^1aNow Solomon ²decided to build a house for the name of the LORD, and a ³royal palace for himself. 2 ¹So ^aSolomon ²assigned seventy thousand men to carry loads, eighty thousand men to quarry stone in the mountains, and 3,600 to supervise them.

3 ^aThen Solomon sent word to ¹Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “^bAs you dealt with my father David and sent him cedars to build him a house to live in, do it for me. 4 Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, dedicating it to Him, ^ato burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out ^bthe showbread continually, and to offer ^cburnt offerings morning and evening, ^don Sabbaths, on new moons, and on the appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is to be done in Israel forever. 5 The house which I am about to build will be great, for our God is ^agreater than all the gods. 6 But ^awho is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? And who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to ¹burn incense before Him? 7 Now ^asend me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass, iron, and in purple, crimson, and violet fabrics, one who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled workers ^1bwhom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided. 8 ^aSend me also cedar, juniper, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed ^bmy servants will work with your servants, 9 to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. 10 Now behold, ^aI will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, ¹twenty thousand kors of crushed wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, ²twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

11 Then Huram, king of Tyre, ¹answered in a letter sent to Solomon: “^aBecause the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them.” 12 Then Huram ¹continued, “Blessed be ^athe LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, ²endowed with discretion and understanding, ^bwho will build a house for the LORD and a ³royal palace for himself.

13 “Now then, I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, ¹endowed with understanding, 14 ^athe son of a ¹Danite woman and ²a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, violet, linen, and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to ³execute any design which is assigned to him, to work with your skilled workers and with ⁴those of my lord, your father David. 15 Now then, let my lord send his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of ^awhich he has spoken. 16 ^aWe will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you as rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, ^afollowing the ¹census which his father David had ²taken; and 153,600 were found. 18 ^aHe appointed seventy thousand of them to carry loads and eighty thousand to quarry stones in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.