Covenant with Hiram King of Tyre

5 ^[a](A)Then Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for ^(B)Hiram had ^[b]always been one who loved David. ² And ^(C)Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, ³ “You know that ^(D)David my father was unable to build a house for the name of Yahweh his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet. ⁴ But now ^(E)Yahweh my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor ^[c]calamity. ⁵ So behold, ^(F)I ^[d]intend to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’ ⁶ So now, command that they cut for me ^(G)cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

⁷ Now it happened, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he was very glad and said, “Blessed be Yahweh today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” ⁸ So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent me; I will do ^[e]what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. ⁹ My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea ^(H)to the place where you ^[f]direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry them away. Then ^(I)you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household.” ¹⁰ So ^[g]Hiram ^[h]gave Solomon ^[i]as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. ^11 (J)Solomon then gave Hiram ^[j]20,000 kors of wheat as food for his household, and ^[k]20 kors of beaten oil; thus Solomon would give Hiram year by year. ^12 (K)Now Yahweh gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He ^[l]promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them cut a covenant.

¹³ And ^(L)King Solomon raised up forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers ^[m]numbered 30,000 men. ¹⁴ And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in ^[n]shifts; they were in Lebanon a month and two months at home. And ^(M)Adoniram was over the forced laborers. ¹⁵ And ^(N)Solomon had 70,000 ^[o]who carried loads, and 80,000 hewers of stone in the mountains, ^16 (O)besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief deputies who were over the ^[p]project and who ruled over the people who were doing the work. ¹⁷ Then ^(P)the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, precious stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. ¹⁸ So Solomon’s builders and ^[q]Hiram’s builders and ^(Q)the Gebalites ^[r]carved them out, and prepared the timbers and the stones to build the house.

Yahweh’s House Will Be Great

2 ^[a](A)Then Solomon ^[b]decided to build a house for the name of Yahweh and a ^[c]royal palace for himself. ^2 [d]So ^(B)Solomon numbered 70,000 men to carry loads and 80,000 men to hew stone in the mountains and 3,600 to direct them.

^3 (C)Then Solomon sent word to ^[e]Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “^(D)As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build him a house to live in, so do for me. ⁴ Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, setting it apart to Him as holy, ^(E)to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out ^(F)the showbread continually, and to offer ^(G)burnt offerings morning and evening, ^(H)on sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of Yahweh our God, this being required forever in Israel. ⁵ Now the house which I am about to build will be great, for ^(I)greater is our God than all the gods. ⁶ But ^(J)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 ^[f]burn incense before Him? ⁷ So now, ^(K)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 ^[g](L)whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared. ^8 (M)Send me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and behold, ^(N)my servants will work with your servants, ⁹ to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. ¹⁰ And behold, ^(O)I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, ^[h]20,000 kors of crushed wheat and 20,000 kors of barley, and ^[i]20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil.”

Covenant with Huram King of Tyre

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

¹³ “So now, I am sending Huram-abi, a wise man, who is knowledgeable in understanding, ^14 (S)the son of a ^[l]Danite woman and ^[m]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. ¹⁵ So now, let my lord send to his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of ^(T)which he has spoken. ^16 (U)And 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.”

¹⁷ Then Solomon numbered all the sojourners who were in the land of Israel, ^(V)following the ^[n]census which his father David had ^[o]taken; and 153,600 were found. ^18 (W)And 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.