1 Now aHiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, because he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, bfor Hiram had always loved David.
3aYou know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God bbecause of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the Lord put1hisfoes under the soles of his feet.
4 But now the Lord my God has given me arest on every side; thereis neither adversary nor2 evil occurrence.
5aAnd behold,1 I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, bas the Lord spoke to my father David, saying, “Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for My name.”
6 Now therefore, command that they cut down acedars for me from Lebanon; and my servants will be with your servants, and I will pay you wages for your servants according to whatever you say. For you know thereis none among us who has skill to cut timber like the Sidonians.
7 So it was, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly and said, Blessed be the Lord this day, for He has given David a wise son over this great people!
8 Then Hiram sent to Solomon, saying: I have considered themessage which you sent me, and I will do all you desire concerning the cedar and cypress logs.
9 My servants shall bring them down afrom Lebanon to the sea; I will float them in rafts by sea to the place you indicate to me, and will have them broken apart there; then you can take them away. And you shall fulfill my desire bby giving food for my household.
10 Then Hiram gave Solomon cedar and cypress logs accordingto all his desire.
11aAnd Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as food for his household, and2 twenty kors of pressed oil. Thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year.
12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, aas He had promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together.
13 Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men.
14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: they were one month in Lebanon and two months at home; aAdoniram was in charge of the labor force.
15aSolomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens, and eighty thousand who quarried stone in the mountains,
16 besides three thousand1 three hundred from the achiefs of Solomon’s deputies, who supervised the people who labored in the work.
17 And the king commanded them to quarry large stones, costly stones, andahewn stones, to lay the foundation of the1 temple.
18 So Solomon’s builders, Hiram’s builders, and the Gebalites quarried them; and they prepared timber and stones to build the1 temple.
THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF KINGS, in the ancient copies of the Hebrew Bible, constitute one book. Various titles have been given them; in the Septuagint and the Vulgate they are called the Third and Fourth Books of Kings. The authorship of these books is unknown; but the prevailing opinion is that they were compiled by Ezra, or one of the later prophets, from the ancient documents that are so frequently referred to in the course of the history as of public and established authority. Their inspired character was acknowledged by the Jewish Church, which ranked them in the sacred canon; and, besides, it is attested by our Lord, who frequently quotes from them (compare I Kings 17:9; II Kings 5:14 with Luke 4:24-27; I Kings 10:1 with Matthew 12:42).
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