¶ And Solomon determined¹ to build an house for the name² of the LORD, and an house³ for his kingdom.

And Solomon told out threescore⁴ and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

And Solomon sent to Huram⁵ the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

Behold, I build⁷ an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate⁸ it to him, and to burn⁹ before him sweet incense¹⁰, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt¹¹ offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts¹² of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

And the house which I build is great¹³: for great is our God¹⁴ above all gods.

But who¹⁵ is able¹⁶ to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only¹⁷ to burn sacrifice before him?

Send me now therefore a man cunning¹⁸ to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave¹⁹ with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.

Send me also²⁰ cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees²¹, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great²³.

¶ And, behold, I will give²⁴ to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine²⁵, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

¶ Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because²⁶ the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.

Huram²⁷ said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven²⁸ and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued²⁹ with prudence and understanding, that might build an house³⁰ for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.

And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram³¹ my father's,

The son³² of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful³³ to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord³⁴ hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

And we will cut³⁵ wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need³⁶: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

And Solomon numbered³⁷ all the strangers³⁸ that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

And he set threescore³⁹ and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.