# 1 Kings 5 (New King James Version)
Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple

##### Chapter 5
###### 1 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, because he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always loved David.  
###### 2 Then Solomon sent to Hiram, saying:

###### 3 You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the Lord put _his foes_ under the soles of his feet.

###### 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; _there is_ neither adversary nor evil occurrence.

###### 5 And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as 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 cedars 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 _there is_ 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 _the message_ which you sent me, _and_ I will do all you desire concerning the cedar and cypress logs.

###### 9 My servants shall bring _them_ down from 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 by giving food for my household.

###### 10 Then Hiram gave Solomon cedar and cypress logs _according to_ all his desire.  
###### 11 And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat _as_ food for his household, and twenty kors of pressed oil. Thus Solomon gave to Hiram year by year.

###### 12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as 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; Adoniram _was_ in charge of the labor force.  
###### 15 Solomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens, and eighty thousand who quarried _stone_ in the mountains,  
###### 16 besides three thousand three hundred from the chiefs 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, _and_ hewn stones, to lay the foundation of the temple.  
###### 18 So Solomon's builders, Hiram's builders, and the Gebalites quarried _them;_ and they prepared timber and stones to build the temple.