Read the Bible

Preparations for Building the Temple

^1 [a] Now ^(a)Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, ^(b)for Hiram always loved David. ² And Solomon sent word to Hiram, ^3 (c)"You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God ^(d)because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. ^4 (e)But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. ⁵ And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, ^(f)as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.' ⁶ Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians."

⁷ As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, "Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people." ⁸ And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. ⁹ My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes ^(g)by providing food for my household." ¹⁰ So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, ¹¹ while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors^[b] of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000^[c] cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. ¹² And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, ^(h)as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

¹³ King Solomon drafted ⁽ⁱ⁾forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. ¹⁴ And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. ^(j)Adoniram was in charge of the draft. ¹⁵ Solomon also ^(k)had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, ¹⁶ besides Solomon's 3,300 ^(l)chief officers who were over the work, ^(m)who had charge of the people who carried on the work. ¹⁷ At the king's command ⁽ⁿ⁾they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. ¹⁸ So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and ^(o)the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.