1 Kings 5

Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that Solomon had been anointed king in his father’s place, for Hiram had always been David’s friend. Solomon sent this message to Hiram: “You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars that surrounded him, until the LORD put his enemies under the soles of his feet. But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is no adversary and no calamity. I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David: ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, will build the house for my name.’ So order cedars from Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay you whatever wages you specify for your servants. You know that none of us knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.” When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the LORD today, who has given David a wise son to rule this great people!” Hiram sent this message to Solomon: “I have heard the message you sent me. I will do all you desire concerning cedar and cypress timber. My servants will bring it down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you specify. I will break up the rafts there, and you can take the timber away. In return, fulfill my desire by supplying food for my household.” So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the cedar and cypress timber he desired. Solomon gave Hiram about 100,000 bushels of wheat as food for his household and about 1,000 gallons of oil from crushed olives. Solomon gave this to Hiram year after year. The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two made a covenant. King Solomon conscripted a labor force from all Israel, numbering thirty thousand men. He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month. They spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram supervised the conscripted labor. Solomon also had seventy thousand burden bearers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hill country, besides Solomon’s 3,300 officials who supervised the work and directed the people doing it. At the king’s command, they quarried large, costly stones, dressed stones for laying the foundation of the house. Solomon’s builders, Hiram’s builders, and the men of Gebal cut and prepared the timber and stones to build the house.

Rights and attribution