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1 Kings 5

Preparations for Building the Temple

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Ch 5:15 in Hebrew} Now ^bHiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father ^cfor Hiram always loved David. 2 And Solomon sent word to Hiram, 3 ^d“You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God ^ebecause of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 ^fBut now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, ^gas 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.’ 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 Sidonians.”

7 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.” 8 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. 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 ^hby providing food for my household.” 10 So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired, 11 while Solomon gave Hiram 20,000 cors ^{▼

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A cor was about 6 bushels or 220 liters} of wheat as food for his household, and 20,000 ^{▼

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Septuagint; Hebrew twenty} cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. 12 And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, ^kas he promised him. And there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

13 King Solomon drafted ^lforced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men. 14 And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. ^mAdoniram was in charge of the draft. 15 Solomon also ⁿhad 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country, 16 besides Solomon’s 3,300 ^ochief officers who were over the work ^pwho had charge of the people who carried on the work. 17 At the king’s command ^qthey quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones. 18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and ^rthe men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.