1 Kings 4-6
Complete Jewish Bible
4 King Shlomo was king over all Isra’el, 2 and these were his high officials:
‘Azaryah the son of Tzadok, the cohen;
3 Elichoref and Achiyah the sons of Shisha, secretaries;
Y’hoshafat the son of Achilud, secretary of state;
4 B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, commander of the army;
Tzadok and Evyatar, cohanim;
5 ‘Azaryah the son of Natan, chief administrator;
Zavud the son of Natan, the king’s trusted counselor;
6 Achishar, in charge of the palace;
Adoniram the son of ‘Avda, in charge of forced labor.
7 Shlomo had twelve officers over all Isra’el who were in charge of providing food and supplies for the king and his household; each one was in charge of provisions for one month out of the year. 8 They were:
the son of Hur, in the hills of Efrayim;
9 the son of Deker, in Makatz, Sha‘albim, Beit-Shemesh and Eilon-Beit-Hanan;
10 the son of Hesed, in Arubot; he also had charge of Sokhoh and all the territory of Hefer;
11 the son of Avinadav, in all the area of Dor; he had Tafat the daughter of Shlomo as his wife;
12 Ba‘ana the son of Achilud, in Ta‘anakh, Megiddo, and all Beit-Sh’an by Tzartan below Yizre‘el, from Beit-Sh’an to Avel-M’cholah, as far as beyond Yokme‘am;
13 the son of Gever, in Ramot-Gil‘ad; he was in charge of the villages of Ya’ir the son of M’nasheh in Gil‘ad and in charge of the region of Argov in Bashan, sixty large cities with walls and bronze bars;
14 Achinadav the son of ‘Iddo, in Machanayim;
15 Achima‘atz, in Naftali; he also took Basmat the daughter of Shlomo as his wife;
16 Ba‘ana the son of Hushai, in Asher and in Alot;
17 Y’hoshafat the son of Paruach, in Yissakhar;
18 Shim‘i the son of Ela, in Binyamin; and
19 Gever the son of Uri, in the land of Gil‘ad, the country of Sichon king of the Emori and ‘Og king of Bashan.
Over all these, there was one administrator in the land.
20 Y’hudah and Isra’el were as numerous as sand grains on the seashore; they ate, drank and enjoyed themselves.
5 (4:21) Shlomo ruled over all the kingdoms from the [Euphrates] River through the land of the P’lishtim to the border of Egypt; they paid tribute and served Shlomo as long as he lived. 2 (4:22) Shlomo’s provisions for one day consisted of 150 bushels of fine flour, 310 bushels of meal, 3 (4:23) ten fattened oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, gazelles, roebucks and fattened poultry. 4 (4:24) For he ruled all the area this side of the [Euphrates] River, from Tifsach to ‘Azah. He was over all the kings on this side of the River; and he had peace all around him, on every side. 5 (4:25) From Dan to Be’er-Sheva, Y’hudah and Isra’el lived securely, every man under his vine and fig tree, throughout the lifetime of Shlomo. 6 (4:26) Shlomo also had 40,000 stalls for the horses used with his chariots and 12,000 horsemen.
7 (4:27) Those officers [named above] supplied food and other materials for King Shlomo and for everyone for whom Shlomo provided. Each was responsible for his month’s supplies; they saw to it that nothing was lacking. 8 (4:28) They also made sure there was barley and straw where it was needed for the horses and draft animals; each filled his quota.
9 (4:29) God gave Shlomo exceptional wisdom and understanding, as well as a heart as vast as the sandy beach by the sea. 10 (4:30) Shlomo’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of the people from the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. 11 (4:31) For he was wiser than everyone — wiser than Eitan the Ezrachi and wiser than Heiman, Kalkol and Darda the sons of Machol; so that his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. 12 (4:32) He composed 3,000 proverbs and 1,005 songs. 13 (4:33) He could discuss trees, from the cedar in the L’vanon to the hyssop growing out of the wall; he could discuss wild animals, poultry, reptiles and fish. 14 (4:34) People from all nations came to hear the wisdom of Shlomo, including kings from all over the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
15 (1) Hiram king of Tzor sent his servants to Shlomo, because he had heard that they had anointed him king in his father’s place, and Hiram had always loved David. 16 (2) Shlomo returned this message to Hiram: 17 (3) “You know that David my father wasn’t able to build a house for the name of Adonai his God, because of the wars that beset him from every side, until Adonai put his enemies under the soles of my feet. 18 (4) But now Adonai my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor calamity. 19 (5) So now I intend to build a house for the name of Adonai my God, in keeping with what Adonai said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, will be the one to build the house for my name.’ 20 (6) Therefore, order your people to cut down cedar trees from the L’vanon for me. My servants will be with your servants. I will pay your servants according to everything you say; for you know that we have no one among us as skilled in felling trees as the Tzidonim.”
21 (7) When Hiram heard Shlomo’s message, he was very happy and said, “Blessed be Adonai today, who has given David a wise son to rule this great people.” 22 (8) Then Hiram sent Shlomo this message: “I have heard the message you sent me, and I will do everything you want concerning cedar logs and cypress logs. 23 (9) My servants will bring them down from the L’vanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to whatever place you tell me and will have them broken up there, and you will receive them. You will compensate me by providing food for my household.”
24 (10) So Hiram gave Shlomo all the cedar logs and cypress logs he wanted; 25 (11) and Shlomo gave Hiram 100,000 bushels of wheat as food for his household and a thousand gallons of oil from pressed olives — this is what Shlomo gave Hiram each year. 26 (12) Adonai gave Shlomo wisdom, as he had promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Shlomo — the two of them formed an alliance together.
27 (13) King Shlomo conscripted 30,000 men from all Isra’el for forced labor. 28 (14) He sent them to the L’vanon in monthly relays of 10,000; they would stay a month in the L’vanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.
29 (15) Shlomo had 70,000 men to carry loads and another 80,000 stonecutters in the hills, 30 (16) besides Shlomo’s 3,300 supervisors who were in charge of the people doing the work. 31 (17) The king gave orders; and they quarried large stones, expensive stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stone. 32 (18) Shlomo’s and Hiram’s builders, along with the men from G’val, worked the stones and prepared the timber and stones for building the house.
6 It was in the 480th year after the people of Isra’el had left the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Shlomo’s reign over Isra’el, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of Adonai. 2 The house which King Shlomo built for Adonai was 105 feet long, thirty-five feet wide and fifty-two-and-a-half feet high. 3 The hall fronting the temple of the house was thirty-five feet long, the same as the width of the house itself, so that its seventeen-and-a-half-foot width extended frontward from the house. 4 The windows he made for the house were wide on the inside and narrow on the outside. 5 Against the wall of the house he built an annex all the way around; it went all the way around the walls of the house, including both the temple and the sanctuary. 6 The lowest floor of the annex was eight-and-three-quarters feet wide, the middle floor ten-and-a-half feet wide and the third floor twelve-and-a-quarter feet wide; for he had made the outer part of the wall of the house step-shaped, so that the beams of the annex would not have to be attached to the house walls. 7 For the house, when under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; so that no hammer, chisel or iron tool of any kind was heard in the house while it was being built. 8 The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the house; a spiral staircase went up to the middle floor and on to the third. 9 So he built the house, and after finishing it, he put its roof on — cedar planks over beams. 10 Each floor of the annex surrounding the house was eight-and-three-quarters feet high and was attached to the house with beams of cedar.
11 Then this word of Adonai came to Shlomo: 12 “Concerning this house which you are building: if you will live according to my regulations, follow my rulings and observe all my mitzvot and live by them, then I will establish with you my promise that I made to David your father — 13 I will live in it among the people of Isra’el, and I will not abandon my people Isra’el.”
14 So Shlomo finished building the house. 15 The insides of the walls of the house he built with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the joists of the ceiling he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. 16 The thirty-five-foot back portion of the house he built with boards of cedar from the floor to the joists and reserved this part of the house to be a sanctuary, the Especially Holy Place; 17 while the rest of the house, that is, the temple in front, was seventy feet long. 18 The cedar covering the house was carved with gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; no stone was visible. 19 In the inner part of the house he set up the sanctuary, so that the ark for the covenant of Adonai could be placed there. 20 This sanctuary was thirty-five feet long, wide and high; and it was overlaid with pure gold. In front of it he set an altar, which he covered with cedar. 21 Shlomo overlaid the interior of the house with pure gold and had chains of gold placed before the sanctuary, which itself he overlaid with gold. 22 The entire house he overlaid with gold until it was completely covered with it. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the sanctuary.
23 Inside the sanctuary he made two k’ruvim of olive-wood, each seventeen-and-a-half feet high. 24 Each of the two wings of one of the k’ruvim was eight-and-three quarters feet long, so that the distance from the end of one wing to the end of the other was seventeen-and-a-half feet. 25 Likewise the [wingspread of the] other keruv was seventeen-and-a-half feet; both k’ruvim were identical in shape and size. 26 The height of the one keruv was seventeen-and-a-half feet, likewise that of the other. 27 He set the k’ruvim in the inner house; the wings of the k’ruvim were stretched out, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other keruv touched the other wall; their wings touched each other in the middle of the house. 28 He overlaid the k’ruvim with gold. 29 All around the walls of the house, both inside the sanctuary and outside it, he carved figures of k’ruvim, palm trees and open flowers. 30 He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, both inside the sanctuary and outside it.
31 For the entrance to the sanctuary he made doors of olive-wood, set within a five-sided door-frame. 32 On the two olive-wood doors he carved figures of k’ruvim, palm trees and open flowers. He overlaid the doors with gold, forcing the gold into the shapes of the k’ruvim and palm trees as well. 33 For the entrance to the temple he also made doorposts of olive-wood, set within a rectangular door-frame, 34 and two doors of cypress-wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, as were the two leaves of the other. 35 On them he carved k’ruvim, palm trees and open flowers, overlaying them with gold fitted to the carved work. 36 He built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.
37 The foundation of the house of Adonai was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. 38 In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, all parts of the house were completed exactly as designed. Thus he was seven years building it.
Melachim Alef 4-6
Orthodox Jewish Bible
4 So HaMelech Sh’lomo was Melech over kol Yisroel.
2 And these were the sarim which he had; Azaryah Ben Tzadok HaKohen,
3 Elichoreph and Achiyah, the Bnei Shisha, Sofrim (scribes); Yehoshaphat Ben Achilud, the Mazkir (secretary).
4 And Benayah Ben Yehoyada was over the Tzava (army); and Tzadok and Evyatar (Abiathar) were the Kohanim;
5 And Azaryah Ben Natan was over the Nitzavim (commissioners) and Zavud Ben Natan kohen re’eh HaMelech;
6 And Achishar was over the Bais (palace); and Adoniram Ben Avda was over the forced labor.
7 And Sh’lomo had twelve Nitzavim (commissioners) over kol Yisroel, which provided provision for HaMelech and his Bais (palace); each man his month in a shanah (year) made provision.
8 And these are their shemot; Ben Hur, in har Ephrayim;
9 The Ben Deker, in Makatz, and in Sha’alvim, and Beit Shemesh, and Elon Beit Chanan;
10 Ben Chesed, in Arubot; to him pertained Sochoh, and kol Eretz Chepher;
11 Ben Avinadav, in kol Naphat Dor; which had Taphat Bat Sh’lomo as his isha;
12 Ba’ana Ben Achilud; Ta’nach and Megiddo, and kol Beit She’an, which is near Zartanah below Yizre’el (Jezreel), from Beit She’an to Avel Mecholah, even unto beyond Yokme’am;
13 Ben Gever, in Ramot Gil‘ad; to him pertained the towns of Yair Ben Menasheh, which are in Gil‘ad; to him also pertained the region of Argov, which is in Bashan, threescore arim gedolim with chomah and gate bars of nechoshet;
14 Achinadav Ben Iddo had Machanayim;
15 Achima’atz was in Naphtali; he also took Ba’smat Bat Sh’lomo as his isha;
16 Ba’anah Ben Chushai was in Asher and in Alot;
17 Yehoshaphat Ben Paruach, in Yissakhar;
18 Shimei Ben Elah, in Binyamin;
19 Gever Ben Uri was in Eretz Gil‘ad, in Eretz Sichon Melech Emori, and of Og Melech HaBashan; and he was the only Netziv (commissioner) which was in the land.
20 Yehudah and Yisroel were many, as the chol (sand) which is by the yam in multitude, eating and drinking, and rejoicing.
5 (4:21) And Sh’lomo reigned as Melech over kol hamamlechot (all the kingdoms) from the Nahar [Euphrates] River) unto Eretz Pelishtim (Philistines), and unto the border of Mitzrayim: they brought minchah (tribute), and served Sh’lomo all the days of his life.
2 (4:22) And Lechem Sh’lomo for one day was thirty kor of solet (fine flour), and threescore kor of flour,
3 (4:23) Ten stall fed bakar, and twenty bakar out of the pastures, and a hundred tzon, beside deer, and gazelle, and roebuck, and choice fowl.
4 (4:24) For he had dominion over all the region beyond the Nahar, from Tiphsach even to Azzah (Gaza), over all the melachim beyond the Nahar [i.e., west of the Euphrates]; and he had shalom on all sides around him.
5 (4:25) And Yehudah and Yisroel dwelt securely, every ish under his gefen and under his te’enah (fig tree), from Dan even to Be’er Sheva, all the days of Sh’lomo.
6 (4:26) And Sh’lomo had forty thousand stalls of susim for his merkavot, and twelve thousand parashim.
7 (4:27) And these Nitzavim [al kol Yisroel, see 4:7-19] provided for HaMelech Sh’lomo, and for all that came near unto Shulchan HaMelech Sh’lomo, every ish in his chodesh; they lacked nothing.
8 (4:28) Se’orim (barley) also and straw for the susim and swift steeds brought they unto the makom (place) where it should be, each according to his mishpat (charge, quota, duty, responsibility).
9 (4:29) And Elohim gave Sh’lomo chochmah and tevunah (understanding, insight) exceeding much, and rochav lev (largeness of heart), even as the chol (sand) that is on the seashore.
10 (4:30) And the chochmah Sh’lomo excelled the chochmat kol Bnei Kedem and kol chochmat Mitzrayim.
11 (4:31) For he was wiser than kol Adam; than Eitan the Ezrachi, and Heman, and Calkol, and Darda, the Bnei Machol; and shmo was in kol HaGoyim all around.
12 (4:32) And he uttered three thousand mashal; and his shir (songs) were one thousand and five.
13 (4:33) And he spoke of etzim (trees), from the erez (cedar tree) that is in the Levanon even unto the ezov (hyssop) which grows out of the wall; he spoke also of behemah (animal), and of oph (fowl, bird), and of remes (crawling creature), and of dagim (fish).
14 (4:34) And there came of kol Amim to hear the chochmat Sh’lomo, from kol Malkhei Ha’Aretz, which had heard of his chochmah.
15 (5:1) And Chiram Melech Tzor sent his avadim unto Sh’lomo; for he had heard that they had anointed him Melech in the place of his av; for Chiram was ever an ohev (friend) of Dovid.
16 (5:2) And Sh’lomo sent to Chiram, saying,
17 (5:3) Thou knowest how that Dovid Avi could not build Bayit unto the Shem of Hashem Elohav due to the milchamah which was about him on every side, until Hashem put them under the kappot (soles) of his raglayim.
18 (5:4) But now Hashem Elohai hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither satan (adversary) nor pega rah (evil occurrence, misfortune).
19 (5:5) And, now behold, I purpose to build a Beis for the Shem of Hashem Elohai, just as Hashem spoke unto Dovid Avi, saying, Binecha [i.e., Ben Dovid] whom I will set upon thy Kisse in thy place, he shall build HaBayit for My Shem.
20 (5:6) Now therefore command thou that they cut for me arazim (cedar trees) out of the Levanon; and my avadim shall be with thy avadim; and unto thee will I give sachar (wage) for thy avadim according to all that thou shalt appoint; for thou knowest that there is not among us any that are skilled to hew etzim (wood, timber) like unto the Tzidonim.
21 (5:7) And it came to pass, when Chiram heard the divrei Sh’lomo, that he rejoiced with simchah me’od, and said, Baruch Hashem this day, Who hath given unto Dovid a ben chacham over HaAm Harav hazeh (this great people).
22 (5:8) And Chiram sent to Sh’lomo, saying, I have considered the things which thou sentest to me for; and I will do all thy chefetz (desire) concerning atzei arazim (cedar timber), and concerning atzei b’roshim (cypress wood).
23 (5:9) My avadim shall bring them down from the Levanon unto the yam (sea, i.e., Mediterranean Sea); and I will convey them by yam on rafts unto the makom (place) that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them; and thou shalt accomplish my chefetz (desire), in giving lechem for my bais (household).
24 (5:10) So Chiram gave Sh’lomo atzei arazim (cedar logs) and atzei b’roshim (cypress wood) according to all his chefetz.
25 (5:11) And Sh’lomo gave Chiram twenty thousand kor of chittim (wheat) for provision for his bais, and twenty kor of shemen katit (pressed olive oil): thus gave Sh’lomo to Chiram shanah b’shanah.
26 (5:12) And Hashem gave Sh’lomo chochmah, just as He promised him; and there was shalom between Chiram and Sh’lomo; and they had a brit (treaty, a political alliance), the two of them.
27 (5:13) And HaMelech Sh’lomo conscripted mas (forced labor) out of kol Yisroel; and the mas was thirty thousand ish.
28 (5:14) And he sent them to the Levanon, ten thousand a month by chalifot (courses, shifts); a month they were in the Levanon, and two months they were b’bayit (at home); and Adoniram was in charge of the mas.
29 (5:15) And Sh’lomo had threescore and ten thousand that were burden bearers, and fourscore thousand who were stone cutters in the har (mountains);
30 (5:16) This was in addition to the chief of Sh’lomo’s Nitzavim, who were over the project, three thousand three hundred, who supervised the people that wrought in the work.
31 (5:17) And HaMelech commanded, and avanim gedolot (great stones) they quarried, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the Bayit with hewn stones.
32 (5:18) And the Bonei Sh’lomo and Bonei Chiram did chisel them, and the men from Geval; so they prepared etzim (timber) and avanim (stones) to build the Bayit [the Beis Hamikdash]. [See Ps 118:22 and Isa 53].
6 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the Bnei Yisroel were come out of Eretz Mitzrayim , in the fourth year of Sh’lomo’s reign over Yisroel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the Beis Hashem.
2 And the Beis [Hamikdash] which king Sh’lomo built for Hashem, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.
3 And the Ulam (Portico) in front of the Heikhal of the Beis [Hamikdash], twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the Beis [Hamikdash]; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof projecting in front of the Beis [Hamikdash].
4 And for the Beis [Hamikdash] he made embrasures.
5 And against the wall of the Beis [Hamikdash] he built chambers round about, against the walls of the Beis [Hamikdash] round about, both of the Heikhal and of the Debir; and he made chambers round about;
6 The lowest story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for without in the wall of the Beis [Hamikdash] he made narrow ledges round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the Beis [Hamikdash].
7 And the Beis [Hamikdash], when it was under construction, was built of stone made ready before it was brought there; so was neither hammer nor chisel nor any tool of iron heard in the Beis [Hamikdash], while it was under construction.
8 The door for the middle story was in the right side of the Beis [Hamikdash]; and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.
9 So he built the Beis [Hamikdash], and finished it; and covered the Beis [Hamikdash] with beams and boards of cedar.
10 And then he built chambers against all the Beis [Hamikdash], five cubits high; and they rested on the Beis [Hamikdash] with timber of cedar.
11 And the Devar Hashem came to Sh’lomo, saying,
12 Concerning this Beis [Hamikdash] which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in My statutes, and execute My judgments, and be shomer over all My mitzvot to walk in them; then will I perform My word (promise) with thee, which I spoke unto Dovid thy father;
13 And I will dwell among the Bnei Yisroel, and will not forsake My people Yisroel.
14 So Sh’lomo built the Beis [Hamikdash], and finished it.
15 And he built the walls of the Beis [Hamikdash] within with boards of cedar, from the floor of the Beis [Hamikdash] to the rafters of the ceiling; and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the Beis [Hamikdash] with planks of cypress.
16 And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the Beis [Hamikdash], from the floor to the rafters with boards of cedar; he even built them for it within, even for the Debir, even for the Kodesh HaKodashim.
17 And the Beis, that is, the Heikhal in front of it, was forty cubits long.
18 And the cedar of the Beis [Hamikdash] within was carved with gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; there was no stone seen.
19 And the Devir he prepared in the Beis [Hamikdash] within, to set there the Aron Brit Hashem.
20 And the Devir was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure zahav (gold); and so covered the mizbe’ach which was of cedar.
21 So Sh’lomo overlaid the Beis [Hamikdash] within with pure zahav (gold); and he drew chains of zahav (gold) across, in front of the Devir; and he overlaid it with zahav.
22 And the whole interior he overlaid with zahav (gold), in order that kol haBeis be perfect; also the whole Mizbe’ach that belonged to the Devir he overlaid with zahav (gold).
23 And within the Devir he made two keruvim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.
24 And five cubits was the one wing of the keruv, and five cubits the other wing of the keruv; from the uttermost part of the one wing unto the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.
25 And the other keruv was ten cubits; both the keruvim were of one measure and one size.
26 The height of the one keruv was ten cubits, and so was it of the other keruv.
27 And he set the keruvim within the inner room; and they stretched forth the wings of the keruvim, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other keruv touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of HaBayit.
28 And he overlaid the keruvim with zahav (gold).
29 And he carved all the walls of the Beis [Hamikdash] round about with carved figures of keruvim and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.
30 And the floor of the Beis [Hamikdash] he overlaid with zahav (gold), within and without.
31 And for the entering of the Devir he made doors of olive wood; the lintel and the five-sided door posts.
32 The two doors also were of olive wood; and he carved upon them carvings of keruvim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with zahav, and spread zahav upon the keruvim, and upon the palm trees.
33 So also made he for the entrance of the Heikhal foursided door posts of olive wood.
34 And the two doors were of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.
35 And he carved thereon keruvim and palm trees and open flowers; and covered them with zahav fitted upon the carved work.
36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewed stone, and a row of cedar beams.
37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the Beis Hashem laid, in the month Ziv;
38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the Beis [Hamikdash] finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he sheva shanim (seven years) in building it.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International