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。

Solomon Will Build a Temple and a Palace

[a](A)Now Solomon [b]decided to build a house for the name of the Lord, and a [c]royal palace for himself. [d]So (B)Solomon [e]assigned seventy thousand men to carry loads, eighty thousand men to quarry stone in the mountains, and 3,600 to supervise them.

(C)Then Solomon sent word to [f]Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “(D)As you dealt with my father David and sent him cedars to build him a house to live in, do it for me. Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, (E)to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out (F)the showbread continually, and to offer (G)burnt offerings morning and evening, (H)on Sabbaths, on new moons, and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God. This is to be done in Israel forever. The house which I am about to build will be great, for our God is (I)greater than all the gods. But (J)who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain Him? And who am I, that I should build a house for Him, except to [g]burn incense before Him? Now (K)send me a skilled man to work in gold, silver, brass, iron, and in purple, crimson, and violet fabrics, one who knows how to make engravings, to work with the skilled workers [h](L)whom I have in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David provided. (M)Send me also cedar, juniper, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut timber of Lebanon; and indeed (N)my servants will work with your servants, to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful. 10 Now behold, (O)I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, [i]twenty thousand kors of crushed wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, [j]twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.”

Huram to Assist

11 Then Huram, king of Tyre, [k]answered in a letter sent to Solomon: “(P)Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.” 12 Then Huram [l]continued, “Blessed be (Q)the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, [m]endowed with discretion and understanding, (R)who will build a house for the Lord and a [n]royal palace for himself.

13 “Now then, I am sending Huram-abi, a skilled man, [o]endowed with understanding, 14 (S)the son of a [p]Danite woman and [q]a Tyrian father, who knows how to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, violet, linen, and crimson fabrics, and who knows how to make all kinds of engravings and to [r]execute any design which is assigned to him, to work with your skilled workers and with [s]those of my lord, your father David. 15 Now then, let my lord send his servants wheat and barley, oil and wine, of (T)which he has spoken. 16 (U)We will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you as rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may carry it up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, (V)following the [t]census which his father David had [u]taken; and 153,600 were found. 18 (W)He appointed seventy thousand of them to carry loads and eighty thousand to quarry stones in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Ch 1:18 in Heb
  2. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Lit said
  3. 2 Chronicles 2:1 Lit house for his royalty
  4. 2 Chronicles 2:2 Ch 2:1 in Heb
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:2 Lit counted
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:3 In 1 Kin 5:18, Hiram
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:6 Lit offer up in smoke
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:7 Lit who are with me
  9. 2 Chronicles 2:10 About 154,000 cubic feet or 4,360 cubic meters
  10. 2 Chronicles 2:10 About 120,000 gallons or 454,249 liters
  11. 2 Chronicles 2:11 Lit said...and he sent
  12. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Lit said
  13. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Lit knowing discretion
  14. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Lit house for his royalty
  15. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Lit knowing understanding
  16. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit a woman of the daughters of Dan
  17. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit whose father is a Tyrian man
  18. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit devise any device
  19. 2 Chronicles 2:14 Lit skilled men
  20. 2 Chronicles 2:17 Lit numbering
  21. 2 Chronicles 2:17 Lit numbered of them

And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the Lord, and an house for his kingdom.

And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.

But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide.

Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.

10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.

12 Huram said moreover, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the Lord, and an house for his kingdom.

13 And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,

14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.

15 Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:

16 And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

17 And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.