Preparations for the Temple
And Hiram, king of Tyre, sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father — for Hiram had been a lover of David all the days.
And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying:
“You yourself know that David my father was not able to build a house for the name of the LORD his God, because of the war that surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
But now the LORD my God has given me rest all around; there is no adversary, and no evil happening.
And look — I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place — he shall build the house for my name.’
Now then, command that they cut cedars for me from Lebanon; and my servants will be with your servants, and I will give you the wages of your servants according to all that you say. For you yourself know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
Hiram’s Reply to Solomon
And it was, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly; and he said, “Blessed be the LORD this day, who has given David a wise son over this great people.”
And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying: “I have heard what you sent to me. I myself will do all your desire in cedar timber and in cypress timber.
My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts on the sea, to the place you direct me; and I will break them apart there, and you shall carry them. And you shall do my desire, by giving bread for my house.”
So Hiram gave Solomon cedar timber and cypress timber, all his desire.
And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his house, and twenty cors of beaten oil; thus Solomon would give Hiram year by year.
And the LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, as he had spoken to him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them cut a covenant.
Solomon’s Labor Force
And King Solomon raised a levy of forced labor from all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men.
And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: a month they would be in Lebanon, two months at home. And Adoniram was over the forced labor.
And Solomon had seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hill country,
besides Solomon’s chief deputies who were over the work — three thousand three hundred, who held sway over the people doing the work.
And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.
And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites shaped them; and they prepared the timber and the stones for building the house.