The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Kings 05
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 Yahweh
his God because of the wars which were
around him on every side, until Yahweh
put his enemies under the soles of his feet.
4 But now Yahweh 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 Yahweh my God, as Yahweh
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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh 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, andthey 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.