所罗门的功绩

所罗门用二十年的时间兴建了耶和华的殿和他自己的王宫。 他重修希兰送给他的城邑,让以色列人居住。

所罗门去攻打哈马琐巴,并攻取了此城。 他兴建旷野里的达莫以及哈马境内所有的储货城, 把上伯·和仑与下伯·和仑建成有墙、有门、有闩的坚城, 还建造巴拉、所有的储货城、屯车城、养马城和他想在耶路撒冷、黎巴嫩及其统治的全境兴建的城邑。 当时国中有赫人、亚摩利人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人的后裔, 以色列人没有灭绝他们。所罗门让他们服劳役,至今如此。 所罗门王没有让以色列人服劳役,而是让他们做战士、将领、战车长和骑兵长。 10 他还任命二百五十名监工负责监管工人。

11 所罗门带法老的女儿离开大卫城,来到为她建造的宫中,因为所罗门说:“我的妻子不可住在以色列王大卫的宫里,因为约柜所到之处都是圣洁的。”

12 所罗门在门廊前他所筑的耶和华的坛上向耶和华献燔祭, 13 并照摩西的规定,在安息日、朔日和每年特定的三个节期,即除酵节、七七节和住棚节献上当献的祭。

14 所罗门照着他父亲大卫的吩咐,指派祭司分班供职,让利未人负责颂赞、辅助祭司尽每天的职责,还指派殿门守卫分班守门。这些都是上帝的仆人大卫规定的。 15 他们没有违背大卫王就库房等工作对祭司和利未人的吩咐。

16 从耶和华的殿奠基直到完工,所罗门所有的计划都已顺利完成。这样,耶和华的殿落成了。

17 之后,所罗门前往以东地区靠海的以旬·迦别和以禄。 18 希兰派懂得航海的仆人乘船只与所罗门的仆人一同到俄斐,从那里为所罗门王运回十五吨黄金。

Ebirala Sulemaani bye yakola

Bwe wayitawo emyaka amakumi abiri, mu myaka Sulemaani gye yazimbiramu eyeekaalu ya Mukama n’olubiri lwe, Sulemaani n’addaabiriza ebibuga Kulamu bye yali amuwadde, n’abiwa Abayisirayiri okubibeerangamu. Sulemaani n’alumba Kamasuzoba n’akiwamba. Era n’azimba ne Tadumoli mu ddungu, n’ebibuga byonna, eby’etterekero mu Kamasi. (A)N’addaabiriza Besukolooni ekya waggulu ne Besukolooni ekya wansi, n’abizimba nga bibuga ebiriko bbugwe, n’enkomera, ne wankaaki, n’ebisiba eby’empagi, n’ekya Baalasi n’ebibuga bye byonna eby’amaterekero, n’ebibuga byonna eby’amagaali ge, n’abavuga amagaali ge, ne kyonna kye yayagala okuzimba mu Yerusaalemi, mu Lebanooni ne mu nsi yonna gye yafuganga.

(B)Abantu bonna abaalekebwawo ku Bakiiti, n’Abamoli, n’Abaperezi, n’Abakiivi, n’Abayebusi, nga bano be bataali Bayisirayiri, (C)be bazzukulu abaasigalawo, Abayisirayiri be bataazikiriza, Sulemaani n’abafuula abaddu, ne leero. Naye Sulemaani n’atafuula Bayisirayiri baddu be; bo baali baserikale be, n’abaduumizi b’eggye lye, n’abaduumizi ab’amagaali ge n’abeebagala embalaasi ze. 10 Waaliwo n’abakungu ba kabaka Sulemaani ab’oku ntikko, ebikumi bibiri mu ataano, abaafuganga abantu.

11 (D)Sulemaani n’aggya muwala wa Falaawo mu kibuga kya Dawudi n’amutwala mu lubiri lwe yamuzimbira ng’agamba nti, “Mukyala wange tajja kubeera mu lubiri lwa Dawudi kabaka wa Isirayiri, kubanga ebifo essanduuko ya Mukama by’etuusemu bitukuvu.”

12 (E)Awo Sulemaani n’awangayo ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa, ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa ku kyoto kya Mukama kye yali azimbye mu maaso ag’olubalaza, 13 (F)nga bwe kyali kigwanirwa buli lunaku, okuwangayo ebiweebwayo ng’etteeka lya Musa bwe lyali, erikwata ku ssabbiiti, n’emyezi nga kye gijje giboneke, ne ku mbaga essatu eza buli mwaka, era ze zino: embaga ey’emigaati egitazimbulukuswa, n’embaga eya ssabbiiti, n’embaga ey’ensiisira. 14 (G)N’alonda ebibinja ebya bakabona olw’obuweereza bwabwe, n’Abaleevi olw’emirimu gyabwe egy’okutenderezanga mu nnyumba, ng’ekiragiro kya Dawudi kitaawe kye yayogera ne mu kuyambangako bakabona mu mirimu egya buli lunaku. Ate era n’alonda n’abaggazi mu bibinja byabwe olw’emiryango egy’enjawulo kubanga bw’atyo Dawudi omusajja wa Katonda bwe yalagira. 15 Ne batava ku biragiro kabaka bye yali awadde bakabona, n’Abaleevi ku bikwatagana n’ensonga yonna, wadde ku bikwatagana n’ebyetterekero ly’ebintu eby’omuwendo.

16 Omulimu gwa Sulemaani ne guggwa bulungi okuva ku lunaku omusingi ogwa yeekaalu ya Mukama lwe gwa simibwa okutuusa yeekaalu lwe yaggwa, era n’emalibwa bulungi.

17 Awo Sulemaani n’agenda e Eziyonigeba n’e Erosi ebibuga ebyali ku lubalama lw’ennyanja mu nsi ya Edomu. 18 (H)Kulamu n’amuweereza ebyombo, nga bigobebwa baduumizi be, abasajja abaali bamanyi ennyanja. Ne bagenda e Ofiri n’abaddu ba Sulemaani nga babeegasseko, ne baaleetera kabaka Sulemaani ettani za zaabu kkumi na musanvu.

Solomon’s Other Achievements(A)

By the end of twenty years, Solomon had built the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and the royal ·palace [L house]. Solomon then rebuilt the towns that ·Hiram [or Huram; 2:3] had given him, and Solomon sent Israelites to live in them. Then he went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. Solomon also built the town of Tadmor in the ·desert [wilderness], and he built all the towns in Hamath as ·towns for storing grain and supplies [supply centers; storage cities]. He rebuilt the towns of Upper Beth Horon and Lower Beth Horon, ·protecting [fortifying] them with strong walls, gates, and bars in the gates. He also rebuilt the town of Baalath. And he built all the other ·towns for storage [supply centers; storage cities] and all the cities for his chariots and horses. He built all he ·wanted [desired] in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and ·everywhere he ruled [throughout his kingdom/realm].

·There were other people [Others survived] in the land who were not Israelites—the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They were descendants of the ·people [nations] that the Israelites had not destroyed. Solomon ·forced [conscripted] them to be ·slave workers [forced labor], as is still true today. But Solomon did not ·make slaves of [impose forced labor on] the Israelites. They were his soldiers, ·chief captains [officers], commanders of his chariots, and his ·chariot drivers [or cavalry]. 10 These were his most important officers. There were two hundred fifty of them to ·direct [supervise; be in charge of] the people.

11 Solomon brought the daughter of the king of Egypt from the ·older part of Jerusalem [L City of David] to the ·palace [L house] he had built for her. Solomon said, “My wife must not live in King David’s ·palace [house], because the places where the Ark of the ·Agreement [L Lord] has ·been [entered] are ·holy [consecrated; purified; sanctified].”

12 Then Solomon ·offered [sacrificed] burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] to the Lord on the altar he had built for the Lord in front of the ·Temple [L house] ·porch [portico; vestibule; entry room]. 13 He ·offered [sacrificed] sacrifices ·every day [according to the daily requirements/rule] as Moses had commanded. They were ·offered [sacrificed] on the Sabbath days, New Moons, and the three yearly feasts—the ·Feast [Festival] of Unleavened Bread, the ·Feast [Festival] of Weeks, and the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Tabernacles; Booths]. 14 Solomon followed his father David’s instructions and ·chose [appointed] the ·groups [divisions; orders] of priests for their service and the Levites ·to lead the [for their duties/offices of] praise and to help the priests do their daily work. And he ·chose [appointed] the gatekeepers by their ·groups [divisions] to serve at each gate, as David, the man of God, had commanded. 15 They ·obeyed all of [L did not deviate from] Solomon’s commands to the priests and Levites, as well as his commands about the ·treasuries [storehouses].

16 All Solomon’s work was done as he had ·said [ordered] from the day the foundation of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord was begun, until it was finished. So the ·Temple [L house] was ·finished [completed].

17 Then Solomon went to the towns of Ezion Geber and Elath near the ·Red Sea [L coast] in the land of Edom. 18 ·Hiram [or Huram; 2:3] sent ships to Solomon that were commanded by his own men, who ·were skilled sailors [L knew the sea]. ·Hiram’s [or Huram’s] men went with Solomon’s men to Ophir and brought back ·about thirty-four thousand pounds [L 450 talents] of gold to King Solomon.

Solomon’s Other Activities(A)

At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace,(B) Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram[a] had given him, and settled Israelites in them. Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath.(C) He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon(D) and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, as well as Baalath(E) and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses[b]—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites(F) (these people were not Israelites). Solomon conscripted(G) the descendants of all these people remaining in the land—whom the Israelites had not destroyed—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 10 They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.

11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter(H) up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”

12 On the altar(I) of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord, 13 according to the daily requirement(J) for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths,(K) the New Moons(L) and the three(M) annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(N) the Festival of Weeks(O) and the Festival of Tabernacles.(P) 14 In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions(Q) of the priests for their duties, and the Levites(R) to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers(S) by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God(T) had ordered.(U) 15 They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.

16 All Solomon’s work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid until its completion. So the temple of the Lord was finished.

17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. 18 And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents[c] of gold,(V) which they delivered to King Solomon.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verse 18
  2. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Or charioteers
  3. 2 Chronicles 8:18 That is, about 17 tons or about 15 metric tons