1 וישלח חירם מלך צור את עבדיו אל שלמה כי שמע כי אתו משחו למלך תחת אביהו כי אהב היה חירם לדוד כל הימים | 1 Solomon was overlord of al the kingdoms from the River to the territory of the Philistines and theEgyptian border. They brought tribute and served him al his life long. |
2 וישלח שלמה אל חירם לאמר | 2 The daily provisions for Solomon were: thirty measures of fine flour and sixty measures of meal, |
3 אתה ידעת את דוד אבי כי לא יכל לבנות בית לשם יהוה אלהיו מפני המלחמה אשר סבבהו עד תת יהוה אתם תחת כפות רגלו | 3 ten fattened oxen, twenty free-grazing oxen, one hundred sheep, besides deer and gazelles, roebucksand fattened poultry. |
4 ועתה הניח יהוה אלהי לי מסביב אין שטן ואין פגע רע | 4 For he was master of al Transeuphrates -- of all the kings of Transeuphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza --and he enjoyed peace on al his frontiers. |
5 והנני אמר לבנות בית לשם יהוה אלהי כאשר דבר יהוה אל דוד אבי לאמר בנך אשר אתן תחתיך על כסאך הוא יבנה הבית לשמי | 5 Judah and Israel lived in security, everyone under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba,throughout the lifetime of Solomon. |
6 ועתה צוה ויכרתו לי ארזים מן הלבנון ועבדי יהיו עם עבדיך ושכר עבדיך אתן לך ככל אשר תאמר כי אתה ידעת כי אין בנו איש ידע לכרת עצים כצדנים | 6 And Solomon had four thousand stal s of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand cavalrymen. |
7 ויהי כשמע חירם את דברי שלמה וישמח מאד ויאמר ברוך יהוה היום אשר נתן לדוד בן חכם על העם הרב הזה | 7 These administrators provided the food for Solomon and for al those who were admitted by him to theroyal table, each for the period of a month; they ensured that nothing was wanting. |
8 וישלח חירם אל שלמה לאמר שמעתי את אשר שלחת אלי אני אעשה את כל חפצך בעצי ארזים ובעצי ברושים | 8 They also provided the barley and straw for the horses and draught animals, where required, eachaccording to the quota demanded of him. |
9 עבדי ירדו מן הלבנון ימה ואני אשימם דברות בים עד המקום אשר תשלח אלי ונפצתים שם ואתה תשא ואתה תעשה את חפצי לתת לחם ביתי | 9 God gave Solomon immense wisdom and understanding, and a heart as vast as the sand on the sea-shore. |
10 ויהי חירום נתן לשלמה עצי ארזים ועצי ברושים כל חפצו | 10 The wisdom of Solomon surpassed the wisdom of al the sons of the East and al the wisdom of Egypt. |
11 ושלמה נתן לחירם עשרים אלף כר חטים מכלת לביתו ועשרים כר שמן כתית כה יתן שלמה לחירם שנה בשנה | 11 He was wiser than anyone else, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, than the sons of Mahol, Heman, Calcoland Darda; his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. |
12 ויהוה נתן חכמה לשלמה כאשר דבר לו ויהי שלם בין חירם ובין שלמה ויכרתו ברית שניהם | 12 He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five. |
13 ויעל המלך שלמה מס מכל ישראל ויהי המס שלשים אלף איש | 13 He could discourse on plants from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop growing on the wal ; and hecould discourse on animals and birds and reptiles and fish. |
14 וישלחם לבנונה עשרת אלפים בחדש חליפות חדש יהיו בלבנון שנים חדשים בביתו ואדנירם על המס | 14 Men from al nations came to hear Solomon's wisdom, and he received gifts from al the kings in theworld, who had heard of his wisdom. |
15 ויהי לשלמה שבעים אלף נשא סבל ושמנים אלף חצב בהר | 15 Hiram king of Tyre sent an embassy to Solomon, having learnt that he had been anointed king insuccession to his father and because Hiram had always been a friend of David. |
16 לבד משרי הנצבים לשלמה אשר על המלאכה שלשת אלפים ושלש מאות הרדים בעם העשים במלאכה | 16 And Solomon sent this message to Hiram, |
17 ויצו המלך ויסעו אבנים גדלות אבנים יקרות ליסד הבית אבני גזית | 17 'You are aware that my father David was unable to build a temple for the name of Yahweh his God, onaccount of the wars waged on him from every side, until Yahweh put his enemies under the soles of his feet. |
18 ויפסלו בני שלמה ובני חירום והגבלים ויכינו העצים והאבנים לבנות הבית | 18 But now Yahweh my God has given me peace on every side: not one enemy, no calamities. |
| 19 I propose, then, to build a temple for the name of Yahweh my God, in accordance with what Yahwehtold my father David, "Your son whom I shall place on your throne to succeed you wil be the man to build atemple for my name." |
| 20 So now have cedars of Lebanon cut down for me; my servants wil work with your servants, and I shallpay for the hire of your servants at whatever rate you fix. As you know, we have no one as skil ed in felling treesas the Sidonians.' |
| 21 When Hiram heard what Solomon had said, he was delighted. 'Now blessed be Yahweh,' he said, 'whohas given David a wise son to rule over this great people!' |
| 22 And Hiram sent word to Solomon, 'I have received your message. For my part, I shall supply you withal you require in the way of cedar wood and juniper. |
| 23 Your servants wil bring these down from Lebanon to the sea, and I shal have them towed by sea toany place you name; I shal discharge them there, and you wil take them over. For your part, you wil see to theprovisioning of my household as I desire.' |
| 24 So Hiram provided Solomon with al the cedar wood and juniper he wanted |
| 25 while Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kor of wheat to feed his household, and twenty thousandkor of pure oil. Solomon gave Hiram this every year. |
| 26 Yahweh gave Solomon wisdom as he had promised him; good relations persisted between Solomonand Hiram, and the two of them concluded a treaty. |
| 27 King Solomon raised a levy throughout Israel for forced labour: the levy numbered thirty thousand men. |
| 28 He sent these to Lebanon in relays, ten thousand a month; they spent one month in Lebanon and twomonths at home. Adoram was in charge of the forced labour. |
| 29 Solomon also had seventy thousand porters and eighty thousand quarrymen in the mountains, |
| 30 as wel as the administrators, officials who supervised the work, three thousand three hundred of themin charge of the men employed in the work. |
| 31 At the king's orders they quarried huge stones, special stones for the laying of the temple foundations,dressed stones. |
| 32 Solomon's workmen and Hiram's workmen and the Giblites cut and assembled the wood and stone forthe building of the Temple. |