1 Kings 5:5-6, 8-9, 11, 15-17

“The LORD promised my father David, ‘I will make your son king after you, and he will build a temple for worshiping me.’ Now, I plan to build that temple for worshiping the LORD my God. So send your men to cut down cedar trees for me from Lebanon. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay them whatever wages you decide. We don’t have anyone who can cut down trees as well as the people of Sidon.”

Then Hiram sent back this message to Solomon: “I received the message you sent, and I will give you all the cedar and pine trees you want. My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. There I will tie them together and float them along the shore to the place you choose. Then I will separate the logs there, and you can take them away. In return it is my wish that you give food to all those who live with me.”

And Solomon gave Hiram about one hundred twenty-five thousand bushels of wheat each year to feed the people who lived with him. Solomon also gave him about one hundred fifteen thousand gallons of pure olive oil every year.

Solomon forced eighty thousand men to work in the hill country, cutting stone, and he had seventy thousand men to carry the stones. There were also thirty-three hundred men who directed the workers. King Solomon commanded them to cut large blocks of fine stone to be used for the foundation of the Temple.