1And Ḥiram sovereign of Tsor sent his servants to Shelomoh, because he heard that they had anointed him sovereign in place of his father, for Ḥiram had always loved Dawiḏ.

2And Shelomoh sent to Ḥiram, saying,

3“You know my father Dawiḏ was unable to build a house for the Name of יהוה his Elohim because of the battles which were all around him, until יהוה put them under the soles of his feet.

4“But now יהוה my Elohim has given me rest all around, there is neither adversary nor evil incident.

5“And see, I intend to build a house for the Name of יהוה my Elohim, as יהוה spoke to my father Dawiḏ, saying, ‘Your son, whom I set on your throne in your place, he does build the house for My Name.’

6“And now, command that they cut down cedars for me from Leḇanon. And let my servants be with your servants, and let me pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say. For you know there is none among us who knows to cut timber like the Tsiḏonians.”

7And it came to be, when Ḥiram heard the words of Shelomoh, that he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be יהוה this day, for He has given Dawiḏ a wise son over this great people!”

8And Ḥiram sent to Shelomoh, saying, “I have heard that which you sent me. Let me do all you desire concerning the cedar and cypress logs.

9“Let my servants bring them down from Leḇanon to the sea, then I put them in rafts by sea to the place you direct me. And I shall spread them out there, then you take them up, while you do my desire by giving food for my household.”

10And Ḥiram gave Shelomoh cedar and cypress logs – all his desire.

11And Shelomoh gave Ḥiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of pressed oil. Thus Shelomoh gave to Ḥiram year by year.

12And יהוה gave Shelomoh wisdom, as He promised him. And there was peace between Ḥiram and Shelomoh, and the two of them made a covenant.

13And Sovereign Shelomoh raised up compulsory labour out of all Yisra’ĕl. And the compulsory labour was thirty thousand men.

14And he sent them to Leḇanon, ten thousand a month by courses – they were one month in Leḇanon, two months at home. And Aḏoniram was over the compulsory labour.

15And Shelomoh had seventy thousand bearing burdens, and eighty thousand hewing stone in the mountains,

16besides three thousand three hundred from the chiefs of Shelomoh’s deputies who were over the work, those ruling over the people who laboured in the work.

17And the sovereign commanded, and they brought large stones, precious stones, to lay the foundation of the House with hewn stones.

18And Shelomoh’s builders, and Ḥiram’s builders, and the men of Geḇal did hew, and prepared timber and stones to build the House.