Add parallel Print Page Options

Enteekateeka z’Okuzimba Yeekaalu

(A)Sulemaani n’awa ebiragiro okuzimbira erinnya lya Mukama eyeekaalu, ate naye okwezimbira olubiri olwa kabaka. (B)N’alonda abasajja emitwalo musanvu okuba abeetissi, n’abalala emitwalo munaana okutema amayinja mu nsozi, n’abalala enkumi ssatu mu lukaaga okubakuliranga.

(C)Awo Sulemaani n’aweereza Kulamu kabaka w’e Ttuulo obubaka nti,

“Nga bwe wakolagananga ne Dawudi kitange, n’omuweereza emivule egy’okwezimbira olubiri lwe okubeeramu, nange kolagana nange mu ngeri y’emu. (D)Laba kaakano nnaatera okuzimbira erinnya lya Mukama Katonda wange eyeekaalu, era ngiwonge olw’okwoterezaayo obubaane obw’ebyakaloosa obulungi mu maaso ge, n’okuweerayo emigaati egya buli lunaku, n’olw’okuweerayo ebiweebwayo ebyokebwa enkya n’akawungeezi buli ssabbiiti ne ku myezi nga kye gijje giboneke ne ku mbaga ezaatekebwawo eza Mukama Katonda waffe, ng’ekiragiro eky’enkalakkalira eri Isirayiri.

(E)“Eyeekaalu gye ŋŋenda okuzimba ejja kuba yaakitiibwa, kubanga Katonda waffe waakitiibwa okusinga bakatonda abalala bonna. (F)Naye ani ayinza okumuzimbira eyeekaalu, nga n’eggulu erya waggulu ddala taligyamu? Noolwekyo nze ani okumuzimbira eyeekaalu, okuggyako okumuzimbira ekifo eky’okwoterezangamu obubaane mu maaso ge?

(G)“Noolwekyo mpeereza omusajja omumanyirivu nga mugezi asobola okuweesa zaabu, ne ffeeza, n’ebikomo, n’ebyuma, ate era asobola okuluka engoye eza kakobe, n’entwakaavu, n’eza bbululu, ate era nga mumanyirivu mu kukola enjola ez’engeri zonna, ngakolaganira wamu n’abasajja bange abamanyirivu mu by’omu Yuda ne mu Yerusaalemi, Dawudi kitange be yateekateeka.

“Era mpeereza n’emivule, n’emiberosi, n’emitoogo okuva e Lebanooni, kubanga mmanyi nti abasajja bo bamanyirivu mu kutema emiti mu Lebanooni. Abaddu bange banaakolagananga n’ababo okunteekerateekera embaawo mu bungi, kubanga eyeekaalu gye ŋŋenda okuzimba egenda kuba nnene era nga yaakitiibwa. 10 (H)Laba, ndiwa abaweereza bo, abasajja ababazzi, lita ez’eŋŋaano ense emitwalo amakumi ana mu ena, ne lita eza sayiri, emitwalo amakumi ana mu ena, n’ebita eby’omwenge emitwalo ebiri, n’ebita eby’amafuta ag’omuzeeyituuni emitwalo ebiri.”

11 (I)Awo Kulamu n’addamu ebbaluwa Sulemaani gye yamuweereza ng’agamba nti,

“Kubanga Mukama ayagala abantu be, kyavudde akufuula kabaka waabwe.”

12 (J)N’ayongerako na kino nti,

Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri eyakola eggulu n’ensi, yeebazibwe, kubanga awadde kabaka Dawudi omwana omutegeevu, alina okutegeera n’okwawula ebirungi n’ebibi, agenda okuzimbira Mukama eyeekaalu, n’okwezimbira olubiri.

13 (K)“Nkuweereza Kulamu omusajja omumanyirivu, era alina okutegeera n’obumanyirivu bungi, 14 (L)ne nnyina y’omu ku bazzukulu ba Ddaani, nga ne kitaawe musajja w’e Ttuulo. Yatendekebwa mu kuweesa zaabu n’effeeza, n’ebikomo n’ebyuma n’okutema amayinja era nga mubazzi, ate n’okuluka engoye eza kakobe, n’eza bbululu, n’entwakaavu, n’eza bafuta. Era alina obumanyirivu mu kwola enjola ez’engeri zonna, era ayinza okuyiiya engeri yonna ey’okukolamu ekintu kyonna ekimuweereddwa. Y’anaakolanga n’abaweesi bo n’aba mukama wange Dawudi.

15 (M)“Kaakano mukama wange aweereze abaddu be eŋŋaano ne sayiri, n’amafuta ag’omuzeeyituuni ne wayini gwe yasuubiza, 16 (N)tulyoke tuteme emiti gyonna gye weetaaga okuva e Lebanooni. Tunaagiseeyeeyeteza ku nnyanja okutuuka e Yopa, naawe oligyambusa e Yerusaalemi.”

17 (O)Awo Sulemaani n’abala bannaggwanga bonna abaali mu nsi eya Isirayiri, ng’okubala Dawudi kitaawe kwe yakola bwe kwali; baali abasajja emitwalo kkumi n’ettaano mu enkumi ssatu mu lukaaga. 18 (P)N’alonda mu bo emitwalo musanvu okuba abeetissi, n’abalala emitwalo munaana okutemanga amayinja mu nsozi, n’abalala enkumi ssatu mu lukaaga okulabiriranga abantu abaakolanga.

Having amassed his wealth, Solomon fulfilled God’s prediction that David’s son would build His house. Solomon decided to build a house honoring the reputation of the Eternal, a temple, and a house for himself, a palace. First Solomon procured the stone: 80,000 men would quarry it in the mountains, 70,000 men would carry it, and 3,600 men would supervise them. Then Solomon wrote to Huram, king of Tyre, asking for cedar.

Solomon: I come to ask for your fine cedarwood, just as my father David did so he could build his royal palace. Please do the same for me.

I am preparing to build a temple honoring the reputation of the Eternal One my God. It will be dedicated to Him and will be the site of our religious practices. There we will perform all the duties He perpetually requires of Israel: burning fragrant incense before Him, preparing the unleavened bread continually, and giving burnt offerings each morning and evening, on Sabbaths, new moons, and appointed feasts of the Eternal One our God. This temple must be great because our True God is more powerful than all the other gods. Though no one can build a house for Him because He inhabits the heavens and beyond, I am humbly building a place where we can encounter Him and burn incense before Him.

This temple on the elevated area overlooking the city of Jerusalem is truly remarkable. Moving from the outer court area, one observes a massive 15 by 30 foot altar to ritually sacrifice clean land animals and a huge “sea” or wash container 7½ by 15 feet to ceremonially wash the priests before they enter the next two areas: the holy place and the most holy place.

Moving into the actual temple structure is similar to being transported into the heavens. One passes between two larger-than-life tree-like columns and then into a brilliant golden room decorated with trees, pomegranates, winged creatures, and jewels. Upon entering the holy place during the eastern sunrise, one would be blinded as though looking into the sun. Then as the worshiper ascends the stairs, the most holy place has two enormous winged creatures flanking the Eternal’s temple footstool, the covenant chest. This room images the very heavenly throne room. To visualize and enter Solomon’s temple is to visualize and enter the heavens.

To this end, send me a man who can work gold, silver, brass, and iron; sew with purple, crimson, and violet fabrics; and engrave. Your servant will aid the skilled men whom David, my father, provided for me in Judah and Jerusalem. Send me cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know your servants can skillfully cut timber from Lebanon; My servants will work with your servants to prepare an abundance of timber for me to use in the temple, which will be great and wonderful. 10 I will pay your servants, the carpenters, 125,000 bushels of crushed wheat, 125,000 bushels of barley, 116,000 gallons of wine, and 116,000 gallons of oil.

Huram (in a letter answering Solomon): 11 Because the Eternal loves His people, He has made you their king. 12 The Eternal One, the God of Israel, creator of heaven and earth, is to be praised for giving King David such a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build houses for both the Eternal and for himself.

13-14 I am sending Huram-abi, a discerning man skilled in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood; in purple, violet, and crimson linen and other fabrics; in engravings; and in executing any design. He is the son of an Israelite woman (from the tribe of Dan) and a Tyrian father, so he will work well with your skilled men and with those of my lord David, your father. 15-16 In addition to sending workers, we will cut the timber you need from Lebanon and float it down the coast to Joppa, so that you then may transport it up to Jerusalem. When the men and supplies arrive at Joppa, please send your servants, my countrymen, the wheat, barley, oil, and wine you have promised them.

17 In preparation for the building projects, Solomon ordered a census to count only the foreigners residing in Israel. This census differed from his father’s census, which counted everyone in the nation. There were 153,600 foreigners living in Israel: 18 80,000 men would quarry stone in the mountains, 70,000 men would carry it, and 3,600[a] men would supervise their work.

Footnotes

  1. 2:18 1 Kings 5:16 “3,300”