1Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father. Hiram had always been a friend of David.
2And Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying,
3"You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God. He was surrounded by wars on every side, until the LORD put his enemies under the soles of his feet."
4"But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is no enemy against me, and nothing bad happening."
5"So look, I plan to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, just as the LORD said to David my father: 'Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build a house for my name.'"
6"So now give the command that they cut down cedar trees for me out of Lebanon. My servants will work with your servants, and I will pay you wages for your servants, whatever you decide. For you know there is no one among us who can cut timber as skilfully as the Sidonians."
7When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he was very glad, and said, "Blessed be the LORD this day, who has given David a wise son to rule over this great people."
8And Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, "I have thought about the things you sent to me for. I will do all you want about the cedar wood and the fir wood."
9"My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will float them by sea in rafts to the place you choose. There I will have them broken apart, and you shall take them away. And you shall do what I want, and give food for my household."
10So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees, as much as he wanted.
11And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food for his household, and twenty measures of pure oil. This is what Solomon gave to Hiram year by year.
12The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made an agreement together.
13King Solomon called up workers from all Israel, and the number of workers was thirty thousand men.
14He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month, in turns. They spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the workers.
15Solomon had seventy thousand men who carried loads, and eighty thousand who cut stone in the mountains,
16besides Solomon's chief officers who were over the work, three thousand three hundred of them, who ruled over the people who did the work.
17The king gave the command, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and cut stones, to lay the foundation of the house.
18Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders cut them, and the stonecutters too. So they prepared timber and stones to build the house.