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.
Maandalizi Ya Kujenga Hekalu
(1 Wafalme 5:1-18)
12:1 Kum 12:5; 1Fal 5:5; Mhu 2:14Solomoni akatoa amri kujenga Hekalu kwa ajili ya Jina la Bwana na jumba la kifalme kwa ajili yake mwenyewe. 22:2 2Nya 10:4; 1Fal 5:15Solomoni akaandika watu 70,000 kuwa wachukuzi wa mizigo, na watu 80,000 kuwa wachonga mawe vilimani, na watu 3,600 kuwa wasimamizi wao.
32:3 2Sam 5:11; 1Nya 14:1Solomoni akapeleka ujumbe huu kwa Mfalme Hiramu wa Tiro:
“Unitumie magogo ya mierezi kama ulivyomfanyia baba yangu Daudi wakati ulipompelekea mierezi ya kujenga jumba lake la kifalme la kuishi. 42:4 Kut 12:5; 25:30; Law 24:8; Kut 29:42; Hes 28:10; Kut 30:7; Mt 12:4Sasa ninakaribia kujenga Hekalu kwa ajili ya Jina la Bwana Mungu wangu na kuliweka wakfu kwake kwa ajili ya kufukizia uvumba wenye harufu nzuri mbele zake, mahali pa kuweka mikate ya Wonyesho kwa kufuata utaratibu na kwa ajili ya mahali pa kutolea sadaka za kuteketezwa kila siku asubuhi na jioni, siku za Sabato na Mwezi Mwandamo pia katika sikukuu zilizoamriwa za Bwana Mungu wetu. Hili ni agizo la kudumu kwa ajili ya Waisraeli.
52:5 1Nya 22:5; 16:25; Za 135:5; Kut 15:11; Za 86:8-9; Yer 10:6“Hekalu nitakalolijenga litakuwa kubwa, kwa sababu Mungu wetu ni mkuu kuliko miungu mingine yote. 62:6 1Fal 8:27; Yer 23:24; 2Nya 6:28; Kut 3:11; Isa 66:1Lakini ni nani awezaye kumjengea Hekalu, maadamu mbingu, hata mbingu zilizo juu sana, haziwezi kumtosha? Mimi ni nani basi hata nimjengee Hekalu, isipokuwa liwe tu mahali pa kutolea dhabihu za kuteketezwa mbele zake?
72:7 Kut 35:31; 1Nya 22:16“Hivyo basi nitumie mtu mwenye ustadi wa kufanya kazi ya kutengeneza dhahabu na fedha, shaba na chuma, nyuzi za rangi ya zambarau, nyekundu na buluu, mwenye uzoefu wa kutia nakshi, ili afanye kazi Yuda na Yerusalemu pamoja na mafundi wangu wenye ustadi, ambao baba yangu Daudi aliwaweka.
82:8 1Fal 5:6; 19:11“Pia nitumie magogo ya mierezi, miberoshi na misandali kutoka Lebanoni kwa maana najua kwamba watu wako wanao ujuzi wa kupasua mbao huko. Watu wangu watafanya kazi pamoja na watu wako 9ili wanipatie mbao kwa wingi kwa sababu Hekalu nitakalojenga lazima liwe kubwa na zuri kabisa. 102:10 1Fal 5:11; Ezr 3:7Nitawapa watumishi wako, yaani, maseremala wakatao mbao, kori 20,0002:10 Kori 20,000 za ngano ni sawa na lita 4,400. za unga wa ngano, kori 20,000 za shayiri, bathi 20,0002:10 Bathi 20,000 za mvinyo au mafuta ni sawa na lita 440,000. za mvinyo, na bathi 20,000 za mafuta ya zeituni.”
112:11 1Fal 10:9; 2Nya 9:8; Kum 33:3Ndipo Hiramu mfalme wa Tiro akamjibu Solomoni kwa barua:
“Kwa sababu Bwana anawapenda watu wake, amekufanya wewe kuwa mfalme wao.”
122:12 Neh 9:6; Mdo 4:24; Za 146:6; 1Fal 5:7; Za 33:6; 102:25; Ufu 10:6Naye Hiramu akaongeza kusema:
“Ahimidiwe Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli aliyezifanya mbingu na nchi! Amempa Mfalme Daudi mwana mwenye hekima, aliyejaliwa maarifa na ufahamu, ambaye atajenga Hekalu kwa ajili ya Bwana, na jumba la kifalme kwa ajili yake mwenyewe.
132:13 1Fal 7:13“Mimi nitamtuma kwako Huramu-Abi, mtu mwenye ustadi mwingi, 142:14 Kut 31:6; 35:31-35; 1Fal 7:13ambaye mama yake alitoka Dani na baba yake alitoka Tiro. Yeye ni stadi wa kutengeneza vitu, kufanya kazi zote za dhahabu, fedha, shaba, chuma, mawe na mbao pamoja na kufuma. Ni stadi katika kutia rangi ya zambarau, buluu, nyekundu na nguo za kitani safi. Yeye ana ujuzi katika aina zote za kutia nakshi na anaweza kufuatiliza mchoro wowote wa kazi anayopewa. Atafanya kazi na mafundi wako na wale wa bwana wangu, Daudi baba yako.
15“Sasa basi bwana wangu na awapelekee watumishi wake ngano, shayiri, mafuta ya zeituni na mvinyo kama alivyoahidi, 162:16 Yos 19:46; Mdo 9:36; Yon 1:3; 1Fal 5:8nasi tutakata magogo yote yale unayohitaji kutoka Lebanoni nasi tutayafunga pamoja na kuyaweka yaelee baharini mpaka Yafa. Kisha utaweza kuyachukua mpaka Yerusalemu.”
172:17 1Nya 22:2; 2Sam 24:2; 2Nya 8:7-8; 1Fal 5:1Ndipo Solomoni akaamuru ifanyike hesabu ya wageni wote waliokuwa katika Israeli, baada ya ile hesabu iliyofanywa na Daudi; wakapatikana watu 153,600. 18Akawaweka watu 70,000 miongoni mwao kuwa wachukuzi wa mizigo, na 80,000 kuwa wachonga mawe vilimani, na 3,600 wakiwa wasimamizi juu yao ili wawahimize watu kufanya kazi.
