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Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king in place of his father, he sent his servants to Solomon, for Hiram had always been friends with David. 2 Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:
3 “You know that my father David could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God, because of the wars waged against him on every side, until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. 5 So I plan to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord promised David my father, when He said, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, will build the temple for My Name’.
6 “So give the command that cedar trees from Lebanon be cut down for me. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay you whatever you ask for the wages for your servants. For you know that there is no one among us who knows how to fell trees and cut timber like the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to rule over this great people!” 8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon:
“I have received the message you sent me, and I will do everything you want regarding the cedar and cypress logs. 9 My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will float them in rafts to go by sea to the place you specify to me. I will have them broken up there, and you can take them away. You then can meet my needs by providing food for my household.”
10 So Hiram provided Solomon with all the cedar and cypress timber he required, 11 and Solomon delivered to Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty thousand cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year after year. 12 The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, just as He promised him. There was peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together.
13 King Solomon conscripted forced labourers from all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts; they were in Lebanon a month and two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the forced labour. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand load bearers, and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountains, 16 as well as the three thousand three hundred supervisors Solomon had who were over the work, and had charge of the people who were doing the work. 17 At the command of the king they quarried out large, costly stones, and to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. 18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut the stone and prepared the timber to build the house.