1 Kings 5:5-18 ▼

5 And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of YHWH my God, as YHWH spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set in your place on your throne, he will build the house for My Name.’

6 And now command that they cut down for me cedars from Lebanon. And my servants will be with your servants, and for your servants I will pay wages to you according to whatever you say, for you know that there is none among us who has skill to cut trees like the Sidonians.”

7 And it came to pass that Hiram heard the words of Solomon, and he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be YHWH this day, for He has given to David a wise son over this great people.”

8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have considered that which you have sent to me, and I will do all you desire with the trees of cedar and with the trees of cypress.

9 My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the Sea, and I will float them in rafts by the sea to the place that you indicate to me, and I will break them up there. And you shall lift them and you shall fulfill my desire by giving food for my house.”

10 And Hiram gave to Solomon trees of cedar and trees of cypress, all of his desire.

11 And Solomon gave to Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his house, and twenty thousand baths of pressed oil. Thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year.

12 And YHWH gave wisdom to Solomon as He had promised to him, and there was peace between Hiram and between Solomon, and the two of them cut a covenant.

13 And King Solomon raised up a forced labor out of all Israel, and the forced labor was thirty thousand men.

14 And he sent them to Lebanon ten thousand by the month in shifts. One month they were in Lebanon, and two months in his house. And Adoniram was over the forced labor.

15 And Solomon had seventy thousand who lift a burden and eighty thousand who hew in the hill country,

16 besides the chiefs of the deputies of Solomon that are over the work, three thousand and three hundred were those ruling over the people who were doing the work.

17 And the king commanded them, and they brought large stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the temple, and hewn stones.

18 And the builders of Solomon, and the builders of Hiram, and the Gebalites hewed, and they prepared the trees and stones to build the house.