¹¹ Now Hiram^(A) king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.

David’s House and Family^(A)

14 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs,^(B) stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him.

Preparations for Building the Temple^(A)

5 ^[a]When Hiram^(B) king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David. ² Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:

¹⁸ The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram^(A) and workers from Byblos^(B) cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.

⁴ I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself^(A) and planted vineyards.^{(B) 5} I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves^(C) who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I amassed silver and gold^(D) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.^(E) I acquired male and female singers,^(F) and a harem^[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹ I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem^(G) before me.^(H) In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

Solomon Builds His Palace

7 It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace.^{(A) 2} He built the Palace^(B) of the Forest of Lebanon^(C) a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high,^[a] with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams. ³ It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns—forty-five beams, fifteen to a row. ⁴ Its windows were placed high in sets of three, facing each other. ⁵ All the doorways had rectangular frames; they were in the front part in sets of three, facing each other.^[b]

⁶ He made a colonnade fifty cubits long and thirty wide.^[c] In front of it was a portico, and in front of that were pillars and an overhanging roof.

⁷ He built the throne hall, the Hall of Justice, where he was to judge,^(D) and he covered it with cedar from floor to ceiling.^{[d](E) 8} And the palace in which he was to live, set farther back, was similar in design. Solomon also made a palace like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had married.^(F)

⁹ All these structures, from the outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to eaves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and smoothed on their inner and outer faces. ¹⁰ The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits^[e] and some eight.^{[f] 11} Above were high-grade stones, cut to size, and cedar beams. ¹² The great courtyard was surrounded by a wall of three courses^(G) of dressed stone and one course of trimmed cedar beams, as was the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord with its portico.

⁸ So Hiram sent word to Solomon:

¹⁰ In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted,

² he said to Nathan^(A) the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house^(B) of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”^(C)