1. And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD, and a house for his kingdom.
2. And Solomon selected threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to quarry in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.
3. And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As you did deal with David my father, and did send him cedars to build him a house to dwell in, even so deal with me.
4. Behold, I build a house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, 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. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.
5. And the house which I build will be great: for great is our God above all gods.
6. But who is able to build him a house, seeing the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him a house, except only to burn sacrifices before him?
7. Send me now therefore a man skillful to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that has skill to engrave with the skillful men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.
8. Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with your servants,
9. Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderfully great.
10. And, behold, I will give to your servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand cors of ground wheat, and twenty thousand cors of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.