1 Kings 5

Preparations for Building the Temple

1 * 5:1 Ch 5:15 in Hebrew Now *[2 Chr. 2:3] Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, *2 Sam. 5:11;1 Chr. 14:1for Hiram always loved David. 2 And Solomon sent word to Hiram, 3 *For ver. 3-11, see 2 Chr. 2:3-16"You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God *1 Chr. 22:8;28:3because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 *[ch. 4:24;1 Chr. 22:9]But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, *2 Sam. 7:13;1 Chr. 17:12;22:10;28:6as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians."

7 As soon as Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, "Blessed be the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people." 8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard the message that you have sent to me. I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct. And I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it. And you shall meet my wishes *[Ezra 3:7;Ezek. 27:17;Acts 12:20]by providing food for my household." 10 So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, 11 while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors*5:11 A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000*5:11 Septuagint; Hebrew twenty cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. 12 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, *ch. 3:12as he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

13 King Solomon drafted *ch. 4:6;9:15forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. 14 And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. *See ch. 4:6Adoniram was in charge of the draft. 15 Solomon also *2 Chr. 2:18;[ch. 9:20-22]had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, 16 besides Solomon’s 3,300 *ch. 4:5chief officers who were over the work, *ch. 9:23who had charge of the people who carried on the work. 17 At the king’s command *[ch. 6:7;1 Chr. 22:2]they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. 18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and *Josh. 13:5;Ezek. 27:9the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.