5:1 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.
5:2 And Solomon sent word to Hiram,
5:3 "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.
5:4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune.
5:5 And so I purpose 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 upon your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.'
5:6 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 Sido'nians."
5:7 When 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."
5:8 And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard the message which you have sent to me; I am ready to do all you desire in the matter of cedar and cypress timber.
5:9 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 by providing food for my household."
5:10 So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the timber of cedar and cypress that he desired,
5:11 while Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty thousand cors of beaten oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.
5:12 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.
5:13 King Solomon raised a levy of forced labor out of all Israel; and the levy numbered thirty thousand men.
5:14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in relays; they would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home; Adoni'ram was in charge of the levy.
5:15 Solomon also had seventy thousand burden-bearers and eighty thousand hewers of stone in the hill country,
5:16 besides Solomon's three thousand three hundred chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
5:17 At the king's command, they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.
5:18 So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the men of Gebal did the hewing and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.
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