1 Now Solomon decided to build a temple for the name of the LORD, and a royal palace for himself. 2 Solomon conscripted 70,000 men as laborers, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 to oversee them. 3 Solomon sent to King Huram of Tyre, "Do for me as you did for my father David, when you sent him cedars to build a palace to live in. 4 I am about to build a temple for the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn fragrant incense before him, and for the regular arrangement of the showbread, and for the morning and evening burnt offerings, on the Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and the appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is a permanent ordinance for Israel. 5 The temple I intend to build will be great; for our God is greater than all other gods. 6 But who is able to build a temple for him, seeing heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him? Who am I then, that I should build a temple for him, except as a place to burn offerings before him? 7 Now then, send me a man skillful in working with gold, silver, brass, iron, and in purple, crimson, and blue, and who knows how to engrave. He will work with the craftsmen who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, provided by my father David. 8 Send me also cedar, pine, and algum wood from Lebanon; for I know that your servants in Lebanon know how to cut timber. My servants will work with your servants 9 to prepare a large amount of timber for me; for the temple which I am about to build will be great and magnificent. 10 I will give to your servants, who cut the timber, 100,000 bushels of crushed wheat, and 100,000 bushels of barley, and 110,000 gallons of wine, and 110,000 gallons of olive oil." 11 Then Huram, the king of Tyre, answered in a letter to Solomon, "Because the LORD loves his people, he has made you king over them." 12 Huram continued, "Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given to King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD, and a royal palace for himself. 13 I am sending a master craftsman, Huram-abi; he is very skilled. 14 His mother is from Dan and his father was from Tyre. He is skillful in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, wood, and with purple, blue, crimson, and fine linen. He is also able to engrave any type of engraving, and to understand any design presented to him. He will work with your skilled artisans and with the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. 15 Now regarding the wheat and barley, olive oil and wine, that my lord has spoken of, let him send it to his servants. 16 We will cut as much timber as you need out of Lebanon, and we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa. Then you can haul it up to Jerusalem. 17 Solomon counted all the foreigners in the land of Israel, after the census that his father David had taken. There was a total of 153,600. 18 He designated 70,000 of them as laborers, and 80,000 as stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as overseers to make sure the people worked.