| 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. |
