1 Kings 5

5 ¹ Hiram king of Tyre heard Solomon had been anointed king after his father, and sent him servants, for Hiram had always loved David. ² And Solomon sent this message to Hiram: ³ You know David my father could not build a house for our Father's name, because wars surrounded him on every side, until our Father put his enemies under the soles of his feet. ⁴ But now my Father has given me rest on every side; no adversary, no calamity.

⁵ I intend to build a house for my Father's name, as our Father promised my father David: "Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, will build the house for my name."

⁶ So have cedars cut for me from Lebanon. My servants will work with yours; I'll pay whatever wages you set, since you know none of us cuts timber like the Sidonians.

⁷ Hearing Solomon's words, Hiram rejoiced greatly and said, "The LORD be praised today, who gave David a wise son over this great people." ⁸ Hiram sent word to Solomon: "I heard your message; I'll do all you want with cedar and cypress timber." ⁹ My servants will bring logs down from Lebanon to the sea, then I'll float them as rafts by sea to the place you appoint, break them apart there, and you'll carry them off. You'll meet my need by providing food for my household.

¹⁰ So Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and cypress timber he desired, ¹¹ Solomon gave Hiram 120,000 bushels of wheat for his household and 120 bushels of pressed oil, year after year. ¹² our Father gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised. Peace held between Hiram and Solomon, and the two made a treaty.

¹³ King Solomon raised a labor force out of all Israel, and the levy numbered thirty thousand men. ¹⁴ He sent ten thousand to Lebanon monthly in shifts—a month there, two months home. Adoniram oversaw the labor force. ¹⁵ Solomon had seventy thousand who carried loads and eighty thousand who quarried stone in the hill country, ¹⁶ besides Solomon's thirty-three hundred chief officers who supervised the work and directed the people who did it. ¹⁷ At the king's command they quarried great, costly stones to lay the house's foundation with cut stone. ¹⁸ Solomon's, Hiram's, and Gebal's builders shaped and prepared timber and stone to build the house.