I Kings 5 · מלכים א

And Shelomo reigned over all kingdoms from the river to the land of the Pelishtim, and to the border of Miżrayim: they brought presents, and served Shelomo all the days of his life.

And Shelomo’s provision for one day was thirty kor of fine flour, and sixty kor of meal,

ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pasture, and a hundred sheep, apart from deer, and gazelles, and fallow deer, and geese.

For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tifsaĥ to ῾Azza, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him.

And Yehuda and Yisra᾽el dwelt in safety, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan to Be᾽er-sheva, all the days of Shelomo.

And Shelomo had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

And those officers provided stores for king Shelomo, and for all that came to king Shelomo’s table, every man in his month: they lacked nothing.

They brought barley also and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

And God gave Shelomo very much wisdom and understanding, and largeness of heart, like the sand that is on the sea shore.

And Shelomo’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Miżrayim.

For he was wiser than all men; than Etan the Ezraĥi, and Heman, and Kalkol, and Darda, the sons of Maĥol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

And he spoke three thousand proverbs: and his poems were a thousand and five.

And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Levanon to the hyssop that comes out of the wall: he spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Shelomo, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

And Ḥiram king of Żor sent his servants to Shelomo; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father: for Ḥiram always loved David.

And Shelomo sent to Ḥiram, saying,

Thou knowst how David my father could not build a house to the name of the Lord his God on account of the war with the nations which were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the soles of my feet.

But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil hindrance.

And, behold, I purpose to build a house to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy place, he shall build the house to my name.

Now therefore command thou that they hew for me cedar trees out of the Levanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants: and to thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt say: for thou knowst that there is not among us any that can hew timber like the Żidonim.

And it came to pass, when Ḥiram heard the words of Shelomo, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed is the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.

And Ḥiram sent to Shelomo, saying, I have considered the things which thou hast sent to me: and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of cypress.

My servants shall bring them down from the Levanon to the sea: and I will make them into floats to go to the place of which thou shalt send me word, and will cause them to be broken up there, and thou shalt take them away: and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household.

So Ḥiram gave Shelomo cedar trees and cypress according to all his desire.

And Shelomo gave Ḥiram twenty thousand kor of wheat for food to his household, and twenty kor of beaten oil: thus Shelomo gave to Ḥiram year by year.

And the Lord gave Shelomo wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Ḥiram and Shelomo; and they two made a league together.

And king Shelomo raised a levy out of all Yisra᾽el; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

And he sent them to Levanon, ten thousand a month by turns: a month they were in the Levanon, and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy.

And Shelomo had seventy thousand porters, and eighty thousand stone cutters in the mountains;

besides Shelomo’s chief officers who were over the work, three thousand three hundred, who ruled over the people that were employed in the work.

And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.

And Shelomo’s builders, and Ḥiram’s builders, and the Givlim did hew them: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house.