^3 (E)You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God ^(F)because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the Lord put ^[a]his foes under the soles of his feet.

⁴ But now the Lord my God has given me ^(G)rest^[b] on every side; there is neither adversary nor ^[c]evil occurrence.

^5 (H)And behold, ^[d]I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, ^(I)as the Lord spoke to my father David, saying, “Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for My name.”

⁶ Now therefore, command that they cut down ^(J)cedars for me from Lebanon; and my servants will be with your servants, and I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say. For you know there is none among us who has skill to cut timber like the Sidonians.

Blessed be the Lord this day, for He has given David a wise son over this great people!

I have considered the message which you sent me, and I will do all you desire concerning the cedar and cypress logs.

⁹ My servants shall bring them down ^(K)from Lebanon to the sea; I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you indicate to me, and will have them broken apart there; then you can take them away. And you shall fulfill my desire ^(L)by giving food for my household.

^(D)As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. ⁴ Behold, ^(E)I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, ^(F)to burn before Him ^[b]sweet incense, for ^(G)the continual showbread, for ^(H)the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the ^(I)Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the ^[c]set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

⁵ And the temple which I build will be great, for ^(J)our God is greater than all gods. ^6 (K)But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?

⁷ Therefore send me at once a man skillful to work in gold and silver, in bronze and iron, in purple and crimson and blue, who has skill to engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, ^(L)whom David my father provided. ^8 (M)Also send me cedar and cypress and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and indeed my servants will be with your servants, ⁹ to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the ^[d]temple which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

^10 (N)And indeed I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, twenty thousand kors of ground wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

^(O)Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.

^(P)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, ^(Q)who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal house for himself!

¹³ And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, ^[f]Huram my ^[g]master craftsman ^14 (R)(the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

¹⁵ Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine which ^(S)my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants. ^16 (T)And we will cut wood from Lebanon, as much as you need; we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to ^[h]Joppa, and you will carry it up to Jerusalem.