5
1 Hiram king
of Tyre sent his
servants to
Solomon, for he
had heard that
they had anointed
him king in the
place of
his father, and Hiram
had always loved
David.
2 Solomon sent
to Hiram, saying,
3 “You know
that David my father could not build
a house for
the name of the
LORD his God because of
the wars which were around him on
every side, until the LORD put his
enemies under the soles of his feet.
4 But
now the LORD
my God has given
me rest on
every side. There
is no enemy and
no evil occurrence.
5 Behold,
I intend to build
a house for
the name of the
LORD my God, as
the LORD spoke to
David my father, saying, ‘Your
son, whom I will
set on your throne
in your place
shall build the house
for my name.’
6 Now
therefore command that cedar trees
be cut for me
out of Lebanon.
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 nobody among
us who knows how to cut timber
like the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard
the words of
Solomon, he rejoiced
greatly, and said,
“Blessed is the
LORD today, who
has given to David
a wise son to rule
over this great
people.”
8 Hiram sent
to Solomon, saying, “I
have heard the message
which you have sent
to me. I
will do all your desire concerning
timber of cedar, and concerning
cypress timber.
9 My servants
will bring them
down from Lebanon
to the sea.
I will make
them into rafts
to go by sea
to the place
that you specify
to me, and
will cause them
to be broken
up there, and you
will receive them.
You will accomplish
my desire, in
giving food for
my household.”
10 So Hiram
gave Solomon cedar timber
and cypress timber according to
all his desire.
11 Solomon
gave Hiram twenty thousand cors
of wheat for food
to his household,
and twenty cors
of pure oil. Solomon gave
this to Hiram year
by year.
12 The
LORD gave Solomon wisdom,
as he promised
him. There
was peace between Hiram and Solomon,
and the two of
them made a treaty
together.
13 King Solomon
raised a levy out
of all Israel; and
the levy was thirty thousand men.
14 He sent
them to Lebanon, ten thousand
a month by courses:
for a month they
were in Lebanon,
and two months at home;
and Adoniram was
over the men
subject to forced labor.
15 Solomon
had seventy thousand who bore
burdens, and eighty thousand who
were stone cutters in
the mountains,
16 besides
Solomon’s chief officers who were
over the work: three thousand three
hundred who ruled over the people
who labored in the work.
17 The
king commanded, and
they cut out
large stones, costly stones, to
lay the foundation
of the house
with worked stone.
18 Solomon’s builders
and Hiram’s builders and
the Gebalites cut them,
and prepared the timber
and the stones
to build the house.