Solomon Plans to Build the Father's House
2 1 Solomon resolved to build a house for our Father's name, and a royal palace for himself. 2 Solomon assigned 70,000 carriers, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 overseers over them.
3 Solomon sent to Huram king of Tyre: "Deal with me as you did with my father David, sending him cedar to build his house to live in." 4 I am building a house for the name of my Father, to dedicate it to him — to burn fragrant incense before him, set out the bread of the Presence continually, offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on sabbaths, new moons, and appointed feasts of our Father. Israel must do this forever. a a v4 Bread of the Presence: ceremonial loaves kept on permanent display before God in the inner sanctuary.
5 The house I am building will be great, for our Father is greater than all gods. 6 But who can build him a house, when heaven and the highest heavens cannot contain him? And who am I to build him one, except to burn sacrifices before him?
7 Now send me a craftsman skilled in gold, silver, bronze, iron, purple, crimson, and blue yarn, and in engraving, to work with my skilled workers in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided.
8 Send me also cedar, cypress, and red sandalwood from Lebanon, for I know your servants skillfully cut Lebanon's timber; my servants will join yours. 9 prepare plenty of timber for me, for the house I am building will be great and wonderful. 10 For your servants who cut the timber I will give about 125,000 bushels of crushed wheat, 125,000 of barley, 115,000 gallons of wine, and 115,000 of oil.
11 Huram king of Tyre wrote Solomon: "Because the LORD loves his people, he made you their king." 12 Huram said: "Blessed be the LORD, God of Israel, maker of heaven and earth! He gave King David a wise son with insight and understanding, to build a house for the LORD and a royal palace."
13 Now I am sending you a skilled craftsman, gifted with understanding, Huram-abi, 14 son of a woman of Dan's daughters, his father a man of Tyre—skilled in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, wood, purple, blue, and crimson yarn, and fine linen. He can do any engraving and devise any design given him, working with your craftsmen and those of my lord David, your father.
15 So let my lord send his servants the wheat, barley, oil, and wine he promised, 16 and we'll cut all the timber you need from Lebanon, float it to you as rafts by sea to Joppa, and you can haul it up to Jerusalem.
17 Solomon counted all the foreign men in the land of Israel, as his father David had; they numbered 153,600. 18 He assigned 70,000 as carriers, 80,000 as stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as overseers to keep the people working.
