1: And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David. 2: And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, 3: Thou knowest how that David my father could not build a house to the name of the LORD his God, for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. 4: But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, [so that there is] neither adversary nor evil occurrent. 5: And behold, I purpose to build a house to the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke to David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build a house to my name. 6: Now therefore command thou, that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and to thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint: for thou knowest that [there is] not among us any that is skilled in hewing timber like the Sidonians. 7: And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed [be] the LORD this day, who hath given to David a wise son over this great people. 8: And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for: [and] I will perform all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. 9: My servants shall bring [them] down from Lebanon to the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats to the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive [them]: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household. 10: So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees [according to] all his desire. 11: And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat [for] food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. 12: And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together. 13: And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. 14: And he sent them to Lebanon ten thousand a month by courses; a month they were in Lebanon, [and] two months at home. And Adoniram [was] over the levy. 15: And Solomon had seventy thousand that bore burdens, and eighty thousand hewers in the mountains; 16: Besides the chief of Solomon's officers who [were] over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who ruled over the people that wrought in the work. 17: And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, [and] hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. 18: And Solomon's builders, and Hiram's builders did hew [them], and the stone-squarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.
