing but joy 38 when you fall into all sorts of trials, 1:3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 1:4 And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. 1:5 But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him. 1:6 But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. 1:7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, 1:8 since he is a double-minded individual, 39 unstable in all his ways.
1:9 Now the believer 40 of humble means 41 should take pride 42 in his high position. 43 1:10 But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow. 44 1:11 For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever. 45 So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away. 1:12 Happy is the one 46 who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will receive the crown of life that God 47 promised to those who love him. 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, 48 and he himself tempts no one. 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. 1:15 Then when desire conceives, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it gives birth to death. 1:16 Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. 49 1:17 All generous giving and every perfect gift 50 is from above, coming down 51 from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. 52 1:18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birth 53 through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! 54 Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. 1:20 For human 55 anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. 56 1:21 So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly 57 welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls. 1:22 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. 1:23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone 58 who gazes at his own face 59 in a mirror. 1:24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets 60 what sort of person he was. 1:25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, 61 and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he 62 will be blessed in what he does. 63 1:26 If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile. 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before 64 God the Father 65 is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.