1 Kings 5
5
Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple
1Hiram was the king of Tyre. He heard that Solomon had been anointed as king. He heard that Solomon had become the next king after his father David. Hiram had always been David’s friend. So Hiram sent his messengers to Solomon. 2Then Solomon sent a message back to Hiram. Solomon said,
3“As you know, my father David had to fight many battles. His enemies attacked him from every side. So he couldn’t build a temple where the Lord his God would put his Name. That wouldn’t be possible until the Lord had put his enemies under his control. 4But now the Lord my God has given me peace and rest on every side. We don’t have any enemies. And we don’t have any other major problems either. 5So I’m planning to build a temple. I want to build it for the Name of the Lord my God. That’s what he told my father David he wanted me to do. He said, ‘I will put your son on the throne in your place. He will build a temple. I will put my Name there.’
6“So give your men orders to cut down cedar trees in Lebanon for me. My men will work with yours. I’ll pay you for your men’s work. I’ll pay any amount you decide on. As you know, we don’t have anyone as skilled in cutting down trees as the men of Sidon are.”
7When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was very pleased. He said, “May the Lord be praised today. He has given David a wise son to rule over that great nation.”
8So Hiram sent a message to Solomon. Hiram said,
“I have received the message you sent me. I’ll do everything you want me to. I’ll provide the cedar and juniper logs. 9My men will bring them from Lebanon down to the Mediterranean Sea. I’ll make them into rafts. I’ll float them to the place you want me to. When the rafts arrive, I’ll separate the logs from each other. Then you can take them away. And here’s what I want in return. Provide food for all the people in my palace.”
10So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted. 11Solomon gave Hiram 3,600 tons of wheat as food for the people in his palace. He also gave him 120,000 gallons of oil made from pressed olives. He did that for Hiram year after year. 12The Lord made Solomon wise, just as he had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon. The two of them made a peace treaty.
13King Solomon forced men from all over Israel to work hard for him. There were 30,000 of them. 14He sent them off to Lebanon in groups of 10,000 each month. They spent one month in Lebanon. Then they spent two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the people who were forced to work. 15Solomon had 70,000 people who carried things. He had 80,000 who cut stones in the hills. 16He had 3,300 men in charge of the project. They also directed the workers. 17The people did what the king commanded. They removed large blocks of the best quality stone from a rock pit. They used them to provide a foundation for the temple. 18The skilled workers of Solomon and Hiram cut and prepared the logs and stones. They would later be used in building the temple. Workers from Byblos also helped.
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1 Kings 5: NIrV
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1 Kings 5
5
Solomon Gathers Building Materials for the Temple
1 (5:15)#sn The verse numbers in the English Bible differ from those in the Hebrew text (BHS) here; 5:1-18 in the English Bible corresponds to 5:15-32 in the Hebrew text. See the note at 4:21. King Hiram of Tyre#map For location see Map1-A2; Map2-G2; Map4-A1; JP3-F3; JP4-F3. sent messengers#tn Heb “his servants.” to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father’s place. (Hiram had always been an ally of David.) 2 Solomon then sent this message to Hiram: 3 “You know that my father David was unable to build a temple to honor the Lord#tn Heb “a house for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name. his God, for he was busy fighting battles on all fronts while the Lord subdued his enemies.#tn Heb “because of the battles which surrounded him until the Lord placed them under the soles of his feet.” 4 But now the Lord my God has made me secure on all fronts; there is no adversary or dangerous threat. 5 So I have decided#tn Heb “Look, I am saying.” to build a temple to honor the Lord#tn Heb “a house for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name. my God, as the Lord instructed my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, is the one who will build a temple to honor me.’#tn Heb “a house for my name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name. 6 So now order some cedars of Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work with your servants. I will pay your servants whatever you say is appropriate, for you know that we have no one among us who knows how to cut down trees like the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was very happy. He said, “The Lord is worthy of praise today because he#tn Or “Blessed be the Lord today, who….” has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” 8 Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: “I received#tn Heb “heard.” the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need.#tn Heb “I will satisfy all your desire with respect to cedar wood and with respect to the wood of evergreens.” 9 My servants will bring the timber down from Lebanon to the sea. I will send it by sea in raft-like bundles to the place you designate.#tn Heb “I will place them [on? as?] rafts in the sea to the place where you designate to me.” This may mean he would send them by raft, or that he would tie them in raft-like bundles, and have ships tow them down to an Israelite port. There I will separate the logs#tn Heb “smash them,” i.e., untie the bundles. and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.”#tn Heb “as for you, you will satisfy my desire by giving food for my house.”
10 So Hiram supplied the cedars and evergreens Solomon needed,#tn Heb “and Hiram gave to Solomon cedar wood and the wood of evergreens, all his desire.” 11 and Solomon supplied Hiram annually with 20,000 cors#sn As a unit of dry measure a cor was roughly equivalent to six bushels. of wheat as provision for his royal court,#tn Heb “his house.” as well as 20,000 baths#tc The Hebrew text has “twenty cors,” but the ancient Greek version and the parallel text in 2 Chr 2:10 read “twenty thousand baths.” sn A bath was a liquid measure equivalent to almost six gallons. of pure#tn Or “pressed.” olive oil.#tn Heb “and Solomon supplied Hiram with twenty thousand cors of wheat…pure olive oil. So Solomon would give to Hiram year by year.” 12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. And Hiram and Solomon were at peace and made a treaty.#tn Heb “a covenant,” referring to a formal peace treaty or alliance.
13 King Solomon conscripted#tn Heb “raised up.” work crews#sn Work crews. This Hebrew word (מַס, mas) refers to a group of laborers conscripted for royal or public service. from throughout Israel, 30,000 men in all. 14 He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of 10,000 men per month. They worked in Lebanon for one month, and then spent two months at home. Adoniram was supervisor of#tn Heb “was over.” the work crews. 15 Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers#tn Heb “carriers of loads.” and 80,000 stonecutters#tn Heb “cutters” (probably of stones). in the hills, 16 besides 3,300#tc Some Greek mss of the OT read “3,600”; cf. 2 Chr 2:2, 18 and NLT. officials who supervised the workers.#tn Heb “besides thirty-three hundred from the officials of Solomon’s governors who were over the work, the ones ruling over the people, the ones doing the work.” 17 By royal order#tn Heb “and the king commanded.” they supplied large valuable stones in order to build the temple’s foundation with chiseled stone. 18 Solomon’s and Hiram’s construction workers,#tn Heb “builders.” along with men from Byblos,#tn Heb “the Gebalites.” The reading is problematic and some emend to a verb form meaning, “set the borders.” did the chiseling and prepared the wood and stones for the building of the temple.#tc The LXX includes the words “for three years.”
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