Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Solomon determined to build a magnificent house for the name of the Lord and a grand palace for his kingdom. He carefully counted out 70,000 men to carry heavy loads, 80,000 skilled stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 overseers to supervise them.

He sent a message to King Huram of Tyre, saying, "Just as you provided my father David with cedars to build a house where he could live, I humbly ask that you do the same for me. I am building a temple dedicated to the name of the Lord my God, where we will burn sweet incense before him and make offerings on the sabbaths, new moons, and important festivals. This is an eternal obligation for Israel."

Solomon explained that his temple would be remarkable because our great God surpasses all other gods. He acknowledged that no one could truly build a house for the Lord, since heaven and its vast expanse cannot even contain him. Solomon humbly suggested that he could only attempt to build a house where incense might be burned before him.

He requested that King Huram send a skilled artisan who was expert in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, fine purple cloth, crimson dye, and blue fabric. This person should also be able to collaborate with the skilled craftsmen already present in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David his father had appointed.

Solomon asked for cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees from Lebanon, since he knew that King Huram's skilled workers could harvest timber there, and his own servants would work alongside theirs. He wanted to gather an abundance of wood for the temple, which would be a wondrous and grand structure.

As a token of appreciation, Solomon offered to provide 20,000 measures of wheat, 20,000 measures of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of oil to King Huram's servants who cut the timber.

King Huram responded by praising the Lord God of Israel, who created heaven and earth and gave David a wise son endowed with discretion and understanding to build a house for the Lord. He sent a skilled craftsman from his own lineage, a man whose mother was from the tribe of Dan and whose father was a skilled artisan from Tyre.

This craftsman was expert in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, timber, fine linen, and crimson dye, as well as engraving intricate designs or devising clever devices. King Huram suggested that Solomon's servants could transport the wood from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, where it would then be brought up to Jerusalem.

Solomon conducted a census of all foreigners living in Israel, following the count his father David had made earlier. This revealed a total of 153,600 people. He assigned 70,000 men to carry heavy loads, 80,000 skilled stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 overseers to supervise the project and assign tasks to the people.