I Kings 5

ushelomoh hayah moshel bekhol-hammamlakhot min-hannahar erets pelishtim ve'ad gevul mitsrayim maggishim minkhah ve'ovedim et-shelomoh kol-yeme khayyayw

Solomon’s rule extended over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and the boundary of Egypt. They brought Solomon tribute and were subject to him all his life.

vayehi lekhem-shelomoh leyom ekhad sheloshim kor solet veshishim kor qamakh

Solomon’s daily provisions consisted of 30 kors of semolina, and 60 kors of [ordinary] flour,

asarah vaqar beri'im ve'esrim baqar re'i ume'ah tson levad me'ayyal utsevi veyakhmur uvarburim avusim

10 fattened oxen, 20 pasture-fed oxen, and 100 sheep and goats, besides deer and gazelles, roebucks and fatted geese.

ki-hu rodeh bekhol-ever hannahar mittifsakh ve'ad-azzah bekhol-malkhe ever hannahar veshalom hayah lo mikkol-avarayw missaviv

For he controlled the whole region west of the Euphrates—all the kings west of the Euphrates, from Tiphsah to Gaza—and he had peace on all his borders round about.

vayyeshev yehudah veyisra'el lavetakh ish takhat gafno vetakhat te'enato middan ve'ad-be'er shava kol yeme shelomoh

All the days of Solomon, Judah and Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba dwelt in safety, every family under its own vine and fig tree.

vayehi lishlomoh arba'im elef urvot susim lemerkavo ushenem-asar elef parashim

Solomon had 40,000 stalls of horses for his chariotry and 12,000 riders.

vekhilkelu hannitsavim ha'elleh et-hammelekh shelomoh ve'et kol-haqqarev el-shulkhan hammelekh-shelomoh ish khodsho lo ye'adderu davar

All those prefects, each during his month, would furnish provisions for King Solomon and for all who were admitted to King Solomon’s table; they did not fall short in anything.

vehasse'orim vehatteven lassusim velarakhesh yavi'u el-hammaqom asher yihyeh-sham ish kemishpato

They would also, each in his turn, deliver barley and straw for the horses and the swift steeds to the places where they were stationed.

vayyitten elohim khokhmah lishlomoh utevunah harbeh me'od verokhav lev kakhol asher al-sefat hayyam

God endowed Solomon with wisdom and discernment in great measure, with understanding as vast as the sands on the seashore.

vatterev khokhmat shelomoh mekhokhmat kol-bene-qedem umikkol khokhmat mitsrayim

Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the Kedemites and than all the wisdom of the Egyptians.

vayyekhkam mikkol-ha'adam me'etan ha'ezrakhi veheman vekhalkol vedarda bene makhol vayehi-shemo vekhol-haggoyim saviv

He was wiser than anybody else—including Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalkol, and Darda the sons of Mahol. His fame spread among all the surrounding nations.

vayedabber sheloshet alafim mashal vayehi shiro khamisha va'alef

He composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered one thousand and five.

vayedabber al-ha'etsim min-ha'erez asher ballevanon ve'ad ha'ezov asher yotse baqqir vayedabber al-habbehemah ve'al-ha'of ve'al-haremes ve'al-haddagim

He discoursed about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; and he discoursed about beasts, birds, creeping things, and fishes.

vayyavo'u mikkol-ha'ammim lishmoa et khokhmat shelomoh me'et kol-malkhe ha'arets asher shame'u et-khokhmato

Envoys came from all peoples to hear Solomon’s wisdom, [sent] by all the monarchs of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.

vayyishlakh khiram melekh-tsor et-avadayw el-shelomoh ki shama ki oto mashekhu lemelekh takhat avihu ki ohev hayah khiram ledavid kol-hayyamim

King Hiram of Tyre sent his officials to Solomon when he heard that he had been anointed king in place of his father; for Hiram had always been a friend of David.

vayyishlakh shelomoh el-khiram lemor

Solomon sent this message to Hiram:

attah yadata et-david avi ki lo yakhol livnot bayit leshem Adonai elohayw mippene hammilkhamah asher sevavuhu ad tet-Adonai otam takhat kappot (rglv) [raglay]

“You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the ETERNAL his God because of the enemies that encompassed him, until GOD had placed them under the soles of his feet.

ve'attah heniakh Adonai elohay li missaviv en satan ve'en pega ra

But now the ETERNAL my God has given me respite all around; there is no adversary and no mischance.

vehinni omer livnot bayit leshem Adonai elohay ka'asher dibber Adonai el-david avi lemor binkha asher etten takhtekha al-kisekha hu-yivneh habbayit lishmi

And so I propose to build a house for the name of the ETERNAL my God, as the ETERNAL promised my father David, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for My name.’

ve'attah tsavveh veyikhretu-li arazim min-hallevanon va'avaday yihyu im-avadekha usekhar avadekha etten lekha kekhol asher tomer ki attah yadata ki en banu ish yodea likhrot-etsim katsidonim

Please, then, give orders for cedars to be cut for me in the Lebanon. My servants will work with yours, and I will pay you any wages you may ask for your servants; for as you know, there is none among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”

vayehi kishmoa khiram et-divre shelomoh vayyismakh me'od vayyomer barukh Adonai hayyom asher natan ledavid ben khakham al-ha'am harav hazzeh

When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was overjoyed. “Praised be GOD this day,” he said, “for granting David a wise son to govern this great people.”

vayyishlakh khiram el-shelomoh lemor shamati et asher-shalakhta elay ani e'eseh et-kol-kheftsekha ba'atse arazim uva'atse veroshim

So Hiram sent word to Solomon: “I have your message; I will supply all the cedar and cypress logs you require.

avaday yoridu min-hallevanon yammah va'ani asimem doverot bayyam ad-hammaqom asher-tishlakh elay venippatstim sham ve'attah tissa ve'attah ta'aseh et-kheftsi latet lekhem beti

My servants will bring them down to the sea from the Lebanon; and at the sea I will make them into floats and [deliver them] to any place that you designate to me. There I shall break them up for you to carry away. You, in turn, will supply the food I require for my household.”

vayehi khirom noten lishlomoh atse arazim va'atse veroshim kol-kheftso

So Hiram kept Solomon provided with all the cedar and cypress wood he required,

ushelomoh natan lekhiram esrim elef kor khittim makkolet leveto ve'esrim kor shemen katit koh-yitten shelomoh lekhiram shanah veshanah

and Solomon delivered to Hiram 20,000 kors of wheat as provisions for his household and 20 kors of beaten oil. Such was Solomon’s annual payment to Hiram.

va-Adonai natan khokhmah lishlomoh ka'asher dibber-lo vayehi shalom ben khiram uven shelomoh vayyikhretu verit shenehem

GOD had given Solomon wisdom, just as promised. There was friendship between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.

vayya'al hammelekh shelomoh mas mikkol-yisra'el vayehi hammas sheloshim elef ish

King Solomon imposed forced labor on all Israel; the levy came to 30,000 men.

vayyishlakhem levanonah aseret alafim bakhodesh khalifot khodesh yihyu vallevanon shenayim khodashim beveto va'adoniram al-hammas

He sent them to the Lebanon in shifts of 10,000 a month: they would spend one month in the Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.

vayehi lishlomoh shivim elef nose sabbal ushemonim elef khotsev bahar

Solomon also had 70,000 porters and 80,000 quarriers in the hills,

levad missare hannitsavim lishlomoh asher al-hammelakhah sheloshet alafim ushelosh me'ot harodim ba'am ha'osim bammelakhah

apart from Solomon’s 3,300 officials who were in charge of the work and supervised the gangs doing the work.

vayetsav hammelekh vayyassi'u avanim gedolot avanim yeqarot leyassed habbayit avne gazit

The king ordered huge blocks of choice stone to be quarried, so that the foundations of the house might be laid with hewn stones.

vayyifselu bone shelomoh uvone khirom vehaggivlim vayyakhinu ha'etsim veha'avanim livnot habbayit

Solomon’s masons, Hiram’s masons, and those from Gebal shaped them. Thus the timber and the stones for building the house were made ready.