Dual Panel1Solomon resolved to build a house for the name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself.
2He engaged seventy thousand bearers and eighty thousand quarrymen, and three thousand six hundred men to superintend them.
3He sent this message to King Huram of Tyre: “You were so good as to send my father David cedar-wood to build his royal residence.
4Now I am about to build a house for the name of the LORD my God and to consecrate it to him, so that I may burn fragrant incense in it before him, and present the rows of the Bread of the Presence regularly, and whole-offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths and at the new moons and appointed festivals of the LORD our God; for this is a duty laid on Israel for ever.
5The house I am about to build must be great, because our God is greater than all gods.
6But who is able to build a house for him when heaven itself, the highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I that I should build him a house, except to burn sacrifices before him?
7Send me now a skilled craftsman, one able to work in gold and silver, bronze, and iron, and in purple, crimson, and violet yarn, one who is also an expert engraver and will work in Judah and in Jerusalem with my skilled workmen who were provided by David my father.
8Send me also cedar, pine, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your men are expert at felling the trees of Lebanon; my men will work with yours
9to get an ample supply of timber ready for me, for the house which I shall build will be great and wonderful.
10I shall supply provisions for your servants, the woodmen who fell the trees: twenty thousand kor of wheat and twenty thousand kor of barley, with twenty thousand bath of wine and twenty thousand bath of oil.”
11King Huram of Tyre sent this letter in reply: “It is because of the love which the LORD has for his people that he has made you king over them.”
12The letter continued, “Blessed be the LORD the God of Israel, maker of heaven and earth, who has given to King David a wise son, endowed with insight and understanding, to build a house for the LORD and a royal palace for himself.
13“I now send you my expert Huram, a skilful and experienced craftsman.
14He is the son of a Danite woman and a Tyrian father; he is an experienced worker in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, as well as in purple, violet, and crimson yarn, and in fine linen; he is also a trained engraver who will be able to work with your own skilled craftsmen and those of my lord David your father, to any design submitted to him.
15Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which he promised;
16we shall fell all the timber in Lebanon that you need and float it as rafts to the roadstead at Joppa; you can convey it up to Jerusalem.”
17Solomon took a census of all the aliens resident in Israel, similar to the census which David his father had taken; these were found to be a hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred.
18He made seventy thousand of them bearers, and eighty thousand quarrymen, and three thousand six hundred superintendents to make the people work.