The First Book of the Kings

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 5 -

(2 Chronicles 2:1–10)

Hiram, the king of the city of Tyre, had always been a close friend of King David. When he heard that Solomon had been appointed to become the king after his father was no longer king, he sent messengers to Solomon.

Solomon gave those messengers this message to take back to Hiram:

“You know that my father David led his soldiers to fight many wars against his enemies in the nearby countries. So he could not try to build a temple in which we could worship Yahweh our God, until after Yahweh enabled the Israelite army to defeat all his enemies.

But now Yahweh our God has enabled us to have peace with all the surrounding countries. There is no danger that we will be attacked.

Yahweh promised my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will enable to be king after you are no longer king, will build a temple for me, Yahweh your God.’

So I am requesting that you command your workers to cut cedar trees for me. My men will work with them, and I will pay your workers whatever you decide. But my men cannot do the work alone, because they do not know how to cut down trees like your workers from the city of Sidon do.”

Hiram’s Reply to Solomon

(2 Chronicles 2:11–18)

When Hiram heard the message from Solomon, he was very happy and said, “I praise Yahweh today for giving David a very wise son to rule that great nation!”

He sent this message back to Solomon, “I have heard the message that you sent to me, and I am ready to do what you ask. I will provide cedar and cypress logs.

My workers will bring the logs down from the Lebanon mountains to the Mediterranean Sea. Then they will tie them together to make rafts to float them in the water along the coast to the place that you indicate. Then my workers will untie the logs, and your workers will take them from there. What I want you to do is to supply food for my men.”

So Hiram arranged for his workers to supply all the cedar and cypress logs that Solomon wanted.

Each year Solomon gave Hiram 3,520 cubic meters of wheat and 416,350 liters of pure olive oil to feed his workers.

Yahweh enabled Solomon to be wise, just like he had promised. Solomon and Hiram made a treaty.

Solomon’s Labor Force

King Solomon forced thirty thousand men from all over Israel to become his workers.

Adoniram was their boss. Solomon divided the men into three groups. Each month ten thousand of them went to Lebanon and worked for a month there, and then they came back home for two months.

Solomon also forced eighty thousand men to cut stones in the hill country and seventy thousand men to haul the stones to Jerusalem.

He also assigned 3,300 men to supervise their work.

The king also commanded his workers to cut huge blocks of stones from the quarries and to smooth the sides of the stones. These huge stones were for the foundation of the temple.

Solomon’s workers and Hiram’s workers and men from the city of Gebal shaped the stones and prepared the timber to build the temple.

(2 Chronicles 2:1–10)

Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father, and Hiram had always loved David.

Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,

“You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the wars which were around him on every side, until the LORD put his enemies under the soles of his feet.

But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is no enemy and no evil occurrence.

Behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place shall build the house for my name.’

Now therefore command that cedar trees be cut for me out of Lebanon. My servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say. For you know that there is nobody among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

Hiram’s Reply to Solomon

(2 Chronicles 2:11–18)

When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said, “Blessed is the LORD today, who has given to David a wise son to rule over this great people.”

Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent to me. I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning cypress timber.

My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you specify to me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you will receive them. You will accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.”

So Hiram gave Solomon cedar timber and cypress timber according to all his desire.

Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand cors(a) of wheat for food to his household, and twenty cors(b) of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.

The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together.

Solomon’s Labor Force

King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: for a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor.

Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains,

besides Solomon’s chief officers who were over the work: three thousand three hundred who ruled over the people who labored in the work.

The king commanded, and they cut out large stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone.

Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

Footnotes

(a)5:11 20,000 cors would be about 120,000 bushels or about 4.2 megaliters of wheat, which would weigh about 3,270 metric tons.

(b)5:11 20 cors is about 1,100 gallons or about 4220 liters.