RSV 1_Kings 5 Chapter
5:1
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father;for Hiram always loved David.
5:2
And Solomon sent word to Hiram,
5:3
'You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.
5:4
But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side;there is neither adversary nor misfortune.
5:5
And so I purpose to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD said to David my father, Your son, whom I will set upon your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.'
5:6
Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me;and my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set;for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sido'nians.'
5:7
When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said, 'Blessed be the LORD this day, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people.'
5:8
And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, 'I have heard the message which you have sent to me;I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber.
5:9
My servants shall bring it down to the sea from Lebanon;and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you direct, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall receive it;and you shall meet my wishes by providing food for my household.'
5:10
So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired,
5:11
while Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty thousand cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.
5:12
And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him;and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon;and the two of them made a treaty.
5:13
King Solomon raised a levy of forced labor out of all Israel;and the levy numbered thirty thousand men.
5:14
And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in relays;they would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home;Adoni'ram was in charge of the levy.
5:15
Solomon also had seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand hewers of stone in the hill country,
5:16
besides Solomon's three thousand three hundred chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
5:17
At the king's command, they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.
5:18
So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebal did the hewing and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.