< 1 Kings 5 >
1 And 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, for Hiram was ever a devotee of David.
2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,
3 Thou know how that David my father could not build a house for the name of Jehovah his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until Jehovah put them under the soles of his feet.
4 But now Jehovah my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence.
5 And, behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of Jehovah my God, as Jehovah spoke to David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy place, he shall build the house for my name.
6 Now therefore command thou that they cut for me cedar trees out of Lebanon. And my servants shall be with thy servants. And I will give thee wages for thy servants according to all that thou shall say, for thou know that there is not among us any that knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.
7 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be Jehovah this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.
8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have heard that which thou have sent to me. I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.
9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. And I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that thou shall appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and thou shall receive them. And thou shall accomplish my desire in giving food for my household.
10 So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire.
11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil; thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year.
12 And Jehovah gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two made a league together.
13 And king Solomon raised a conscription out of all Israel, and the conscription was thirty thousand men.
14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses. They were in Lebanon a month, and at home two months. And Adoniram was over the men subject to task work.
15 And Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were hewers in the mountains,
16 besides Solomon's chief officers who were over the work: three thousand and three hundred who bore rule over the people that labored in the work.
17 And the king commanded, and they hewed out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with shaped stone.
18 And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites fashioned them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.
