1 Kings 5:6-10

5:6 So now order some cedars of Lebanon to be cut for me. My servants will work with your servants. I will pay your servants whatever you say is appropriate, for you know that we have no one among us who knows how to cut down trees like the Sidonians.”

5:7 When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was very happy. He said, “The Lord is worthy of praise today because he ¹  has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” 5:8 Hiram then sent this message to Solomon: “I received ²  the message you sent to me. I will give you all the cedars and evergreens you need. ³  5:9 My servants will bring the timber down from Lebanon to the sea. I will send it by sea in raft-like bundles to the place you designate. ⁴  There I will separate the logs ⁵  and you can carry them away. In exchange you will supply the food I need for my royal court.” ⁶ 

5:10 So Hiram supplied the cedars and evergreens Solomon needed, ⁷ 

¹ tn Or “Blessed be the Lord today, who….”

² tn Heb “heard.”

³ tn Heb “I will satisfy all your desire with respect to cedar wood and with respect to the wood of evergreens.”

⁴ tn Heb “I will place them [on? as?] rafts in the sea to the place where you designate to me.” This may mean he would send them by raft, or that he would tie them in raft-like bundles, and have ships tow them down to an Israelite port.

⁵ tn Heb “smash them,” i.e., untie the bundles.

⁶ tn Heb “as for you, you will satisfy my desire by giving food for my house.”

⁷ tn Heb “and Hiram gave to Solomon cedar wood and the wood of evergreens, all his desire.”