1 Wafalme 5

Solomon’s rule and wisdom

¹Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon throughout his life.^a

²Solomon’s provisions for a single day were about 180 bushels of fine flour and about 360 bushels of meal, ³ten fattened cattle, twenty cattle from the pasture and a hundred sheep and goats, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks and fattened birds.^{b 4}For he had dominion over the whole region west of the Euphrates, from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates, and he had peace on every side all around him. ⁵Judah and Israel lived in safety, everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba, all through Solomon’s lifetime.

⁶Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.^{c 7}These officers provided for King Solomon and for everyone who came to King Solomon’s table, each in his month. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. ⁸They also brought barley and straw for the horses and the swift horses to the place where it was needed, each according to his assignment.^d

⁹God gave Solomon wisdom and very great understanding, and a breadth of mind as vast as the sand on the seashore. ¹⁰Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the peoples of the east and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. ¹¹He was wiser than anyone else, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. His fame spread to all the surrounding nations.^{e 12}He spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs numbered 1,005.^{f 13}He spoke about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing out of the wall, and he spoke about animals, birds, creeping things and fish. ¹⁴People came from all the nations to hear Solomon’s wisdom; they came on behalf of all the kings of the earth, who had heard how wise he was.

Hiram supplies wood for the temple

¹⁵Hiram king of Tyre sent his officials to Solomon when he heard that Solomon had been anointed king in his father’s place, for Hiram had always been a friend of David.^g

¹⁶Solomon sent word 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 waged against him on every side, until the LORD put his enemies under the soles of his feet.^{h 18}But now the LORD my God has given me rest all around. I have no adversary and face no misfortune. ¹⁹So I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, just as the LORD told my father David: ‘Your son, whom I will put on your throne in your place, will build the house for my name.’ ²⁰So now give orders for cedars from Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work with your servants, and I will pay you whatever wages you set for your servants. You know that none of us knows how to cut timber as well as the Sidonians do.” ²¹When Hiram heard Solomon’s words, he was delighted and said, “Blessed be the LORD today, who has given David a wise son to rule over this great people!” ²²Then Hiram sent word to Solomon: “I have received the message you sent me. I will do all you wish in the matter of cedar timber and cypress timber.^{i 23}My servants will bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will have them tied into rafts and sent by sea to the place you name. There I will have them taken apart, and you can carry them away. And you will meet my wishes by providing food for my household.” ²⁴So Hiram supplied Solomon with all the cedar timber and cypress timber he wished for. ²⁵Solomon gave Hiram about 120,000 bushels of wheat as food for his household, and about 1,200 gallons of pressed olive oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year after year.^j

²⁶The LORD gave wisdom to Solomon, as he had promised him. Hiram and Solomon were at peace, and the two of them made a treaty with each other. ²⁷King Solomon drafted forced labor from all Israel, and the labor force numbered 30,000 men. ²⁸He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of 10,000 a month. They spent a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.

Solomon’s workers

²⁹Solomon also had 70,000 men who carried loads and 80,000 who cut stone in the hill country, ³⁰besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief officers who were over the work and directed the people who did it.^{k 31}At the king’s command they quarried great, costly stones, so that the foundation of the house could be laid with dressed stone. ³²Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the men of Gebal shaped the stones, and they prepared the timber and the stone for building the house.