I Kings 5
5
Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple
1Now #1 Kin. 5:10, 18; 2 Chr. 2:3Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, because he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, #2 Sam. 5:11; 1 Chr. 14:1for Hiram had always loved David. 2Then #2 Chr. 2:3Solomon sent to Hiram, saying:
3#1 Chr. 28:2, 3You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God #1 Chr. 22:8; 28:3because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the Lord put his foes under the soles of his feet.
4But now the Lord my God has given me #1 Kin. 4:24; 1 Chr. 22:9rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.
5#2 Chr. 2:4And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, #2 Sam. 7:12, 13; 1 Kin. 6:38; 1 Chr. 17:12; 22:10; 28:6; 2 Chr. 6:2as the Lord spoke to my father David, saying, “Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for My name.”
6Now therefore, command that they cut down #2 Chr. 2:8, 10cedars for me from Lebanon; and my servants will be with your servants, and I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say. For you know there is none among us who has skill to cut timber like the Sidonians.
7So it was, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly and said,
Blessed be the Lord this day, for He has given David a wise son over this great people!
8Then Hiram sent to Solomon, saying:
I have considered the message which you sent me, and I will do all you desire concerning the cedar and cypress logs.
9My servants shall bring them down #Ezra 3:7from Lebanon to the sea; I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you indicate to me, and will have them broken apart there; then you can take them away. And you shall fulfill my desire #Ezek. 27:17; Acts 12:20by giving food for my household.
10Then Hiram gave Solomon cedar and cypress logs according to all his desire. 11#2 Chr. 2:10And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of pressed oil. Thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year.
12So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, #1 Kin. 3:12as He had promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together.
13Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men. 14And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: they were one month in Lebanon and two months at home; #1 Kin. 12:18Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. 15#1 Kin. 9:20–22; 2 Chr. 2:17, 18Solomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens, and eighty thousand who quarried stone in the mountains, 16besides three thousand three hundred from the #1 Kin. 9:23chiefs of Solomon’s deputies, who supervised the people who labored in the work. 17And the king commanded them to quarry large stones, costly stones, and #1 Kin. 6:7; 1 Chr. 22:2hewn stones, to lay the foundation of the temple. 18So Solomon’s builders, Hiram’s builders, and the Gebalites quarried them; and they prepared timber and stones to build the temple.
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I Kings 5: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
1 Kings 5
5
Solomon Asks Hiram To Help Build the Temple
(2 Chronicles 2.1-16)
1King Hiram of Tyre#5.1 Tyre: The most important city in Phoenicia. It was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel, in what is today southern Lebanon. had always been friends with Solomon's father David. When Hiram learned that Solomon was king, he sent some of his officials to meet with Solomon.
2Solomon sent a message back to Hiram:
3Remember how my father David wanted to build a temple where the Lord his God could be worshiped? But enemies kept attacking my father's kingdom, and he never had the chance. 4Now, thanks to the Lord God, there is peace in my kingdom and no trouble or threat of war anywhere.
5 #
2 S 7.12,13; 1 Ch 17.11,12. The Lord God promised my father that when his son became king, he would build a temple for worshiping the Lord. So I've decided to do that.
6I'd like you to send your workers to cut down cedar trees in Lebanon for me. I will pay them whatever you say and will even have my workers help them. We both know that your workers are more experienced than anyone else at cutting lumber.
7Hiram was so happy when he heard Solomon's request that he said, “I am grateful that the Lord gave David such a wise son to be king of that great nation!” 8Then he sent back his answer:
I received your message and will give you all the cedar and pine logs you need. 9My workers will carry them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea. They will tie the logs together and float them along the coast to wherever you want them. Then they will untie the logs, and your workers can take them from there.
To pay for the logs, you can provide the grain I need for my household.
10Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and pine logs he needed. 11In return, Solomon gave Hiram over 2,000 tons of wheat and almost 4,000 liters of pure olive oil each year.
12The Lord kept his promise and made Solomon wise. Hiram and Solomon signed a treaty and never went to war against each other.
Solomon's Workers
13Solomon ordered 30,000 people from all over Israel to cut logs for the temple, 14#1 K 12.15-19. and he put Adoniram in charge of these workers. Solomon divided them into three groups of 10,000. Each group worked one month in Lebanon and had two months off at home.
15He also had 80,000 workers to cut stone in the hill country of Israel, 70,000 workers to carry the stones, 16and over 3,000 assistants to keep track of the work and to supervise the workers. 17He ordered the workers to cut and shape large blocks of good stone for the foundation of the temple.
18Solomon's and Hiram's men worked with men from the city of Gebal,#5.18 Gebal: Later known as Byblos. and together they got the stones and logs ready for the temple.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.