Preparations for the Temple
1 Now Solomon decided to build a house for the name of the Lord and a house for his kingdom. 2 Solomon counted out 70,000 men for common labor, 80,000 men who were stone cutters in the mountains and 3,600 to oversee them.
3 Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build him a house in which to dwell, so deal with me. 4 I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, to burn before him incense of sweet spices for the continual show bread and for the burnt offerings morning and evening on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.
5 The house which I am building will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 But who is able to build him a house, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? Who am I then, that I should build him a house, except just to burn incense before him?
7 Now therefore send me a man skillful to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue, and who knows how to do engravings, to be among the skillful men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.
8 Send me also cedar trees, cypress trees, and algum trees out of Lebanon; for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon. My servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. 10 I will give to your servants, the cutters who cut timber, 100,000 bushels of beaten wheat, 100,000 bushels of barley, 110,000 gallons of wine, and 110,000 gallons of oil.”
Huram Agrees to Assist
11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, “Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you king over them.”
12 Huram continued, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who would build a house for the Lord, and a house for his kingdom.
13 Now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Huram-abi. 14 He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan. His father was a man of Tyre, skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, timber, and with fine linen of purple, blue, and crimson, and also in engraving of any kind of engraving and devising any device, that there may be a place appointed to him with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.
15 Now therefore the wheat, 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 need. We will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa. Then you shall carry it up to Jerusalem.”
17 Solomon counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, after the census with which David his father had counted them, and they found 153,600. 18 He set 70,000 of them to bear burdens, 80,000 who were stone cutters in the mountains, and 3,600 overseers to assign the people their work.