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1 And Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of Jehovah, and a house for his kingdom.
2 And Solomon counted out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand as cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
3 And Solomon sent to Hiram the king of Tyre, saying, As you dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build him a house to dwell in, so deal with me.
4 Behold, I am building a house to the name of Jehovah 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 Jehovah our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.
5 And the house which I am building is great. For our God is great above all gods.
6 But who is able to build Him a house, since the heavens and heaven of the heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a house, except only to burn sacrifice before Him?
7 And now send me a man skillful to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and one who is skillful to engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.
8 And send me cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees out of Lebanon. For I know that your servants are skillful to cut timber in Lebanon. And, behold, my servants shall be with your servants
9 in order to prepare plenty of timber for me. For the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.
10 And behold, I will give to the hewers, those 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.
11 And Hiram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because Jehovah has loved His people, He has made you king over them.
12 And Hiram said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son blessed with judgment and understanding, who might build a house for Jehovah and a house for his kingdom.
13 And now I have sent a skillful man blessed with understanding, of Hiram my father,
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 bronze, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson. He also can engrave any kind of engraving, and can invent every device which shall be put to him, with your skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.
15 And now the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants.
16 And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you shall need. And we will bring it to you in floats by sea to Joppa. And you shall carry it up to Jerusalem.
17 And Solomon numbered all the aliens in the land of Israel, according to the numbering with which David his father had numbered them. And they were found to be a hundred and fifty-three thousand and six hundred.
18 And he set seventy thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and eighty thousand to be cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people to work.
The Modern King James Version (MKJV)
The Modern King James Version (MKJV) is a contemporary English translation of the Bible that aims to preserve the majesty and accuracy of the original King James Version (KJV) while updating its language for modern readers. Developed by Jay P. Green Sr. and first published in 1990, the MKJV seeks to maintain the literary beauty and doctrinal reliability of the KJV, making only necessary adjustments to archaic terms and phrases to enhance readability. This careful balance allows the MKJV to retain the classic feel of the KJV while making it more accessible to today’s audience.
One of the standout features of the MKJV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or word-for-word translation. The translators have meticulously preserved the structure and vocabulary of the KJV, only updating words and phrases that have become outdated or whose meanings have shifted over time. This approach ensures that the MKJV remains faithful to the original texts and maintains the theological and literary integrity of the KJV. By preserving the cadence and phrasing of the original, the MKJV offers a reading experience that is both familiar and refreshed for modern readers.
The MKJV also pays special attention to the textual basis of the translation. Like the KJV, it relies on the Textus Receptus for the New Testament and the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament. This adherence to traditional source texts underscores the MKJV’s commitment to continuity with the historic Christian tradition. The translation is designed to serve both devotional and scholarly purposes, providing a text that is suitable for study, teaching, and public reading in a variety of settings.
Despite its strengths, the Modern King James Version has faced some criticism. Some scholars and readers argue that the translation could benefit from a more extensive revision to fully embrace contemporary language, suggesting that the MKJV’s adherence to the structure and style of the KJV may still pose challenges for modern readers. Others appreciate the balance it strikes but note that it occupies a niche space, appealing primarily to those who have a strong attachment to the KJV. Nonetheless, the MKJV remains a respected and valued translation for those seeking a modern update of the KJV that honors its rich heritage and timeless message.