Preparations for Building the Temple
In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:18, and 2:2-18 is numbered 2:1-17. 1Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself. 2He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them.
3Solomon sent this message to Hiram2:3 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram also in verses 11 and 12 king of Tyre:
“Send me cedar logs as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. 4Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.
5“The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. 6But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?
7“Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers, whom my father David provided.
8“Send me also cedar, juniper and algum2:8 Probably a variant of almug logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours 9to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. 10I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors2:10 That is, probably about 3,600 tons or about 3,200 metric tons of wheat of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors2:10 That is, probably about 3,000 tons or about 2,700 metric tons of barley of barley, twenty thousand baths2:10 That is, about 120,000 gallons or about 440,000 liters of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.”
11Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon:
“Because the Lord loves his people, he has made you their king.”
12And Hiram added:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth! He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.
13“I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, 14whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father.
15“Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil and wine he promised, 16and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”
17Solomon took a census of all the foreigners residing in Israel, after the census his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. 18He assigned 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people 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.
