1 Kings

5 And Hiram King of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon, for he had heard that him had they anointed king in the room of his father,—for Hiram was a lover of David continually.

2 So Solomon sent unto Hiram, saying:—

3 Thou knewest David my father, how that he could not build a house unto the Name of Yahweh his God, because of the wars that were about him on every side,—until Yahweh should put them under the soles of his feet;

4 but now Yahweh my God hath given me rest on every side,—there is neither adversary nor incident of evil.

5 Behold me! then purposing to build a house for the Name of Yahweh my God—even as Yahweh spake unto David my father, saying—Thy son, whom I will set in thy stead upon thy throne, he shall build the house for my Name.

6 Now, therefore, command thou that they fell me cedars out of Lebanon, and my servants shall be with thy servants, and the hire of thy servants will I give thee, according to all that thou shalt say,—for thou knowest that none amongst us hath skill to fell timber like the Zidonians.

7 And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly,—and said: Blessed be Yahweh to-day, who hath given unto David a wise son, over this great people!

8 And Hiram sent unto Solomon, saying, I have heard that which thou hast sent unto me,—I will do all thy desire, as to timber of cedar, and timber of fir.

9 My servants shall bring them down out of Lebanon unto the sea, and I will put them in rafts on the sea unto the place of which thou shalt send me word, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them, and thou shalt do my desire, by giving food for my household.

10 So then Hiram began giving unto Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir, even all his desire,

11 and Solomon gave unto Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food for his household, and twenty measures of beaten oil,—thus used Solomon to give unto Hiram year by year.

12 And Yahweh gave wisdom unto Solomon, as he promised him,—and it came to pass that there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they two solemnised a covenant.

13 And King Solomon raised a labour-band out of all Israel,—and it came to pass that the labour-band was thirty thousand men.

14 And he sent them to Lebanon ten thousand a month by courses, a month were they in Lebanon, two months at home,—and Adoniram was over the levy.

15 And it came to pass that Solomon had seventy thousand bearers of burdens,—and eighty thousand hewers in the mountain;

16 besides the chiefs of Solomon’s officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred,—who ruled over the people that wrought in the work.

17 And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to found the house with hewn stones.

18 And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders with the Gebalites wrought them,—thus made they ready the timber and the stones for building the house.