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5:1  Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in his father's place, for Hiram had always been friends with David.
5:2  Solomon sent this message to Hiram: "
5:3  You know my father David was not able to build a temple for the name of Yahweh his God. This was because of the warfare all around him until the LORD put his enemies under his feet.
5:4  The LORD my God has now given me rest all around; there is no enemy or crisis.
5:5  So I plan to build a temple for the name of Yahweh my God, according to what the LORD promised my father David: 'I will put your son on your throne in your place, and he will build the temple for My name.'"
5:6  Therefore, command that cedars from Lebanon be cut down for me. My servants will be with your servants, and I will pay your servants' wages according to whatever you say, for you know that not a man among us knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians."
5:7  When Hiram heard Solomon's words, he greatly rejoiced and said, "May the LORD be praised today! He has given David a wise son to be over this great people!"
5:8  Then Hiram sent a reply to Solomon, saying, "I have heard your message; I will do everything you want regarding the cedar and cypress timber.
5:9  My servants will bring the logs down from Lebanon to the sea, and I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will break them apart there, and you can take them away. You then can meet my needs by providing my household with food."
5:10  So Hiram provided Solomon with all the cedar and cypress timber he wanted,
5:11  and Solomon provided Hiram with 100,000 bushels of wheat as food for his household and 110,000 gallons of oil from crushed olives. Solomon did this for Hiram year after year.
5:12  The LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
5:13  Then King Solomon drafted forced laborers from all Israel; the labor force numbered 30,000 men.
5:14  He sent 10,000 to Lebanon each month in shifts; one month they were in Lebanon, two months they were at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.
5:15  Solomon had 70,000 porters and 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains,
5:16  not including his 3,300 deputies in charge of the work. They ruled over the people doing the work.
5:17  The king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones.
5:18  So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders, along with the Gebalites, quarried the stone and prepared the timber and stone for the temple's construction.