Preparations for the Temple
(2 Chronicles 2:1–10)

1  וַ֠יִּשְׁלַח (And sent) חִירָ֨ם (Hiram) מֶֽלֶךְ־ (king) צ֤וֹר (of Tyre) אֶת־ (-) עֲבָדָיו֙ (his servants) אֶל־ (to) שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה (Solomon), כִּ֣י (because) שָׁמַ֔ע (he heard) כִּ֥י (that) אֹת֛וֹ (him) מָשְׁח֥וּ (they had anointed) לְמֶ֖לֶךְ (king) תַּ֣חַת (in place) אָבִ֑יהוּ (of his father), כִּ֣י (for) אֹהֵ֗ב (loving) הָיָ֥ה (was) חִירָ֛ם (Hiram) לְדָוִ֖ד (of David) כָּל־ (all) הַיָּמִֽים׃ס (the days).

2  וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח (And sent) שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה (Solomon) אֶל־ (to) חִירָ֖ם (Hiram), לֵאמֹֽר׃ (saying),

3  אַתָּ֨ה (You) יָדַ֜עְתָּ (know) אֶת־ (-) דָּוִ֣ד (David) אָבִ֗י (my father), כִּ֣י (how) לֹ֤א (not) יָכֹל֙ (he could) לִבְנ֣וֹת (build) בַּ֗יִת (a house) לְשֵׁם֙ (for the name) יְהוָ֣ה (of YHWH) אֱלֹהָ֔יו (his God), מִפְּנֵ֥י (because) הַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה (of the wars) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) סְבָבֻ֑הוּ (surrounded him), עַ֤ד (until) תֵּת־ (put) יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) אֹתָ֔ם (them) תַּ֖חַת (under) כַּפּ֥וֹת (the soles) רַגְלוֹ׃ (his feet). 4  וְעַתָּ֕ה (And) הֵנִ֨יחַ (has given rest) יְהוָ֧ה (YHWH) אֱלֹהַ֛י (my God) לִ֖י (to me) מִסָּבִ֑יב (on every side); אֵ֣ין (there is no) שָׂטָ֔ן (adversary) וְאֵ֖ין (and no) פֶּ֥גַע (occurrence) רָֽע׃ (evil).

5  וְהִנְנִ֣י (And behold), אֹמֵ֔ר (I propose) לִבְנ֣וֹת (to build) בַּ֔יִת (a house) לְשֵׁ֖ם (for the name) יְהוָ֣ה (of YHWH) אֱלֹהָ֑י (my God), כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ (as) דִּבֶּ֣ר (spoke) יְהוָ֗ה (YHWH) אֶל־ (to) דָּוִ֤ד (David) אָבִי֙ (my father), לֵאמֹ֔ר (saying), בִּנְךָ֗ (Your son), אֲשֶׁ֨ר (whom) אֶתֵּ֤ן (I will set) תַּחְתֶּ֙יךָ֙ (in your place) עַל־ (on) כִּסְאֶ֔ךָ (your throne), הֽוּא־ (he) יִבְנֶ֥ה (will build) הַבַּ֖יִת (the house) לִשְׁמִֽי׃ (for My name).

6  וְעַתָּ֡ה (And now) צַוֵּה֩ (command) וְיִכְרְתוּ־ (that they cut down) לִ֨י (for me) אֲרָזִ֜ים (cedars) מִן־ (from) הַלְּבָנ֗וֹן (Lebanon). וַֽעֲבָדַי֙ (And my servants) יִהְי֣וּ (will be) עִם־ (with) עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ (your servants), וּשְׂכַ֤ר (and for) עֲבָדֶ֙יךָ֙ (your servants) אֶתֵּ֣ן (I will pay wages) לְךָ֔ (to you) כְּכֹ֖ל (according to) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (whatever) תֹּאמֵ֑ר (you say), כִּ֣י׀ (for) אַתָּ֣ה (you) יָדַ֗עְתָּ (know) כִּ֣י (that) אֵ֥ין (there is none) בָּ֛נוּ (among us) אִ֛ישׁ (-) יֹדֵ֥עַ (who has skill) לִכְרָת־ (to cut) עֵצִ֖ים (trees) כַּצִּדֹנִֽים׃ (like the Sidonians).

Hiram’s Reply to Solomon
(2 Chronicles 2:11–18)

7  וַיְהִ֞י (And it came to pass), כִּשְׁמֹ֧עַ (heard) חִירָ֛ם (that Hiram) אֶת־ (-) דִּבְרֵ֥י (the words) שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה (of Solomon), וַיִּשְׂמַ֣ח (and he rejoiced) מְאֹ֑ד (greatly) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (and said), בָּר֤וּךְ (Blessed be) יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) הַיּ֔וֹם (this day), אֲשֶׁ֨ר (for) נָתַ֤ן (He has given) לְדָוִד֙ (to David) בֵּ֣ן (a son) חָכָ֔ם (wise) עַל־ (over) הָעָ֥ם (the people) הָרָ֖ב (great) הַזֶּֽה׃ (this). 8  וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח (And sent) חִירָם֙ (Hiram) אֶל־ (to) שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה (Solomon), לֵאמֹ֔ר (saying),

שָׁמַ֕עְתִּי (I have considered) אֵ֥ת (-) אֲשֶׁר־ (that which) שָׁלַ֖חְתָּ (you have sent) אֵלָ֑י (to me), אֲנִ֤י (and I) אֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ (will do) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) חֶפְצְךָ֔ (you desire) בַּעֲצֵ֥י (with the trees) אֲרָזִ֖ים (of cedar) וּבַעֲצֵ֥י (and logs) בְרוֹשִֽׁים׃ (cypress). 9  עֲ֠בָדַי (My servants) יֹרִ֨דוּ (will bring them down) מִן־ (from) הַלְּבָנ֜וֹן (Lebanon) יָ֗מָּה (to the Sea), וַ֠אֲנִי (and I) אֲשִׂימֵ֨ם (will float them) דֹּבְר֤וֹת (in rafts) בַּיָּם֙ (by the sea) עַֽד־ (to) הַמָּק֞וֹם (the place) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) תִּשְׁלַ֥ח (you indicate) אֵלַ֛י (to me), וְנִפַּצְתִּ֥ים (and I will break them up) שָׁ֖ם (there). וְאַתָּ֣ה (And you) תִשָּׂ֑א (shall lift them), וְאַתָּה֙ (and you) תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה (shall fulfill) אֶת־ (-) חֶפְצִ֔י (my desire) לָתֵ֖ת (by giving) לֶ֥חֶם (food) בֵּיתִֽי׃ (for my house).

10  וַיְהִ֨י (And) חִיר֜וֹם (Hiram) נֹתֵ֣ן (gave) לִשְׁלֹמֹ֗ה (to Solomon) עֲצֵ֧י (trees) אֲרָזִ֛ים (of cedar) וַעֲצֵ֥י (and trees) בְרוֹשִׁ֖ים (of cypress), כָּל־ (all) חֶפְצֽוֹ׃ (of his desire). 11  וּשְׁלֹמֹה֩ (And Solomon) נָתַ֨ן (gave) לְחִירָ֜ם (to Hiram) עֶשְׂרִים֩ (twenty) אֶ֨לֶף (thousand) כֹּ֤ר (cors) חִטִּים֙ (of wheat) מַכֹּ֣לֶת (as food) לְבֵית֔וֹ (for his house), וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים (and twenty) כֹּ֖ר (cors) שֶׁ֣מֶן (of oil) כָּתִ֑ית (pressed). כֹּֽה־ (Thus) יִתֵּ֧ן (gave) שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה (Solomon) לְחִירָ֖ם (to Hiram) שָׁנָ֥ה (year) בְשָׁנָֽה׃פ (by year).

12  וַיהוָ֗ה (And YHWH) נָתַ֤ן (gave) חָכְמָה֙ (wisdom) לִשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה (to Solomon) כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר (as) דִּבֶּר־ (He had promised) ל֑וֹ (to him), וַיְהִ֣י (and there was) שָׁלֹ֗ם (peace) בֵּ֤ין (between) חִירָם֙ (Hiram) וּבֵ֣ין (and between) שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה (Solomon), וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ (and cut) בְרִ֖ית (a covenant) שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ (the two of them).

Solomon’s forced labor

13  וַיַּ֨עַל (And raised up) הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ (King) שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה (Solomon) מַ֖ס (a forced labor) מִכָּל־ (out of all) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (Israel), וַיְהִ֣י (and was) הַמַּ֔ס (the forced labor) שְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים (thirty) אֶ֖לֶף (thousand) אִֽישׁ׃ (men). 14  וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֣ם (And he sent them) לְבָנ֗וֹנָה (to Lebanon) עֲשֶׂ֨רֶת (ten) אֲלָפִ֤ים (thousand) בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ (by the month) חֲלִיפ֔וֹת (in shifts). חֹ֚דֶשׁ (One month) יִהְי֣וּ (they were) בַלְּבָנ֔וֹן (in Lebanon), שְׁנַ֥יִם (and two) חֳדָשִׁ֖ים (months) בְּבֵית֑וֹ (in his house). וַאֲדֹנִירָ֖ם (And Adoniram) עַל־ (was over) הַמַּֽס׃ס (the forced labor).

15  וַיְהִ֧י (And had) לִשְׁלֹמֹ֛ה (Solomon) שִׁבְעִ֥ים (seventy) אֶ֖לֶף (thousand) נֹשֵׂ֣א (who lift) סַבָּ֑ל (a burden) וּשְׁמֹנִ֥ים (and eighty) אֶ֖לֶף (thousand) חֹצֵ֥ב (who hew) בָּהָֽר׃ (in the hill country), 16  לְ֠בַד (besides) מִשָּׂרֵ֨י (from the chiefs) הַנִּצָּבִ֤ים (of deputies) לִשְׁלֹמֹה֙ (of Solomon) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) עַל־ (are over) הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה (the work), שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת (three) אֲלָפִ֖ים (thousand) וּשְׁלֹ֣שׁ (and three) מֵא֑וֹת (hundred) הָרֹדִ֣ים (were those ruling) בָּעָ֔ם (over the people) הָעֹשִׂ֖ים (who were doing) בַּמְּלָאכָֽה׃ (the work).

17  וַיְצַ֣ו (And commanded them) הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ (the king), וַיַּסִּעוּ֩ (and they brought) אֲבָנִ֨ים (stones) גְּדֹל֜וֹת (large), אֲבָנִ֧ים (stones) יְקָר֛וֹת (costly) לְיַסֵּ֥ד (to lay the foundation) הַבָּ֖יִת (of the temple), אַבְנֵ֥י (and stones) גָזִֽית׃ (hewn). 18  וַֽיִּפְסְל֞וּ (And hewed) בֹּנֵ֧י (builders) שְׁלֹמֹ֛ה (of Solomon) וּבֹנֵ֥י (and builders) חִיר֖וֹם (of Hiram) וְהַגִּבְלִ֑ים (and the Gebalites), וַיָּכִ֛ינוּ (and they prepared) הָעֵצִ֥ים (the trees) וְהָאֲבָנִ֖ים (and stones) לִבְנ֥וֹת (to build) הַבָּֽיִת׃פ (the house).