Hiram’s Building Materials

5 King Hiram of Tyre^(A) sent his emissaries to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father’s place,^(B) for Hiram had always been friends with David.^(C)

² Solomon sent this message to Hiram: ³ “You know my father David was not able to build a temple for the name of the Lord his God. This was because of the warfare all around him until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.^{(D) 4} The Lord my God has now given me rest on every side; there is no enemy or misfortune.^{(E) 5} So I plan to build a temple for the name of the Lord my God,^(F) according to what the Lord promised my father David: ‘I will put your son on your throne in your place, and he will build the temple for my name.’^(G)

⁶ “Therefore, command that cedars from Lebanon be cut down for me. My servants will be with your servants, and I will pay your servants’ wages according to whatever you say, for you know that not a man among us knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”^(H)

⁷ When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today!^(I) He has given David a wise son to be over this great people!” ⁸ Then Hiram sent a reply to Solomon, saying, “I have heard your message; I will do everything you want regarding the cedar and cypress timber. ⁹ My servants will bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will break them apart there, and you can take them away. You then can meet my needs by providing my household with food.”^(J)

¹⁰ So Hiram provided Solomon with all the cedar and cypress timber he wanted, ¹¹ and Solomon provided Hiram with one hundred twenty thousand bushels^[a] of wheat as food for his household and one hundred twenty thousand gallons^[b] of oil from crushed olives.^(K) Solomon did this for Hiram year after year.

¹² The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him.^(L) There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.^(M)

Solomon’s Workforce

¹³ Then King Solomon drafted forced laborers from all Israel;^(N) the labor force numbered thirty thousand men. ¹⁴ He sent ten thousand to Lebanon each month in shifts; one month they were in Lebanon, two months they were at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor. ¹⁵ Solomon had seventy thousand porters and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountains,^{(O) 16} not including his thirty-three hundred^[c] deputies^(P) in charge of the work. They supervised the people doing the work. ¹⁷ The king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones.^{(Q) 18} So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders,^(R) along with the Gebalites,^(S) quarried the stone and prepared the timber and stone for the temple’s construction.

Solomon’s Letter to Hiram

2 Solomon decided to build a temple for the name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself,^{(A) 2} so he assigned 70,000 men as porters, 80,000 men as stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as supervisors over them.^(B)

³ Then Solomon sent word to King Hiram^[a](C) of Tyre:^(D)

Do for me what you did for my father David. You sent him cedars to build him a house to live in.^{(E) 4} Now I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God in order to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him,^(F) for displaying the rows of the Bread of the Presence continuously,^(G) and for sacrificing burnt offerings for the morning and the evening,^(H) the Sabbaths^(I) and the New Moons, and the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is ordained for Israel permanently. ⁵ The temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than any of the gods.^{(J) 6} But who is able to build a temple for him, since even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain him?^(K) Who am I then that I should build a temple for him except as a place to burn incense before him? ⁷ Therefore, send me an artisan who is skilled in engraving to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with the artisans who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem,^(L) appointed by my father David.^{(M) 8} Also, send me cedar, cypress, and algum^[b](N) logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut the trees of Lebanon. Note that my servants will be with your servants^{(O) 9} to prepare logs for me in abundance because the temple I am building will be great and wondrous. ¹⁰ I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the trees, one hundred twenty thousand bushels^[c] of wheat flour, one hundred twenty thousand bushels of barley, one hundred twenty thousand gallons^[d] of wine, and one hundred twenty thousand gallons of oil.

Hiram’s Reply

¹¹ Then King Hiram of Tyre wrote a letter^[e] and sent it to Solomon:

Because the Lord loves his people, he set you over them as king.^(P)

¹² Hiram also said:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth!^(Q) He gave King David a wise son with insight and understanding,^(R) who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.^{(S) 13} I have now sent Huram-abi,^[f] a skillful man who has understanding.^{(T) 14} He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan. His father is a man of Tyre. He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, with purple, blue, crimson yarn, and fine linen. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and to execute any design that may be given him. I have sent him to be with your artisans and the artisans of my lord, your father David. ¹⁵ Now, let my lord send the wheat, barley, oil, and wine to his servants as promised.^{(U) 16} We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, and bring them to you as rafts by sea to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.^(V)

Solomon’s Workforce

¹⁷ Solomon took a census of all the resident alien men in the land of Israel, after the census that his father David had conducted,^(W) and the total was 153,600. ¹⁸ Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.^(X)

Pray for Us

3 In addition, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you,^{(A) 2} and that we may be delivered^(B) from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith.^{[a] 3} But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.^{(C) 4} We have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. ⁵ May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance.^(D)

Warning against Irresponsible Behavior

⁶ Now we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name^(E) of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother or sister^(F) who is idle and does not live^[b] according to the tradition^(G) received^(H) from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how you should imitate^(I) us: We were not idle among you; ⁸ we did not eat^(J) anyone’s food free of charge;^(K) instead, we labored^(L) and toiled,^(M) working^(N) night and day, so that we would not be a burden^(O) to any of you. ⁹ It is not that we don’t have the right^(P) to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate^(Q) us. ¹⁰ In fact, when we were with you, this is what we commanded you: “If anyone isn’t willing to work, he should not eat.”^{(R) 11} For we hear that there are some among you who are idle. They are not busy but busybodies.^{(S) 12} Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and provide for themselves.^{[c] 13} But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary^(T) in doing good.

¹⁴ If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don’t associate with him, so that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet don’t consider him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

Final Greetings

¹⁶ May the Lord of peace^(U) himself give you peace always in every way.^(V) The Lord be with all of you.^{(W) 17} I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand,^(X) which is an authenticating mark in every letter; this is how I write. ¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.