1 Kings
Chapter 5
1 Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent his servants to Solomon because he heard they had made him king after his father. Hiram always loved David.
2 Solomon sent a message to Hiram, saying,
3 You know my father David couldn’t build a house for God because of the constant wars around him, until God defeated his enemies.
4 But now God has given me peace everywhere, with no enemy or bad things happening.
5 Look, I plan to build a house for the name of God, as God told my father David, saying, “Your son, who I will put on your throne after you, will build a house for my name.”
6 So now, tell them to cut cedar trees from Lebanon for me; my workers will work with yours: and I will pay your workers as you decide: because you know we have no one who can cut wood like the Sidonians.
7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he was very happy and said, “Praise God today, for giving David a wise son to lead this great nation.”
8 Hiram sent a message to Solomon, saying, “I have thought about what you asked me for, and I will do everything you want with the cedar and fir wood.”
9 My workers will bring them from Lebanon to the sea, and I’ll transport them by sea on rafts to the place you choose for me. There, I’ll unload them, and you’ll pick them up. You’ll fulfill my wish by providing food for my family.
10 Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and fir trees he wanted.
11 Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 measures of wheat for his family’s food and 20 measures of pure oil. Solomon did this for Hiram every year.
12 God gave Solomon wisdom as promised, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; they both formed a partnership.
13 King Solomon gathered workers from all Israel; there were thirty thousand men.
14 He sent them to Lebanon in groups of ten thousand each month: they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of them.
15 Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountains.
16 In addition to Solomon’s main officers in charge of the work, there were 3,300 supervisors managing the workers.
17 The king ordered them to bring large, expensive cut stones to lay the house’s foundation.
18 Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders cut the stones, and the stonecutters helped. They got wood and stones ready to build the house.