1 Kings 5
Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Sulayman; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father: for Hiram had always loved Dawud. 2Sulayman sent to Hiram, saying, 3You know how that Dawud my father could not build a house for the name of Allah his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until Allah put them under the soles of his feet. 4But now Allah my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence. 5Behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of Allah my God, as Allah spoke to Dawud my father, saying, Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name. 6Now therefore command that they cut down 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 any who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians. 7It happened, when Hiram heard the words of Sulayman, that he was very happy, and said, Praise be to Allah this day, who has given to Dawud a wise son over this great people. 8Hiram sent to Sulayman, saying, I have heard the message which you have sent to me: I will do all you desire concerning cedar and fir timber. 9My servants shall bring it down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint me, and will cause it to be broken up there, and you shall receive it; and you shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household. 10So Hiram gave Sulayman cedar and fir timber according to all his desire. 11Sulayman gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus Sulayman gave to Hiram year by year. 12Allah gave Sulayman wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Sulayman; and the two of them made a treaty together. 13King Sulayman raised up a labour force out of all Israel; and the labour force was thirty thousand men. 14He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by divisions; a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labour. 15Sulayman had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains; 16besides Sulayman's chief officers who were over the work, three thousand three hundred, who supervised the people who laboured in the work. 17The king commanded, and they hewed out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone. 18Sulayman's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites fashioned them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.