Alliance with King Hiram

[a](A)Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for (B)Hiram had [b]always been a friend of David. Then (C)Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, “You know that (D)David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now (E)the Lord my God has secured me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor [c]misfortune. So behold, (F)I [d]intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, just as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’ Now then, issue orders that they cut (G)cedars from Lebanon for me, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants in accordance with all that you say, for you yourself know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he greatly rejoiced; and he said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you sent me; I will do everything you wish concerning the cedar and juniper timber. My servants will bring the timbers down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will have them made into rafts to go by sea (H)to the place where you [e]direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you will carry them away. Then (I)you shall do what I wish, by giving food to my household.” 10 So [f]Hiram [g]gave Solomon all that he wished of the cedar and juniper timber. 11 (J)Solomon then gave [h]Hiram [i]twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and [j]twenty kors of pure oil; this is what Solomon would give Hiram year by year. 12 And (K)the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He [k]promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a covenant.

Conscription of Laborers

13 Now (L)King Solomon [l]conscripted forced laborers from all Israel; and the forced laborers numbered thirty thousand men. 14 Then he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts; they were in Lebanon for a month, and two months at home. And (M)Adoniram was in charge of the forced laborers. 15 Now (N)Solomon had seventy thousand porters, and eighty thousand stonemasons in the mountains, 16 (O)besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief deputies who were in charge of the [m]project and ruled over the people who were doing the work. 17 Then (P)the king issued orders, and they quarried large stones, valuable stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. 18 So Solomon’s builders and [n]Hiram’s builders and (Q)the Gebalites [o]cut the stones, and they prepared the timbers and the stones to build the house.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 5:1 Ch 5:15 in Heb
  2. 1 Kings 5:1 Lit all the days
  3. 1 Kings 5:4 Lit evil occurrence
  4. 1 Kings 5:5 Lit say
  5. 1 Kings 5:9 Lit send to me
  6. 1 Kings 5:10 Heb Hirom
  7. 1 Kings 5:10 Lit was giving
  8. 1 Kings 5:11 In 2 Chr 2:3, Huram
  9. 1 Kings 5:11 About 154,000 cubic feet or 4,360 cubic meters
  10. 1 Kings 5:11 About 154 cubic feet or 4.4 cubic meters
  11. 1 Kings 5:12 Lit spoke to
  12. 1 Kings 5:13 Lit raised up
  13. 1 Kings 5:16 Lit work
  14. 1 Kings 5:18 Heb Hirom’s
  15. 1 Kings 5:18 Or chiseled

Preparations and Materials for the Temple

[a]Now King Hiram of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend to David.(A) Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, “You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until he[b] put them under the soles of his feet.[c](B) But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune.(C) So I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’(D) Therefore command that cedars from the Lebanon be cut for me. My servants will join your servants, and I will give you whatever wages you set for your servants, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.” Hiram sent word to Solomon, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me; I will fulfill all your needs in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. My servants shall bring it down to the sea from the Lebanon; I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will have them broken up there for you to take away. And you shall meet my needs by providing food for my household.”(E) 10 So Hiram supplied Solomon’s every need for timber of cedar and cypress. 11 Solomon, in turn, gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household and twenty cors of fine oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.(F) 12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.(G)

13 King Solomon conscripted forced labor out of all Israel; the levy numbered thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them to the Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts; they would be a month in the Lebanon and two months at home;[d] Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.(H) 15 Solomon also had seventy thousand laborers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hill country,(I) 16 besides Solomon’s three thousand three hundred supervisors who were over the work, having charge of the people who did the work. 17 At the king’s command, they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.(J) 18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites did the stonecutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.

Footnotes

  1. 5.1 5.15 in Heb
  2. 5.3 Gk: Heb the Lord
  3. 5.3 Gk Tg Vg: Heb my feet or his feet
  4. 5.14 Or at his palace