Solomon's embassy to Hiram, who sends him a skilful workman and timber.
2:1. And Solomon determined to build a house to the name of the Lord,
and a palace for himself.
2:2. And he numbered out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and
eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountains, and three thousand six
hundred to oversee them.
2:3. He sent also to Hiram king of Tyre, saying: As thou didst with
David my father, and didst send him cedars, to build him a house, in
which he dwelt:
2:4. So do with me that I may build a house to the name of the Lord my
God, to dedicate it to burn incense before him, and to perfume with
aromatical spices, and for the continual setting forth of bread, and for
the holocausts, morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and on the new
moons, and the solemnities of the Lord our God for ever, which are
commanded for Israel.
2:5. For the house which I desire to build, is great: for our God is
great above all gods.
2:6. Who then can be able to build him a worthy house? if heaven, and
the heavens of heavens cannot contain him: who am I that I should be
able to build him a house? but to this end only, that incense may be
burnt before him.
2:7. Send me therefore a skilful man, that knoweth how to work in gold,
and in silver, in brass, and in iron, in purple, in scarlet and in blue,
and that hath skill in engraving, with the artificers, which I have with
me in Judea and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.
2:8. Send me also cedars, and fir trees, and pine trees from Libanus:
for I know that thy servants are skilful in cutting timber in Libanus,
and my servants shall be with thy servants,
2:9. To provide me timber in abundance. For the house which I desire to
build, is to be exceeding great, and glorious.
2:10. And I will give thy servants the workmen that are to cut down the
trees, for their food twenty thousand cores of wheat, and as many cores
of barley, and twenty thousand measures of wine, and twenty thousand
measures of oil.
2:11. And Hiram king of Tyre sent a letter to Solomon, saying: Because
the Lord hath loved his people, therefore he hath made thee king over
them.
2:12. And he added, saying: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who
made heaven and earth, who hath given to king David a wise and knowing
son, endued with understanding and prudence, to build a house to the
Lord, and a palace for himself.
2:13. I therefore have sent thee my father Hiram, a wise and most
skilful man,
2:14. The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, whose father was a
Tyrian, who knoweth how to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, and in
iron, and in marble, and in timber, in purple also, and violet, and silk
and scarlet: and who knoweth to grave all sort of graving, and to devise
ingeniously all that there may be need of in the work with thy
artificers, and with the artificers of my lord David thy father.
2:15. The wheat therefore, and the barley and the oil, and the wine,
which thou, my lord, hast promised, send to thy servants.
2:16. And we will cut down as many trees out of Libanus, as thou shalt
want, and will convey them in floats by sea to Joppe: and it will be thy
part to bring them thence to Jerusalem.
2:17. And Solomon numbered all the proselytes in the land of Israel,
after the numbering which David his father had made, and they were found
a hundred and fifty-three thousand and six hundred.
2:18. And he set seventy thousand of them to carry burdens on their
shoulders, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountains: and three
thousand and six hundred to be overseers of the work of the people.