1 N ow Solomon decided to build a house for Yahweh’s name, 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 S olomon counted out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand men who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand and 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 S olomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “As you dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build him a house in which to dwell, 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 am about to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him incense of sweet spices, and for the continual show bread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Yahweh our God. This is an ordinance forever to 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 “ The house which I build is great; for our God is great 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 able to build him a house, since heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, except just 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 “ Now therefore send me a man skillful to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and who knows how to engrave engravings, to be with the skillful men who 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 “ Send me also cedar trees, cypress trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon; for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon: and behold, my servants shall be with your servants,

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 e ven to 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 B ehold, I will give to your servants, the cutters who cut timber, twenty thousand cors of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand baths 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 T hen Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, “Because Yahweh loves his people, he has made you 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 uram continued, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, that should build a house for Yahweh, 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 N ow I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, of Huram my father’s,

“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, and in fine linen, and in crimson, also to engrave any kind of engraving, and to devise any device; that there may be a place appointed to him with your skillful men, and with the skillful men of my lord David your 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 “ Now therefore the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants:

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 you shall need; and we will bring it to you in floats by sea to Joppa; and you shall carry it 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 S olomon numbered all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, after the numbering with which David his father had numbered them; and they were found one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred.

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 H e set seventy thousand of them to bear burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred overseers to set the people at 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.