1Now Solomon decided to build a house for the name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself. 2So Solomon assigned 70000 men to carry loads and 80,000 men to quarry [stone] in the mountains and 3,600 to supervise them.
3Then Solomon sent [word] to Huram 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 do for me. 4"Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him and [to set out] the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of the LORD our God, this [being required] forever in Israel. 5"The house which I am about to build [will be] great, for greater is our God than all the gods. 6"But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn [incense] before Him? 7"Now send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass and iron, and in purple, crimson and violet [fabrics], and who knows how to make engravings, to [work] with the skilled men whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. 8"Send me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed my servants [will work] with your servants, 9to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build [will be] great and wonderful. 10"Now behold, I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, 20000 kors of crushed wheat and 20,000 kors of barley, and 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil."
Huram to Assist
11Then Huram, king of Tyre, answered in a letter sent to Solomon: "Because the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them." 12Then Huram continued, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build a house for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.
13"Now I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, endowed with understanding, 14the son of a Danite woman and a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and wood, [and] in purple, violet, linen and crimson fabrics, and [who knows how] to make all kinds of engravings and to execute any design which may be assigned to him, [to work] with your skilled men and with those of my lord David your father. 15"Now then, let my lord send to his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which he has spoken. 16"We will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you on rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem."
17Solomon numbered all the aliens who [were] in the land of Israel, following the census which his father David had taken; and 153,600 were found. 18He appointed 70000 of them to carry loads and 80,000 to quarry [stones] in the mountains and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.
