1 Kings 5:6-18

6Now therefore, command that they cut for me 1cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

7When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” 8So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent me; I will do 2what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. 9My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea 3to the place where you 4direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry them away. Then 5you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household.” 10So 6Hiram 7gave Solomon 8as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. 119Solomon then gave Hiram 20,000 10kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty 11kors of beaten oil; thus Solomon would give Hiram year by year. 1212The Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He 13promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a covenant.

13Now 14King Solomon 15levied forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers 16numbered 30,000 men. 14He sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in relays; they were in Lebanon a month and two months at home. And 17Adoniram was over the forced laborers. 15Now 18Solomon had 70,000 19transporters, and 80,000 hewers of stone in the mountains, 1620besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief deputies who were over the 21project and who ruled over the people who were doing the work. 17Then 22the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. 18So Solomon’s builders and 23Hiram’s builders and 24the Gebalites 25cut them, and prepared the timbers and the stones to build the house.