1 Kings 5
1 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River, through the land of the Philistines, to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon throughout his life.
2 Solomon’s daily provision was thirty kors of fine flour and sixty kors of flour,
3 ten fattened cattle, twenty cattle from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.
4 For he ruled over the whole region west of the River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River; and he had peace on every side.
5 Judah and Israel lived in safety, each under his own vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, throughout Solomon’s lifetime.
6 Solomon had forty thousand stalls for the horses of his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.
7 Those governors provided for King Solomon and everyone who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his assigned month. They left nothing lacking.
8 They brought barley and straw for the horses and racing animals to wherever he was, each according to his responsibility.
9 God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding in very great measure, and breadth of heart like the sand on the seashore.
10 Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
11 He was wiser than anyone else, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame spread among all the surrounding nations.
12 He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand and five.
13 He spoke about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing out of the wall. He spoke about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish.
14 People came from all nations to hear Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.
15 Hiram, king of Tyre, sent his servants to Solomon, because he had heard that Solomon had been anointed king in his father’s place. Hiram had always been a friend of David.
16 Solomon sent this message to Hiram:
17 “You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars that surrounded him. That lasted until the LORD placed his enemies beneath the soles of my feet.
18 Now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is no adversary and no disaster.
19 So I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David: ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, will build the house for my name.’
20 “Now, then, give orders for cedars from Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work alongside yours, and I will pay you the wages of your servants according to whatever you say. For you know that among us no one knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
21 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was very glad and said, “Blessed be the LORD today, who has given David a wise son to rule over this great people.”
22 Hiram sent this message to Solomon: “I have heard what you sent me. I will do everything you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber.
23 My servants will bring it down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make it into rafts on the sea to the place you indicate to me. There I will untie the rafts, and you can take the timber away. In return, you will provide food for my household, as I desire.”
24 So Hiram supplied Solomon with cedar and cypress timber, as much as he desired.
25 Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty kors of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year after year.
26 The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
27 King Solomon conscripted forced laborers from all Israel; the forced laborers numbered thirty thousand men.
28 He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of ten thousand a month: they spent one month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.
29 Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountains,
30 besides the chief officers over Solomon’s work, three thousand three hundred men who supervised the people doing the work.
31 The king ordered them to quarry large, valuable stones to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.
32 Solomon’s builders, Hiram’s builders, and the Gebalites cut and prepared the timber and stones for building the house.
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