Chapter 5

¹And Hiram king of Tyre sendeth his servants unto Solomon, for he heard that they had anointed him for king instead of his father, for Hiram was a lover of David all the days; ²and Solomon sendeth unto Hiram, saying, ³`Thou hast known David my father, that he hath not been able to build a house to the name of Jehovah his God, because of the wars that have been round about him, till Jehovah`s putting them under the soles of his feet. ⁴`And now, Jehovah my God hath given rest to me round about, there is no adversary nor evil occurrence, <sup>5</sup>and lo, I am saying to build a house to the name of Jehovah my God, as Jehovah spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son whom I appoint in thy stead on thy throne, he doth build the house for My name. <sup>6</sup>`And now, command, and they cut down for me cedars out of Lebanon, and my servants are with thy servants, and the hire of thy servants I give to thee according to all that thou sayest, for thou hast known that there is not among us a man acquainted with cutting wood, like the Sidonians.` <sup>7</sup>And it cometh to pass at Hiram`s hearing the words of Solomon, that he rejoiceth exceedingly, and saith, `Blessed [is] Jehovah to-day, who hath given to David a wise son over this numerous people.` ⁸And Hiram sendeth unto Solomon, saying, I have heard that which thou hast sent unto me, I do all thy desire concerning cedar-wood, and fir-wood, ⁹my servants bring down from Lebanon to the sea, and I make them floats in the sea unto the place that thou sendest unto me, and I have spread them out there; and thou dost take [them] up, and thou dost execute my desire, to give the food of my house.` ¹⁰And Hiram is giving to Solomon cedar-trees, and fir-trees, all his desire, ¹¹and Solomon hath given to Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat, food for his house, and twenty cors of beaten oil; thus doth Solomon give to Hiram year by year. ¹²And Jehovah hath given wisdom to Solomon as He spake to him, and there is peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they make a covenant both of them. ¹³And king Solomon lifteth up a tribute out of all Israel, and the tribute is thirty thousand men, ¹⁴and he sendeth them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month, by changes, a month they are in Lebanon, two months in their own house; and Adoniram [is] over the tribute. ¹⁵And king Solomon hath seventy thousand bearing burdens, and eighty thousand hewing in the mountain, ¹⁶apart from the heads of the officers of Solomon, who [are] over the work, three thousand and three hundred, those ruling over the people who are working in the business. ¹⁷And the king commandeth, and they bring great stones, precious stone, to lay the foundation of the house, hewn stones; ¹⁸and the builders of Solomon, and the builders of Hiram, and the Giblites hew, and prepare the wood and the stones to build the house.