Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple
1Solomon gave orders to build a temple. That’s where the Lord would put his Name. Solomon also gave orders to build a royal palace for himself. 2He chose 70,000 men to carry things. He chose 80,000 to cut stones in the hills. He put 3,600 men in charge of them.
3Solomon sent a message to Hiram. Hiram was king of Tyre. Solomon said,
“Send me cedar logs, just as you did for my father David. You sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. 4Now I’m about to build a temple. The Name of the Lord my God will be there. I’ll set the temple apart for him. Sweet-smelling incense will be burned in front of him there. The holy bread will be set out at regular times. Burnt offerings will be sacrificed there every morning and evening. They will be sacrificed every Sabbath day. They will be sacrificed at every New Moon feast. And they will be sacrificed at every yearly appointed feast of the Lord our God. That’s a law for Israel that will last for all time to come.
5“The temple I’m going to build will be beautiful. That’s because our God is greater than all other gods. 6So who is able to build a temple for him? After all, the heavens can’t hold him. In fact, not even the highest heavens can hold him. So who am I to build a temple for him? It will only be a place to burn sacrifices in front of him.
7“Send me a man skilled at working with gold, silver, bronze and iron. He must also be able to work with purple, blue and bright red yarn. He must be skilled in the art of carving. Send him to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers. My father David provided them to help me.
8“Also send me cedar, juniper and algum logs from Lebanon. I know that your servants are skilled in cutting wood there. My servants will work with yours. 9They’ll provide me with plenty of lumber. That’s because the temple I’m building must be large and beautiful. 10I’ll pay your servants. They will cut the wood. I’ll pay them 3,600 tons of wheat that has been ground up. I’ll pay them 3,000 tons of barley. I’ll also pay them 120,000 gallons of wine and 120,000 gallons of olive oil.”
11King Hiram of Tyre replied to Solomon. He wrote a letter to him. In it Hiram said,
“The Lord loves his people. That’s why he has made you their king.”
12Hiram continued,
“I praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He made heaven and earth. He has given King David a wise son. You have good sense. You understand what is right. You will build a temple for the Lord. You will also build a palace for yourself.
13“I’m sending Huram-Abi to you. He is very skillful. 14His mother was from Dan. His father was from Tyre. He is trained to work with gold, silver, bronze and iron. He knows how to work with stone and wood. He can also work with purple, blue and bright red yarn and fine linen. He’s skilled in all kinds of carving. He can follow any pattern you give him. He’ll work with your skilled workers. He’ll also work with those of your father David. David was my master.
15“Now please send us what you promised. Send us the wheat, barley, olive oil and wine. 16And we’ll cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need. We’ll make rafts out of them. We’ll float them by sea down to Joppa. Then you can take them up to Jerusalem.”
17Solomon counted all the outsiders who were living in Israel. He did it after his father David had counted them. There were 153,600 of them. 18He chose 70,000 to carry things. He chose 80,000 to cut stones in the hills. He put 3,600 men in charge of the people to keep them working.
預備建聖殿
1所羅門決定為耶和華的名建造殿宇，也為自己興建王宮。
2他徵用七萬名搬運工、八萬名在山上鑿石的匠人、三千六百名監工， 3並派人去見泰爾王希蘭，說：「你曾運香柏木給我父親建造王宮，請你也照樣幫助我。 4現在，我要為我的上帝耶和華的名建一座殿，我要把殿獻給祂，在祂面前燒芬芳的香，經常獻上供餅，在每天早晚、安息日、朔日2·4 「朔日」即每月初一。及我們的上帝耶和華所定的節期獻上燔祭。這是以色列人應當永遠遵守的定例。 5我要建造的殿宇極其宏偉，因為我們的上帝超越一切神明。 6諸天尚且容納不下祂，誰能為祂建造殿宇呢？我是誰，怎能為祂建造殿宇？我不過是建個向祂燒香的地方。 7現在，請你派一位巧匠來，他要懂得雕刻，會用金銀銅鐵鑄造物品，會編織紫色、朱紅色和藍色的布，好與我父大衛在猶大和耶路撒冷所預備的巧匠一起工作。 8也請你從黎巴嫩運些香柏木、松木和檀香木來，因為我知道你的僕人擅長砍伐黎巴嫩的樹木。我會派人與你的僕人一起工作。 9我要建的殿宇非常宏偉，所以需要的木料非常多。 10我會供給你的伐木工人四百四十萬升小麥、四百四十萬升大麥、四十四萬升酒和四十四萬升油。」
11泰爾王希蘭寫信給所羅門說：「耶和華愛祂的子民，所以立你做他們的王。 12創造天地的以色列的上帝耶和華當受稱頌！祂賜給大衛王一個有智慧、謀略和悟性的兒子來為耶和華建殿，也為他自己建造王宮。 13現在，我派聰明能幹的巧匠戶蘭去你那裡。 14他的母親是但支派的人，父親是泰爾人。他精於雕刻和設計，善用金銀銅鐵和木石製造物品，又會編織紫色、藍色、朱紅色的布和細麻布。你可以讓他與你的工匠和你父親大衛的工匠一起工作。 15現在，請我主把許諾的小麥、大麥、油和酒運給僕人。 16我們會在黎巴嫩砍伐你需要的木材，紮成木筏，經海道運到約帕，你可以從那裡將木材轉運到耶路撒冷。」
17所羅門依照他父親大衛的方法，統計所有寄居在以色列的外族人，共有十五萬三千六百人。 18他指派其中的七萬人做搬運工，八萬人在山上採鑿石頭，三千六百人做監工。
