1 Kings 5

1Hiram, king of Tyre, sent his servants to Solomon because he had heard that they had anointed him king instead of his father, for Hiram was a lover of David all his days.

2Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,

3You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of Yahweh his God because of the wars that surrounded him until Yahweh put them under the soles of his feet.

4But now Yahweh my God has given me rest all around, with no adversary or evil occurrence.

5Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of Yahweh my God, as Yahweh spoke to David my father: "Your son, whom I will set in your place on your throne—he shall build the house for my name."

6Now therefore command them to cut cedars for me from Lebanon; my servants shall be with your servants, and I will give you the wages for your servants according to all that you say. For you know that there is no man among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.

7When Hiram heard Solomon's words, he rejoiced exceedingly and said, "Blessed be Yahweh today, who has given David a wise son over this great people."

8Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard what you sent to me. I will do all your desire in cedar trees and in fir trees."

9My servants will lower them from Lebanon to the sea, and I will fashion rafts from them to cross the sea to the place you designate for me, and I will break them apart there, and you will take them. You will carry out my wishes by supplying food for my house.

10Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees, all that he desired.

11Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for his household's provisions, along with twenty measures of pure oil; thus Solomon supplied Hiram year by year.

12Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom, as he had spoken to him, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them cut a covenant.

13King Solomon conscripted a levy from all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men.

14He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand each month in shifts—a month in Lebanon, two months at home—and Adoniram was over the levy.

15Solomon had seventy thousand burden bearers and eighty thousand cutters in the mountains.

16besides the chiefs of Solomon's officers who were over the work, three thousand three hundred who ruled over the people who did the work.

17The king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, and hewn stones to lay the foundation of the house.

18Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders, with the Giblites, hewed them and prepared the timbers and stones to build the house.