Preparations for the Temple
(1 Kings 5:1–6)

1And Solomon said to build a temple for the Name of YHWH, and a house for his kingdom. 2And Solomon selected seventy thousand men as burden bearers, and eighty thousand men as hewers in the hill country, and three thousand and six hundred overseers over them.

3And Solomon sent to Huram† king of Tyre, saying,

“Do as you did with David my father, sending him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in it. 4Behold, I am building a house for the Name of YHWH my God to consecrate to Him, to burn before Him incense of spices, and for continual showbread, and for the burnt offerings at the morning and at the evening, on the Sabbaths, and on the New Moons, and at appointed seasons of YHWH our God. Forever this is upon Israel.

5And the temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than all the gods. 6And who can keep strength to build unto Him a temple, since the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain Him? And who am I that I should build unto Him a temple, for but to burn sacrifices before Him?

7And now send to me a skillful man to work in the gold, and in the silver, and in the bronze, and in the iron, and in the purple and crimson and blue, and who has skill in engraving engravings with the wise who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father prepared.

8And send to me cedar trees, and cypress,† and algums† from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut trees of Lebanon. And behold, my servants will be with your servants, 9to prepare for me trees in abundance, because the house that I am building is great and wonderful. 10And behold, to the wood cutters cutting the trees, to your servants, I will give ground wheat, twenty thousand cors,† and barley, twenty thousand cors,† and wine, twenty thousand baths,† and oil, twenty thousand baths.†”

Hiram’s Reply to Solomon
(1 Kings 5:7–12)

11And Huram king of Tyre answered in writing, and he sent to Solomon:

“In the love of YHWH to His people, He has set you as king over them.”

12And Huram said:

“Blessed be YHWH, God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth, for He has given to David the king a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for YHWH and a house for his kingdom.

13And I have sent a wise man, knowing with understanding,† Huram-abi, 14son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father a man of Tyre, skilled to work in the gold, and in the silver, in the bronze, in the iron, in the stones, and in the wood, in purple, and in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson, and to engrave any engraving, and to accomplish any device that may be given to him with your wise ones, and with wise ones of my lord David your father.

15And now the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants. 16And we will cut trees from Lebanon, according to all your need, and we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, and you will bring them up to Jerusalem.”

17And Solomon numbered all the men, the sojourners who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which David his father had numbered them. And they were found to be a hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred. 18And he made of them seventy thousand porters, and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to make the people work.

Footnotes:

3 Huram is a variant of Hiram; also in verses 11 and 12
8 Or pine or juniper or fir
8 Algum is probably a variant of almug; see 1 Kings 10:11.
10 20,000 cors is approximately 124,800 bushels or 4.4 million liters (probably about 3,800 tons or 3,400 metric tons of wheat).
10 20,000 cors is approximately 124,800 bushels or 4.4 million liters (probably about 2,910 tons or 2,700 metric tons of barley).
10 20,000 baths is approximately 116,000 gallons or 440,000 liters of wine.
10 Or 20,000 baths of olive oil; that is, approximately 116,000 gallons or 440,000 liters
13 Or creativity