1 Kings Chapter 5
1 Kings Chapter 5: 1-18
1 When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David.
2 Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:
3 “You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet.
4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster.
5 I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’
6 “So give orders that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the LORD today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.”
8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon:
“I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and juniper logs.
9 My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea, and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food for my royal household.”
10 In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted,
11 and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, in addition to twenty thousand baths of pressed olive oil. Solomon continued to do this for Hiram year after year.
12 The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
13 King Solomon conscripted laborers from all Israel—thirty thousand men.
14 He sent them off to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month, so that they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.
15 Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hills,
16 as well as thirty-three hundred foremen who supervised the project and directed the workers.
17 At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of high-grade stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple.
18 The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and workers from Byblos cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.
1 Kings 5: 1-18
🍁Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple
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
And Solomon sent word to Hiram
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
But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side
There is neither adversary nor misfortune
And so I intend 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 on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name
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 Sidonians
As soon as 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
And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me
I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber
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
So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000 cors of beaten oil
Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year
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
King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men
And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts
They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home
Adoniram was in charge of the draft
Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work
At the king’s command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones
So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house