1 Kings 5
5
Wood and stone for the temple
1 # 5.1 5:15 in Heb Because King Hiram#5.1 Chronicles spells the king’s name Huram; for example, 2 Chron 2:3, 11-12; but cf 1 Chron 14:1 Kethib. of Tyre was loyal to David throughout his rule, Hiram sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that Solomon had become king after his father. 2Solomon sent the following message to Hiram: 3“You know that my father David wasn’t able to build a temple for the name of the LORD my God. This was because of the enemies that fought him on all sides until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. 4Now the LORD my God has given me peace on every side, without enemies or misfortune. 5So I’m planning to build a temple for the name of the LORD my God, just as the LORD indicated to my father David, ‘I will give you a son to follow you on your throne. He will build the temple for my name.’ 6Now give the order and have the cedars of Lebanon cut down for me. My servants will work with your servants. I’ll pay your servants whatever price you set, because you know we have no one here who is skilled in cutting wood like the Sidonians.”
7Hiram was thrilled when he heard Solomon’s message. He said, “Today the LORD is blessed because he has given David a wise son who is in charge of this great people.” 8Hiram sent word back to Solomon: “I have heard your message to me. I will do as you wish with the cedar and pinewood. 9My servants will bring the wood down the Lebanon Mountains to the sea. I’ll make rafts out of them and float them on the sea to the place you specify. There I’ll dismantle them, and you can carry them away. Now, as for what you must do for me in return, I ask you to provide for my royal house.”
10So Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and pinewood that he wanted. 11In return, Solomon gave an annual gift to Hiram of twenty thousand kors#5.11 One kor is possibly equal to fifty gallons. of wheat to eat, and twenty thousand kors of pure oil for his palace use. 12Now the LORD made Solomon wise, just as he had promised. Solomon and Hiram made a covenant and had peace.
13King Solomon called up a work gang of thirty thousand workers from all over Israel. 14He sent ten thousand to work in Lebanon each month. Then they would spend two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the work gang. 15Solomon had 70,000 laborers and 80,000 stonecutters in the highlands. 16This doesn’t include Solomon’s 3,300 supervisors in charge of the work, who had oversight over the laborers. 17At the king’s command, they quarried huge stones of the finest quality in order to lay the temple’s foundation with carefully cut stone. 18The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram, along with those of Byblos, prepared the timber and the stones for the construction of the temple.
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1 Kings 5: CEB
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