预备建圣殿

所罗门决定为耶和华的名建造殿宇,也为自己兴建王宫。

他征用七万名搬运工、八万名在山上凿石的匠人、三千六百名监工, 并派人去见泰尔王希兰,说:“你曾运香柏木给我父亲建造王宫,请你也照样帮助我。 现在,我要为我的上帝耶和华的名建一座殿,我要把殿献给祂,在祂面前烧芬芳的香,经常献上供饼,在每天早晚、安息日、朔日[a]及我们的上帝耶和华所定的节期献上燔祭。这是以色列人应当永远遵守的定例。 我要建造的殿宇极其宏伟,因为我们的上帝超越一切神明。 诸天尚且容纳不下祂,谁能为祂建造殿宇呢?我是谁,怎能为祂建造殿宇?我不过是建个向祂烧香的地方。 现在,请你派一位巧匠来,他要懂得雕刻,会用金银铜铁铸造物品,会编织紫色、朱红色和蓝色的布,好与我父大卫在犹大和耶路撒冷所预备的巧匠一起工作。 也请你从黎巴嫩运些香柏木、松木和檀香木来,因为我知道你的仆人擅长砍伐黎巴嫩的树木。我会派人与你的仆人一起工作。 我要建的殿宇非常宏伟,所以需要的木料非常多。 10 我会供给你的伐木工人四百四十万升小麦、四百四十万升大麦、四十四万升酒和四十四万升油。”

11 泰尔王希兰写信给所罗门说:“耶和华爱祂的子民,所以立你做他们的王。 12 创造天地的以色列的上帝耶和华当受称颂!祂赐给大卫王一个有智慧、谋略和悟性的儿子来为耶和华建殿,也为他自己建造王宫。 13 现在,我派聪明能干的巧匠户兰去你那里。 14 他的母亲是但支派的人,父亲是泰尔人。他精于雕刻和设计,善用金银铜铁和木石制造物品,又会编织紫色、蓝色、朱红色的布和细麻布。你可以让他与你的工匠和你父亲大卫的工匠一起工作。 15 现在,请我主把许诺的小麦、大麦、油和酒运给仆人。 16 我们会在黎巴嫩砍伐你需要的木材,扎成木筏,经海道运到约帕,你可以从那里将木材转运到耶路撒冷。”

17 所罗门依照他父亲大卫的方法,统计所有寄居在以色列的外族人,共有十五万三千六百人。 18 他指派其中的七万人做搬运工,八万人在山上采凿石头,三千六百人做监工。

Footnotes

  1. 2:4 朔日”即每月初一。

所罗门定意建殿(A)

所罗门决意要为耶和华的名建造殿宇,又为自己建造王宫。(本节在《马索拉文本》为1:18) 于是,所罗门选派了七万人作挑夫,八万人在山上凿石,三千六百人作督工。(本节在《马索拉文本》为2:1) 所罗门派人去见推罗王希兰说:“你怎样待我的父亲大卫,给他运来香柏木,为他建造宫殿居住,请你也这样待我。 现在我要为耶和华我 神的名建造殿宇,分别为圣献给他,在他面前焚烧芬芳的香,经常摆上陈设饼,每日早晚、安息日、初一,以及耶和华我们的 神所定的节日,都献上燔祭;这是以色列人永远的定例。 我要建造的殿宇必须宏伟,因为我们的 神伟大,超过众神。 但谁能为他建造殿宇呢?天和天上的天也容不下他;我是谁,怎能为他建造殿宇?我不过在他面前烧香罢了。 现在请你派一个巧匠到我这里来,他要精于使用金、银、铜、铁和紫色朱红色蓝色线工作,并且懂得雕刻,好与我的父亲大卫在犹大和耶路撒冷预备的巧匠一同工作。 又请你从黎巴嫩运送香柏木、松木和檀香木到我这里来,因为我知道你的臣仆善于砍伐黎巴嫩的树木;我的臣仆可以和你的臣仆一同工作。 给我预备大量的木材,因为我要建造的那殿宇,将会十分宏伟。 10 至于你的仆人,就是砍伐树木的人,我必给他们食物,就是小麦四百万公升、大麦四百万公升、酒四十万公升、油四十万公升。”

推罗王答应相助(B)

11 推罗王希兰回信给所罗门说:“耶和华因为爱自己的子民,所以立你作他们的王。” 12 希兰又说:“创造天地的耶和华以色列的 神,是应当称颂的!因为他赐给大卫王一个有智慧的儿子,有聪明有见识,可以为耶和华建造殿宇,为自己建造王宫。 13 现在我派一个技艺精巧、满有聪明的人来,他是我父亲希兰的匠人。 14 他是但支派一个妇人的儿子,他的父亲是推罗人。他精于使用金、银、铜、铁、石、木,以及紫色蓝色朱红色线和细麻作工,也能作各样雕刻的工作,又能设计各样交托他们的巧工。这人可以和你的巧匠,以及我主你父亲大卫的巧匠一同工作。 15 我主所说的小麦、大麦、酒和油,请派人运来给众仆人。 16 我们必照着你所需要的,从黎巴嫩砍下树木,扎成木筏,从海上运到约帕,你可以从那里把它们运上耶路撒冷。”

选派工人(C)

17 所罗门按照他父亲大卫数点的数目,又数点了住在以色列地所有的外族人,他们共有十五万三千六百人。 18 他选派七万人作挑夫,八万人在山上凿石头,三千六百人作监工,督促人民工作。

預備建聖殿

所羅門決定為耶和華的名建造殿宇,也為自己興建王宮。

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, 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。 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[a]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。 我要建造的殿宇極其宏偉,因為我們的上帝超越一切神明。 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。 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。 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。 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。

Footnotes

  1. 2·4 朔日」即每月初一。

Plans for the Temple and Palace

Solomon planned to build a Temple to give honor to the Lord’s name. He also planned to build a palace for himself. He got 70,000 laborers and 80,000 stonemasons to cut stones in the mountains. He chose 3600 foremen to supervise the workers.

Then Solomon sent this message to King Hiram of Tyre:

“Help me as you helped my father David. You sent him cedar logs so that he could build a palace for himself to live in. I will build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God. At the Temple we will burn incense in front of him, and we will always put the holy bread on the special table. We will offer burnt offerings every morning and evening, on the Sabbath days, during New Moon celebrations, and on the other special meeting days that the Lord our God has commanded us to celebrate. This is a rule for the people of Israel to obey forever.

“I will build a great temple because our God is greater than all the other gods. No one can really build a house to put our God in. The whole sky and the highest heaven cannot contain our God, so I cannot build a temple to put him in. I can only build a place to burn incense to honor him.

“Now I would like you to send me a man who is skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron. He must know how to work with purple, red, and blue cloth. He will work here in Judah and Jerusalem with the craftsmen my father chose. Also send me wood from cedar trees, pine trees, and algum trees[a] from the country of Lebanon. I know your servants are experienced at cutting down trees from Lebanon. My servants will help your servants. I will need lots of wood because the Temple I am building will be very large and beautiful. 10 This is what I will pay for your servants to cut down the trees for wood. I will give them 125,000 bushels[b] of wheat for food, 125,000 bushels of barley, 115,000 gallons[c] of wine, and 115,000 gallons of oil.”

11 Then Hiram answered Solomon and sent this message to him:

“Solomon, the Lord loves his people. That is why he chose you to be their king.” 12 Hiram also said, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He made heaven and earth. He gave a wise son to King David. Solomon, you have wisdom and understanding. You are building a Temple for the Lord. You are also building a palace for yourself. 13 I will send you a skilled craftsman named Huram Abi.[d] 14 His mother was from the tribe of Dan, and his father was from the city of Tyre. Huram Abi has skill in working with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood. He also has skill in working with purple, blue, and red cloth and expensive linen. Huram Abi can design and build anything you tell him. He will work with your craftsmen and with the craftsmen of your father King David.

15 “Now, sir, you offered to give us wheat, barley, oil, and wine. Give them to my servants, 16 and we will cut as much wood as you need from Lebanon. We will tie the logs together and float them by sea to the town of Joppa. Then you can carry the wood to Jerusalem.”

17 So Solomon counted all the foreigners living in Israel. (This was after the time when his father David counted the people.) They found 153,600 strangers in the country. 18 Solomon chose 70,000 men to carry the stones, 80,000 men to cut the stone in the mountains, and 3600 men to supervise the workers.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 2:8 algum trees Or “Almug,” as in 1 Kings. No one knows exactly what type of wood this was, but it might have been sandalwood.
  2. 2 Chronicles 2:10 125,000 bushels Literally, “20,000 cors” (4,400,000 l).
  3. 2 Chronicles 2:10 115,000 gallons Literally, “20,000 baths” (440,000 l).
  4. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Or “I will send one of the craftsmen of my father Hiram.”