Hiram’s Building Materials

5 King Hiram of Tyre^(A) sent his emissaries to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father’s place,^(B) for Hiram had always been friends with David.^(C)

² Solomon sent this message to Hiram: ³ “You know my father David was not able to build a temple for the name of the Lord his God. This was because of the warfare all around him until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.^{(D) 4} The Lord my God has now given me rest on every side; there is no enemy or misfortune.^{(E) 5} So I plan to build a temple for the name of the Lord my God,^(F) according to what the Lord promised my father David: ‘I will put your son on your throne in your place, and he will build the temple for my name.’^(G)

⁶ “Therefore, command that cedars from Lebanon be cut down for me. My servants will be with your servants, and I will pay your servants’ wages according to whatever you say, for you know that not a man among us knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”^(H)

⁷ When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today!^(I) He has given David a wise son to be over this great people!” ⁸ Then Hiram sent a reply to Solomon, saying, “I have heard your message; I will do everything you want regarding the cedar and cypress timber. ⁹ My servants will bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will break them apart there, and you can take them away. You then can meet my needs by providing my household with food.”^(J)

¹⁰ So Hiram provided Solomon with all the cedar and cypress timber he wanted, ¹¹ and Solomon provided Hiram with one hundred twenty thousand bushels^[a] of wheat as food for his household and one hundred twenty thousand gallons^[b] of oil from crushed olives.^(K) Solomon did this for Hiram year after year.

³ Then Solomon sent word to King Hiram^[a](A) of Tyre:^(B)

Do for me what you did for my father David. You sent him cedars to build him a house to live in.^{(C) 4} Now I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God in order to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him,^(D) for displaying the rows of the Bread of the Presence continuously,^(E) and for sacrificing burnt offerings for the morning and the evening,^(F) the Sabbaths^(G) and the New Moons, and the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is ordained for Israel permanently. ⁵ The temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than any of the gods.^{(H) 6} But who is able to build a temple for him, since even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain him?^(I) Who am I then that I should build a temple for him except as a place to burn incense before him? ⁷ Therefore, send me an artisan who is skilled in engraving to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with the artisans who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem,^(J) appointed by my father David.^{(K) 8} Also, send me cedar, cypress, and algum^[b](L) logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut the trees of Lebanon. Note that my servants will be with your servants^{(M) 9} to prepare logs for me in abundance because the temple I am building will be great and wondrous. ¹⁰ I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the trees, one hundred twenty thousand bushels^[c] of wheat flour, one hundred twenty thousand bushels of barley, one hundred twenty thousand gallons^[d] of wine, and one hundred twenty thousand gallons of oil.

Hiram’s Reply

¹¹ Then King Hiram of Tyre wrote a letter^[e] and sent it to Solomon:

Because the Lord loves his people, he set you over them as king.^(N)

¹² Hiram also said:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth!^(O) He gave King David a wise son with insight and understanding,^(P) who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.^{(Q) 13} I have now sent Huram-abi,^[f] a skillful man who has understanding.^{(R) 14} He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan. His father is a man of Tyre. He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, with purple, blue, crimson yarn, and fine linen. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and to execute any design that may be given him. I have sent him to be with your artisans and the artisans of my lord, your father David. ¹⁵ Now, let my lord send the wheat, barley, oil, and wine to his servants as promised.^{(S) 16} We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, and bring them to you as rafts by sea to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.^(T)