[1] Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of Yahweh, and a
house for his kingdom. [2] Solomon counted out seventy thousand men to bear
burdens, and eighty thousand men who were stone cutters in the mountains,
and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them. [3] 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 therein, [even so deal
with me]. [4] Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Yahweh my
God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him incense of sweet spices,
and for the continual show bread, and for the burnt offerings morning and
evening, on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of
Yahweh our God. This is [an ordinance] forever to Israel. [5] The house
which I build is great; for great is our God above all gods. [6] But who is
able to build him a house, seeing heaven and the heaven of heavens can`t
contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, save only to
burn incense before him? [7] Now therefore send me a man skillful to work
in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and
crimson, and blue, and who knows how to engrave [all manner of] engravings,
[to be] with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem,
whom David my father did provide. [8] Send me also cedar-trees, fir-trees,
and algum-trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that your servants know how to
cut timber in Lebanon: and, behold, my servants shall be with your
servants, [9] even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I
am about to build shall be great and wonderful. [10] Behold, I will give to
your servants, the cutters who cut timber, twenty thousand measures of
beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand
baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil. [11] Then Huram the king
of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because Yahweh loves
his people, he has made you king over them. [12] Huram said moreover,
Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who has
given to David the king a wise son, endowed with discretion and
understanding, that should build a house for Yahweh, and a house for his
kingdom. [13] Now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding,
of Huram my father`s, [14] the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan; and
his father was a man of Tyre, skillful 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 engrave any manner of engraving, and to
devise any device; that there may be [a place] appointed to him with your
skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David your father. [15]
Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord
has spoken of, let him send to his servants: [16] and we will cut wood out
of Lebanon, as much as you shall need; and we will bring it to you in
floats by sea to Joppa; and you shall carry it up to Jerusalem. [17]
Solomon numbered all the sojourners who were in the land of Israel, after
the numbering with which David his father had numbered them; and they were
found one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred. [18] He set seventy
thousand of them to bear burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone
cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred overseers to set
the people at work.