1And Solomon was ruling over all the kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and as far as the boundary of Egypt, which brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 2And Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty kors of fine flour, and sixty kors of meal, 3Ten fatted oxen, and twenty pasture oxen, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and roebucks, and fallow-deer, and fatted fowl. 4For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Thiphsach even to Gazzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him. 5And Judah and Israel dwelt in safety, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba’, all the days of Solomon. 6And Solomon had forty thousand stalls for the horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. 7And those superintendents provided for king Solomon, and for all that came near unto king Solomon’s table, every man in his month: they let nothing be wanting. 8The barley also and the straw for the horses and the runners did they bring unto the place where he might be, every man according to his prescription. 9And God gave unto Solomon wisdom and understanding exceedingly much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore. 10And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. 11And he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrachite, and Heman, and Kalkol, and Darda’, the sons of Machol: and his name was spread among all the nations round about. 12And he spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five. 13And he spoke concerning the trees, from the cedar-tree that is on the Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spoke also concerning the beasts, and concerning the fowl, and concerning the creeping things, and concerning the fishes. 14And men came from all the people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. 15And Hiram the king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father; for Hiram had all the time been a lover of David. 16And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, 17Thou well knowest of David my father, that he was not able to build a house unto the name of the Lord his God, on account of the war wherewith his enemies encompassed him, until the Lord had put them under the soles of his feet. 18But now hath the Lord my God given me rest on every side, there is neither adversary nor evil hinderance. And, behold, I purpose to build a house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord hath spoken unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will place in thy room upon thy throne, he it is that shall build the house unto my name. And now command thou that they hew me cedar-trees out of Lebanon; and my servants shall be with thy servants; and the wages of thy servants will I give unto thee in accordance with all that thou wilt say; for thou well knowest that there is not among us a man that hath the skill to hew timber like unto the Zidonians. And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly; and he said, Blessed be the Lord this day, who hath given unto David a wise son over this numerous people. And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, I have heard what thou hast sent to me for: I will gladly execute all thy desire in respect of timber of cedar, and in respect of timber of fir. My servants shall bring them down from the Lebanon unto the sea: and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place of which thou wilt send me word, and I will cause them to be taken apart there, and thou shalt take them away; and thou shalt accomplish my desire, in giving the food for my household. So Hiram gave Solomon cedar-trees and fir-trees, all his desire. And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand kors of wheat as provision for his household, and twenty kors of beaten oil: thus did Solomon give to Hiram year by year. And the Lord gave wisdom unto Solomon, as he had spoken to him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they made a covenant with each other. And king Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men. And he sent them into the Lebanon, ten thousand in each month by turns; one month they used to be in the Lebanon, two months at home: and Adoniram was over the levy. And there belonged to Solomon seventy thousand bearers of burdens, and eighty thousand stone-cutters in the mountains; Besides the chiefs who were appointed by Solomon over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who ruled over the people that wrought on the work. And when the king commanded, they quarried out great stones, heavy stones, to lay the foundation of the house, and hewn stones. And the builders of Solomon, and the builders of Hiram, and the Giblites hewed them; and so they prepared the wood and the stones to build the house.