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.
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並傳信給泰爾王希蘭，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。，以及我們的上帝耶和華所定的節期獻上燔祭。這是以色列人永遠當守的律例。 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諸天尚且容不下祂，誰能為祂建造殿宇呢？我是誰，怎能為祂建造殿宇呢？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，又會編織細麻布和紫色、藍色、朱紅色的布。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。
