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。

Preparations for Building the Temple(A)

[a]Solomon gave orders to build a temple(B) for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself.(C) He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them.(D)

Solomon sent this message to Hiram[b](E) king of Tyre:

“Send me cedar logs(F) as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. Now I am about to build a temple(G) for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense(H) before him, for setting out the consecrated bread(I) regularly, and for making burnt offerings(J) every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths,(K) at the New Moons(L) and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.

“The temple I am going to build will be great,(M) because our God is greater than all other gods.(N) But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?(O) Who then am I(P) to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?

“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,(Q) whom my father David provided.

“Send me also cedar, juniper and algum[c] logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. 10 I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors[d] of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors[e] of barley, twenty thousand baths[f] of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.(R)

11 Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon:

“Because the Lord loves(S) his people, he has made you their king.”

12 And Hiram added:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth!(T) 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,(U) a man of great skill, 14 whose mother was from Dan(V) and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained(W) to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue(X) 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(Y) and wine he promised, 16 and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa.(Z) You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon took a census of all the foreigners(AA) residing in Israel, after the census(AB) his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. 18 He assigned(AC) 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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:18, and 2:2-18 is numbered 2:1-17.
  2. 2 Chronicles 2:3 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verses 11 and 12
  3. 2 Chronicles 2:8 Probably a variant of almug
  4. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,600 tons or about 3,200 metric tons of wheat
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,000 tons or about 2,700 metric tons of barley
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, about 120,000 gallons or about 440,000 liters

Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple(A)

Then Solomon (B)determined to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal house for himself. (C)Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.

Then Solomon sent to [a]Hiram king of Tyre, saying:

(D)As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. Behold, (E)I am building a temple for the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to Him, (F)to burn before Him [b]sweet incense, for (G)the continual showbread, for (H)the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the (I)Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the [c]set feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

And the temple which I build will be great, for (J)our God is greater than all gods. (K)But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?

Therefore send me at once a man skillful to work in gold and silver, in bronze and iron, in purple and crimson and blue, who has skill to engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, (L)whom David my father provided. (M)Also send me cedar and cypress and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and indeed my servants will be with your servants, to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the [d]temple which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

10 (N)And indeed I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, twenty thousand kors of ground wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.

11 Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon:

(O)Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.

12 [e]Hiram also said:

(P)Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, (Q)who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal house for himself!

13 And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, [f]Huram my [g]master craftsman 14 (R)(the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

15 Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine which (S)my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants. 16 (T)And we will cut wood from Lebanon, as much as you need; we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to [h]Joppa, and you will carry it up to Jerusalem.

17 (U)Then Solomon numbered all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which (V)David his father had numbered them; and there were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred. 18 And he made (W)seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 2:3 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 5:1
  2. 2 Chronicles 2:4 Lit. incense of spices
  3. 2 Chronicles 2:4 appointed
  4. 2 Chronicles 2:9 Lit. house
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:12 Heb. Huram; cf. 1 Kin. 5:1
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Hiram, 1 Kin. 7:13
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Lit. father, 1 Kin. 7:13, 14
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:16 Heb. Japho