1 ¶ And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD and a house for his kingdom.

Now Solomon decided to build a house for the name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

2 A nd Solomon counted seventy thousand men to bear burdens and eighty thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

So Solomon assigned 70, 000 men to carry loads and 80, 000 men to quarry stone in the mountains and 3, 600 to supervise them.

3 A nd Solomon sent to Hiram, the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David, my father, sending him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, even so deal with me.

Then Solomon sent word to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “ As you dealt with David my father and sent him cedars to build him a house to dwell in, so do for me.

4 B ehold, I must build a house unto the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him and to burn aromatic incense before him and for the continual showbread and for the burnt offerings morning and evening on the sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God, which is to be perpetual in Israel.

Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, this being required forever in Israel.

5 A nd the house which I must build is great, for great is our God above all gods.

The house which I am about to build will be great, for greater is our God than all the gods.

6 B ut who is so powerful as to build him a house, seeing the heavens and heavens of the heavens cannot contain him? Who am I then that I should build him a house, except to burn incense before him?

But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense before Him?

7 S end me now, therefore, a wise man who knows how to work in gold and in silver and in brass and in iron and in purple and crimson and blue and that knows how to engrave figures with the craftsmen that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David, my father, provided.

Now send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass and iron, and in purple, crimson and violet fabrics, and who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled men whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.

8 S end me also cedar trees, fir trees, and pine trees, out of Lebanon, for I know that thy slaves are skillful at cutting timber in Lebanon, and, behold, my slaves shall be with thy slaves

Send me also cedar, cypress and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed my servants will work with your servants,

9 t o prepare me timber in abundance, for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful.

10 A nd, behold, I will give to thy slaves, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat and twenty thousand measures of barley and twenty thousand baths of wine and twenty thousand baths of oil.

Now behold, I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, 20, 000 kors of crushed wheat and 20, 000 kors of barley, and 20, 000 baths of wine and 20, 000 baths of oil.” Huram to Assist

11 ¶ Then Hiram, the king of Tyre, answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD has loved his people, he has placed thee as king over them.

Then Huram, king of Tyre, answered in a letter sent to Solomon: “ Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.”

12 H iram said, moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made the heavens and the earth, who has given to King David a wise son with knowledge, good sense and understanding, that he might build a house for the LORD and a house for his kingdom.

Then Huram continued, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build a house for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

13 A nd now I have sent a wise man, with knowledge and understanding, of Hiram my father,

“Now I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, endowed with understanding,

14 t he son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skillful to work in gold and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, in fine linen, and in crimson; also to engrave any manner of figure and to invent any design which shall be put to him, with thy craftsmen and with the craftsmen of my lord David, thy father.

the son of a Danite woman and a 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 execute any design which may be assigned to him, to work with your skilled men and with those of my lord David your father.

15 N ow, therefore, let my lord send unto his slaves the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which he has spoken of;

Now then, let my lord send to his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of which he has spoken.

16 a nd we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need, and we will bring it to thee in rafts by sea to Joppa, and thou shalt cause it to be carried up to Jerusalem.

We will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you on rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem.”

17 A nd Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after David, his father, had already numbered them; and one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred were found.

Solomon numbered all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, following the census which his father David had taken; and 153, 600 were found.

18 A nd he set seventy thousand of them to be bearers of burdens and eighty thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.

He appointed 70, 000 of them to carry loads and 80, 000 to quarry stones in the mountains and 3, 600 supervisors to make the people work.