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[1]And Chiram king of Tyre sent his servants to anoint Solomon in the room of David his father, because Chiram always loved David.
[2]And Solomon sent to Chiram, saying,
[3]Thou knewest my father David, that he could not build a house to the name of the Lord my God because of the wars that compassed him about, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.
[4]And now the Lord my God has given me rest round about; there is no one plotting against me, and there is no evil trespass against me.
[5]And, behold, I intend to build a house to the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord God spoke to my father David, saying, Thy son whom I will set on thy throne in thy place, he shall build a house to my name.
[6]And now command, and let men cut wood for me out of Libanus: and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, and I will give thee the wages of thy service, according to all that thou shalt say, because thou knowest that we have no one skilled in cutting timber like the Sidonians.
[7]And it came to pass, as soon as Chiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be God to-day, who has given to David a wise son over this numerous people.
[8]And he sent to Solomon, saying, I have listened concerning all that thou hast sent to me for: I will do all thy will: as for timber of cedar and fir,
[9]my servants shall bring them down from Libanus to the sea: I will form them into rafts, and bring them to the place which thou shalt send to me about; and I will land them there, and thou shalt take them up: and thou shalt do my will, in giving bread to my household.
[10]So Chiram gave to Solomon cedars, and fir trees, and all his desire.
[11]And Solomon gave to Chiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food for his house, and twenty thousand baths of beaten oil thus Solomon gave to Chiram yearly.
[12]And the Lord gave wisdom to Solomon as he promised him; and there was peace between Chiram and Solomon, and they made a covenant between them.
[13]And the king raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men.
[14]And he sent them to Libanus, ten thousand taking turn every month: they were a month in Libanus and two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy.
[15]And Solomon had seventy thousand bearers of burdens, and eighty thousand hewers of stone in the mountain;
[16]besides the rulers that were appointed over the works of Solomon, there were three thousand six hundred masters who wrought in the works.
[17][No verse]
[18]And they prepared the stones and the timber during three years.
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