³ “You know that because of the wars^(C) waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build^(D) a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.^{(E) 4} But now the Lord my God has given me rest^(F) on every side, and there is no adversary^(G) or disaster. ⁵ I intend, therefore, to build a temple^(H) for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’^(I)

⁶ “So give orders that cedars^(J) of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”

“I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and juniper logs. ⁹ My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea^(L), and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food^(M) for my royal household.”

“Send me cedar logs^(B) as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. ⁴ Now I am about to build a temple^(C) for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense^(D) before him, for setting out the consecrated bread^(E) regularly, and for making burnt offerings^(F) every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths,^(G) at the New Moons^(H) and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.

⁵ “The temple I am going to build will be great,^(I) because our God is greater than all other gods.^{(J) 6} But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?^(K) Who then am I^(L) to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?

⁷ “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers,^(M) whom my father David provided.

⁸ “Send me also cedar, juniper and algum^[b] logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours ⁹ to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. ¹⁰ I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors^[c] of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors^[d] of barley, twenty thousand baths^[e] of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.^(N)”

“Because the Lord loves^(O) his people, he has made you their king.”

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth!^(P) He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.

¹³ “I am sending you Huram-Abi,^(Q) a man of great skill, ¹⁴ whose mother was from Dan^(R) and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained^(S) to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue^(T) and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father.

¹⁵ “Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil^(U) and wine he promised, ¹⁶ and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa.^(V) You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”