Preparations for Building the Temple

1And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD, and a house for his kingdom.

2And Solomon selected threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to quarry in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

3And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As you did deal with David my father, and did send him cedars to build him a house to dwell in, even so deal with me.

4Behold, I build a house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual showbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

5And the house which I build will be great: for great is our God above all gods.

6But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, except only to burn sacrifices before him?

7Send me now therefore a man skillful to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that has skill to engrave with the skillful men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.

8Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with your servants,

9Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderfully great.

10And, behold, I will give to your servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand cors of ground wheat, and twenty thousand cors of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

11Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD has loved his people, he has made you king over them.

12Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build a house for the LORD, and a house for his kingdom.

13And now I have sent a skillful man, endued with understanding, Huramabi,

14The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in bronze, in iron, in stone, and in wood, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to engrave any manner of engraving, and to execute every design which shall be given to him, with your skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

15Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord has spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

16And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you shall need: and we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa; and you shall carry it up to Jerusalem.

17And Solomon numbered all the sojourners that were in the land of Israel, according to the census by which David his father had numbered them; and there were found a hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

18And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to quarry in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to make the people work.