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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Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 5
5
1And Ḥiram sovereign of Tsor sent his servants to Shelomoh, because he heard that they had anointed him sovereign in place of his father, for Ḥiram had always loved Dawiḏ.
2And Shelomoh sent to Ḥiram, saying,
3“You know my father Dawiḏ was unable to build a house for the Name of יהוה his Elohim because of the battles which were all around him, until יהוה put them under the soles of his feet.
4“But now יהוה my Elohim has given me rest all around, there is neither adversary nor evil incident.
5“And see, I intend to build a house for the Name of יהוה my Elohim, as יהוה spoke to my father Dawiḏ, saying, ‘Your son, whom I set on your throne in your place, he does build the house for My Name.’
6“And now, command that they cut down cedars for me from Leḇanon. And let my servants be with your servants, and let me pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say. For you know there is none among us who knows to cut timber like the Tsiḏonians.”
7And it came to be, when Ḥiram heard the words of Shelomoh, that he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be יהוה this day, for He has given Dawiḏ a wise son over this great people!”
8And Ḥiram sent to Shelomoh, saying, “I have heard that which you sent me. Let me do all you desire concerning the cedar and cypress logs.
9“Let my servants bring them down from Leḇanon to the sea, then I put them in rafts by sea to the place you direct me. And I shall spread them out there, then you take them up, while you do my desire by giving food for my household.”
10And Ḥiram gave Shelomoh cedar and cypress logs – all his desire.
11And Shelomoh gave Ḥiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of pressed oil. Thus Shelomoh gave to Ḥiram year by year.
12And יהוה gave Shelomoh wisdom, as He promised him. And there was peace between Ḥiram and Shelomoh, and the two of them made a covenant.
13And Sovereign Shelomoh raised up compulsory labour out of all Yisra’ĕl. And the compulsory labour was thirty thousand men.
14And he sent them to Leḇanon, ten thousand per new moon by courses – they were one new moon in Leḇanon, two new moons at home. And Aḏoniram was over the compulsory labour.
15And Shelomoh had seventy thousand bearing burdens, and eighty thousand hewing stone in the mountains,
16besides three thousand three hundred from the chiefs of Shelomoh’s deputies who were over the work, those ruling over the people who laboured in the work.
17And the sovereign commanded, and they brought large stones, precious stones, to lay the foundation of the House with hewn stones.
18And Shelomoh’s builders, and Ḥiram’s builders, and the men of Geḇal did hew, and prepared timber and stones to build the House.
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