1 Kings 5
New Living Translation
Preparations for Building the Temple
5 [a]King Hiram of Tyre had always been a loyal friend of David. When Hiram learned that David’s son Solomon was the new king of Israel, he sent ambassadors to congratulate him.
2 Then Solomon sent this message back to Hiram:
3 “You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well. 5 So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.’
6 “Therefore, please command that cedars from Lebanon be cut for me. Let my men work alongside yours, and I will pay your men whatever wages you ask. As you know, there is no one among us who can cut timber like you Sidonians!”
7 When Hiram received Solomon’s message, he was very pleased and said, “Praise the Lord today for giving David a wise son to be king of the great nation of Israel.” 8 Then he sent this reply to Solomon:
“I have received your message, and I will supply all the cedar and cypress timber you need. 9 My servants will bring the logs from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea[b] and make them into rafts and float them along the coast to whatever place you choose. Then we will break the rafts apart so you can carry the logs away. You can pay me by supplying me with food for my household.”
10 So Hiram supplied as much cedar and cypress timber as Solomon desired. 11 In return, Solomon sent him an annual payment of 100,000 bushels[c] of wheat for his household and 110,000 gallons[d] of pure olive oil. 12 So the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as he had promised. And Hiram and Solomon made a formal alliance of peace.
13 Then King Solomon conscripted a labor force of 30,000 men from all Israel. 14 He sent them to Lebanon in shifts, 10,000 every month, so that each man would be one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of this labor force. 15 Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers, 80,000 quarry workers in the hill country, 16 and 3,600[e] foremen to supervise the work. 17 At the king’s command, they quarried large blocks of high-quality stone and shaped them to make the foundation of the Temple. 18 Men from the city of Gebal helped Solomon’s and Hiram’s builders prepare the timber and stone for the Temple.
Footnotes
- 5:1 Verses 5:1-18 are numbered 5:15-32 in Hebrew text.
- 5:9 Hebrew the sea.
- 5:11a Hebrew 20,000 cors [4,400 kiloliters].
- 5:11b As in Greek version, which reads 20,000 baths [420 kiloliters] (see also 2 Chr 2:10); Hebrew reads 20 cors, about 1,000 gallons or 4.4 kiloliters in volume.
- 5:16 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 2 Chr 2:2, 18); Hebrew reads 3,300.
1 Bassekabaka 5
Endagaano Enkadde nʼEndagaano Empya
Enteekateeka y’Okuzimba Yeekaalu
5 (A)Awo Kiramu kabaka w’e Ttuulo bwe yawulira nga Sulemaani bamufuseeko amafuta okuba kabaka, ng’asikidde kitaawe Dawudi, n’atuma ababaka be eri Sulemaani, kubanga yali mukwano gwa Dawudi. 2 Sulemaani n’atumira Kiramu ng’ayogera nti,
3 (B)“Omanyi nti, Olw’entalo ennyingi ezeetooloola Dawudi kitange, teyasobola kuzimbira linnya lya Mukama Katonda we yeekaalu, okutuusa Mukama lwe yamala okuteeka abalabe be wansi w’ebigere bye. 4 (C)Naye kaakano Mukama Katonda wange awadde Isirayiri yonna emirembe ku njuyi zonna, era tewakyali mulabe wadde akabi ak’engeri yonna. 5 (D)Era, laba, nsuubira okuzimbira Erinnya lya Mukama Katonda wange yeekaalu, nga Mukama bwe yagamba Dawudi kitange, bwe yayogera nti, ‘Mutabani wo gwe nditeeka ku ntebe ey’obwakabaka mu kifo kyo, yalizimbira Erinnya lyange yeekaalu.’
6 “Noolwekyo lagira basajja bo bantemere emivule gya Lebanooni. Abaddu bange banaakoleranga wamu n’abaddu bo, era nakuweerezanga empeera yonna, gy’olinsaba olw’abaddu bo. Omanyi nga ku ffe tekuli n’omu alina magezi kutema miti okwenkana ab’e Sidoni.”
7 Awo Kiramu bwe yawulira obubaka bwa Sulemaani, n’asanyuka nnyo era n’ayogera nti, “Mukama yeebazibwe, kubanga awadde Dawudi omwana ow’amagezi okufuga eggwanga lino eddene.”
8 Awo Kiramu n’atumira Sulemaani ng’ayogera nti,
“Obubaka bwe wampeereza mbufunye, era nnaakola by’oyagala byonna eby’emiti egy’emivule n’emiti egy’emiberosi. 9 (E)Basajja bange baligiggya mu Lebanooni ne bagiserengesa ku nnyanja, era ndigisengeka ng’ebitindiro okuyita ku nnyanja okugituusa mu kifo ky’olindaga. Nga gituuse eyo ndiragira ne bagisumulula, ne gikuweebwa. Kye njagala okolere ab’omu nnyumba yange, kwe kubawanga emmere.”
10 Awo Kiramu n’awa Sulemaani emiti gy’emivule n’emiti egy’emiberosi nga bwe yayagala, 11 ne Sulemaani n’amuwanga ebigero by’eŋŋaano kilo enkumi nnya mu bina eby’emmere ey’ennyumba ye, n’amafuta ag’omuzeeyituuni ebigero amakumi abiri, ze kilo nga bina mu ana buli mwaka. Kino Sulemaani yakikoleranga Kiramu buli mwaka. 12 (F)Mukama n’awa Sulemaani amagezi, nga bwe yamusuubiza. Ne waba emirembe wakati wa Kiramu ne Sulemaani, n’okulagaana ne balagaana endagaano bombi.
13 (G)Kabaka Sulemaani n’akuŋŋaanya abakozi mu Isirayiri yonna, ne bawera abasajja emitwalo esatu. 14 (H)N’abaweerezanga e Lebanooni mu mpalo; buli luwalo nga lumala omwezi gumu e Lebanooni n’emyezi ebiri ewaabwe, era Adoniraamu ye yabavunaanyizibwanga. 15 Sulemaani yalina abantu emitwalo musanvu abaasitulanga emigugu, n’emitwalo munaana abaatemanga amayinja ku nsozi, 16 (I)ate n’abaami be enkumi ssatu mu bisatu abaalabiriranga omulimu n’okulagirira abakozi. 17 (J)Kabaka n’alagira bateme amayinja amanene ddala nga bagaggya mu kirombe ky’amayinja ag’omuwendo, okuzimba emisingi gya yeekaalu n’amayinja amateme obulungi. 18 (K)Abaweesi ba Sulemaani n’aba Kiramu, wamu n’abasajja ba Gebali ne balongoosa n’okutegeka ne bategeka emiti n’amayinja eby’okuzimba yeekaalu.
1 Kings 5
The Voice
5 News of Solomon’s succession of David reached the ears of Hiram, king of Tyre. Because Hiram was a friend of David,[a] he sent a group of his servants to visit Solomon. 2 Solomon gave a message to Hiram’s servants, which they took back to Hiram.
Solomon’s Message: 3 You remember that David did not have the opportunity to construct a temple honoring the reputation of the Eternal his God, because of my father’s involvement in the warfare which plagued him until the Eternal suppressed all of his enemies under his feet. 4 But the Eternal One my God now grants me rest everywhere. We are not plagued by enemies or troubles. 5 Therefore, I am going to construct a temple for the name of the Eternal my God. It will be just as He told David, my father: “Your son, whom I will put upon your throne after you are gone, will construct a temple honoring Me.”[b] 6 So tell your people to start cutting down Lebanon’s cedars for my project. My servants will work alongside your servants, and I will pay you whatever you ask for your servants’ work. It is no secret that the best timber cutters around are the Sidonians who are at your command.
7 When Hiram received this message from Solomon, he celebrated.
Hiram: Blessed is the Eternal today! Praise Him for giving David Solomon, the wise son who rules a great people!
8 (replying to Solomon) I have received your message, and I will do exactly as you have asked. We will start the timberwork with the cedars and cypress immediately. 9 Those who serve me will transport them from Lebanon to the sea. I will make rafts out of the timber and float the logs to the place of your choosing. There I will have them break apart the rafts, and you can carry the logs to wherever it is that you want them. Then all I ask is that you feed my house and my servants.
10 Hiram sent all the cedar and cypress trees Solomon had requested. 11 In return, Solomon presented Hiram with food for his house and servants: 130,000 bushels of wheat and 1,200 gallons of purified oil. Solomon gave this same amount to Hiram every year.
12 The Eternal One upheld His promise to Solomon and granted him much wisdom. Hiram and Solomon were at peace with each other, and they entered into a covenant.
13 King Solomon assembled forced laborers from all over Israel—30,000 men in all. 14 He sent them to Lebanon in cycles—10,000 men per month. They stayed in Lebanon for an entire month, then they were able to return home for two months. Adoniram was the head administrator of the workers.
15 Solomon enlisted 70,000 men to transport the materials and 80,000 stonecutters to quarry, carve, and dress stone from the mountains. 16 These numbers do not include Solomon’s 3,300[c] agents who were head administrators over the project and the workers. 17 The king gave instructions, and the workers laid the giant, expensive stones to form the foundation of the temple. 18 Both Solomon’s construction workers and Hiram’s skilled workers, along with the Gebalites, cut the materials to make the timber and stones ready for the temple.
Footnotes
- 5:1 2 Samuel 5:11
- 5:5 2 Samuel 7:13
- 5:16 2 Chronicles 2:18, “3,600”
1 Kings 5
New International Version
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:
3 “You know that because of the wars(C) waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build(D) a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.(E) 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest(F) on every side, and there is no adversary(G) or disaster. 5 I intend, therefore, to build a temple(H) for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’(I)
6 “So give orders that cedars(J) of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the Lord(K) today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.”
8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon:
“I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and juniper logs. 9 My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea(L), and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food(M) for my royal household.”
10 In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted, 11 and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors[b] of wheat as food(N) for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths[c][d] of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year. 12 The Lord gave Solomon wisdom,(O) just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.(P)
13 King Solomon conscripted laborers(Q) from all Israel—thirty thousand men. 14 He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram(R) was in charge of the forced labor. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills, 16 as well as thirty-three hundred[e] foremen(S) who supervised the project and directed the workers. 17 At the king’s command they removed from the quarry(T) large blocks of high-grade stone(U) to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple. 18 The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram(V) and workers from Byblos(W) cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1-18 is numbered 5:15-32.
- 1 Kings 5:11 That is, probably about 3,600 tons or about 3,250 metric tons
- 1 Kings 5:11 Septuagint (see also 2 Chron. 2:10); Hebrew twenty cors
- 1 Kings 5:11 That is, about 120,000 gallons or about 440,000 liters
- 1 Kings 5:16 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 2:2,18) thirty-six hundred
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