Yahweh’s House Will Be Great

1[†]Then Solomon [†]decided to build a house for the name of Yahweh and a [†]royal palace for himself. 2[†]So Solomon numbered 70,000 men to carry loads and 80,000 men to hew stone in the mountains and 3,600 to direct 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 live in, so do for me. 4Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, setting it apart to Him as holy, 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 Yahweh our God, this being required forever in Israel. 5Now the house which I am about to build will be great, for greater is our God than all the gods. 6But 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? 7So now, send me a wise man to work in gold, silver, brass, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue fabrics, and who knows how to make engravings, to work with the wise men [†]whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared. 8Send me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and behold, 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. 10And behold, I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, [†]20,000 kors of crushed wheat and 20,000 kors of barley, and [†]20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil.”

Covenant with Huram King of Tyre

11Then Huram king of Tyre said in a letter [†]sent to Solomon: “Because Yahweh loves His people, He has given you to be king over them.” 12Then Huram said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, knowledgeable in insight and understanding, who will build a house for Yahweh and a [†]royal palace for himself.

13“So now, I am sending Huram-abi, a wise man, who is knowledgeable in 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, blue, linen, and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to devise any design which may be given to him, to work with your wise men and with the wise men of my lord David your father. 15So now, let my lord send to his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which he has spoken. 16And 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.”

17Then Solomon numbered all the sojourners who were in the land of Israel, following the [†]census which his father David had [†]taken; and 153,600 were found. 18And he made 70,000 of them to carry loads and 80,000 as hewers of stone in the mountains and 3,600 directors to make the people work.