9
They'll provide me with plenty of lumber. That's because the temple I'm building must be large and beautiful.
10
"I'll pay your servants. They will cut the wood. I'll pay them 125,000 bushels of wheat that has been ground up. I'll pay them 125,000 bushels of barley. I'll also pay them 115,000 gallons of wine and 115,000 gallons of olive oil."
11
King Hiram of Tyre replied to Solomon. He wrote a letter to him. It said, "The LORD loves his people. That's why he has made you their king."
12
Hiram continued, "I praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He made heaven and earth. He has given King David a wise son. You have good sense. You understand what is right. You will build a temple for the Lord. You will also build a palace for yourself.
13
"I'm sending Huram-Abi to you. He is very skillful.
14
His mother was from Dan. His father was from Tyre. He is trained to work with gold, silver, bronze and iron. He knows how to work with stone and wood. He can also work with purple, blue and bright red yarn and fine linen. He's skilled in all kinds of carving. He can follow any pattern you give him. He'll work with your skilled workers. He'll also work with those of your father David. David was my master.
15
"Now please send us what you promised. Send us the wheat, barley, olive oil and wine.
16
And we'll cut all of the logs from Lebanon you need. We'll make rafts out of them. We'll float them by sea down to Joppa. Then you can take them up to Jerusalem."
17
Solomon counted all of the outsiders who were living in Israel. He did it after his father David had counted them. There were 153,600 of them.
18
He chose 70,000 to carry things. He chose 80,000 to cut stones in the hills. He put 3,600 men in charge of the people to keep them working.