1And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father: for Hiram had always been a lover of David. 2And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, 3You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of Yehovah his God because of the wars which were around him on every side, until Yehovah put them under the soles of his feet. 4But now Yehovah my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary, nor misfortune. 5And, behold, I intend to build a house for the name of Yehovah my God, as Yehovah spoke to David my father, saying, Your son, whom I will set upon your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name. 6Now therefore command that they cut cedar trees for me out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with your servants; and I will pay you wages for your servants according to all that you shall say: for you know that there is not among us anyone who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians. 7And it happened, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be Yehovah this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people. 8And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have heard the message which you have sent to me: I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir. 9My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint for me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you shall receive them; and you shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household. 10So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire. 11And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food for his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year. 12And Yehovah gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and the two of them made a treaty together. 13And king Solomon raised a forced levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. 14And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts; a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor. 15And Solomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens, and eighty thousand who were stonecutters in the mountains; 16besides Solomon’s chief officers who were over the work, three thousand three hundred, who ruled over the people who labored in the work. 17And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stone. 18And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites shaped them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.