New Revised Standard NRS
Common English Bible CEB
1 Now King Hiram of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father; for Hiram had always been a friend to David.
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Because King Hiram of Tyre was loyal to David throughout his rule, Hiram sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that Solomon had become king after his father.
2 Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying,
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Solomon sent the following message to Hiram:
3 "You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.
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"You know that my father David wasn't able to build a temple for the name of the LORD my God. This was because of the enemies that fought him on all sides until the LORD put them 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 misfortune.
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Now the LORD my God has given me peace on every side, without enemies or misfortune.
5 So I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to my father David, "Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.'
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So I'm planning to build a temple for the name of the LORD my God, just as the LORD indicated to my father David, ‘I will give you a son to follow you on your throne. He will build the temple for my name.'
6 Therefore command that cedars from the Lebanon be cut for me. My servants will join your servants, and I will give you whatever wages you set for your servants; for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians."
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Now give the order and have the cedars of Lebanon cut down for me. My servants will work with your servants. I'll pay your servants whatever price you set, because you know we have no one here who is skilled in cutting wood like the Sidonians."
7 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and said, "Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son to be over this great people."
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Hiram was thrilled when he heard Solomon's message. He said, "Today the LORD is blessed because he has given David a wise son who is in charge of this great people."
8 Hiram sent word to Solomon, "I have heard the message that you have sent to me; I will fulfill all your needs in the matter of cedar and cypress timber.
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Hiram sent word back to Solomon: "I have heard your message to me. I will do as you wish with the cedar and pinewood.
9 My servants shall bring it down to the sea from the Lebanon; I will make it into rafts to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will have them broken up there for you to take away. And you shall meet my needs by providing food for my household."
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My servants will bring the wood down the Lebanon Mountains to the sea. I'll make rafts out of them and float them on the sea to the place you specify. There I'll dismantle them, and you can carry them away. Now, as for what you must do for me in return, I ask you to provide for my royal house."
10 So Hiram supplied Solomon's every need for timber of cedar and cypress.
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So Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and pinewood that he wanted.
11 Solomon in turn gave Hiram twenty thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty cors of fine oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.
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In return, Solomon gave an annual gift to Hiram of twenty thousand kors of wheat to eat, and twenty thousand kors of pure oil for his palace use.
12 So the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and the two of them made a treaty.
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Now the LORD made Solomon wise, just as he had promised. Solomon and Hiram made a covenant and had peace.
13 King Solomon conscripted forced labor out of all Israel; the levy numbered thirty thousand men.
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King Solomon called up a work gang of thirty thousand workers from all over Israel.
14 He sent them to the Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts; they would be a month in the Lebanon and two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.
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He sent ten thousand to work in Lebanon each month. Then they would spend two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the work gang.
15 Solomon also had seventy thousand laborers and eighty thousand stonecutters in the hill country,
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Solomon had 70,000 laborers and 80,000 stonecutters in the highlands.
16 besides Solomon's three thousand three hundred supervisors who were over the work, having charge of the people who did the work.
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This doesn't include Solomon's 3,300 supervisors in charge of the work, who had oversight over the laborers.
17 At the king's command, they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.
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At the king's command, they quarried huge stones of the finest quality in order to lay the temple's foundation with carefully cut stone.
18 So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites did the stonecutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.
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The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram, along with those of Byblos, prepared the timber and the stones for the construction of the temple.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible