Solomon Asks Hiram To Help Build the Temple
(2 Chronicles 2.1-16)1 King Hiram of Tyre had always been friends with Solomon's father David. When Hiram learned that Solomon was king, he sent some of his officials to meet with Solomon.
2 Solomon sent a message back to Hiram:
3 Remember how my father David wanted to build a temple where the Lord his God could be worshiped? But enemies kept attacking my father's kingdom, and he never had the chance. 4 Now, thanks to the Lord God, there is peace in my kingdom and no trouble or threat of war anywhere.
5 The Lord God promised my father that when his son became king, he would build a temple for worshiping the Lord. So I've decided to do that.
6 I'd like you to send your workers to cut down cedar trees in Lebanon for me. I will pay them whatever you say and will even have my workers help them. We both know that your workers are more experienced than anyone else at cutting lumber.
7 Hiram was so happy when he heard Solomon's request that he said, “I am grateful that the Lord gave David such a wise son to be king of that great nation!” 8 Then he sent back his answer:
I received your message and will give you all the cedar and pine logs you need. 9 My workers will carry them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea. They will tie the logs together and float them along the coast to wherever you want them. Then they will untie the logs, and your workers can take them from there.
To pay for the logs, you can provide the grain I need for my household.
10 Hiram gave Solomon all the cedar and pine logs he needed. 11 In return, Solomon gave Hiram over 2,000 tons of wheat and almost 4,000 liters of pure olive oil each year.
12 The Lord kept his promise and made Solomon wise. Hiram and Solomon signed a treaty and never went to war against each other.
Solomon's Workers
13 Solomon ordered 30,000 people from all over Israel to cut logs for the temple, 14 and he put Adoniram in charge of these workers. Solomon divided them into three groups of 10,000. Each group worked one month in Lebanon and had two months off at home.
15 He also had 80,000 workers to cut stone in the hill country of Israel, 70,000 workers to carry the stones, 16 and over 3,000 assistants to keep track of the work and to supervise the workers. 17 He ordered the workers to cut and shape large blocks of good stone for the foundation of the temple.
18 Solomon's and Hiram's men worked with men from the city of Gebal, and together they got the stones and logs ready for the temple.
Solomoni unolulwamisila kubaka Ng'umba ye Ndzimu
(2 Zwiyitikalo 2:1-18)1 Kukati Mambo Hiramu we Tire ahwa kuti Solomoni wakazhodziwa kube mambo mu bumo gwa tate babe Dafite, katumila balanda babe kuna Solomoni ngobe wakabe agala ehwanana na Dafite. 2 Ngono Solomoni katuma bathu kuna Hiramu kunon'dwa beti, 3 “Unoziba kuti tate bangu Dafite abazotubula kubakila zina la Yahwe Ndzimu wabo ng'umba ngobe zwita zwabo zwakabe zwakabakomba nge ngwa, kudzina Yahwe bethama kuti bazwikunde. 4 Koga ngwenu Yahwe Ndzimu wangu bakandipa mbakiso mu migathu yangu mbizho dzose, akutjina nyanyayidzi kene tjimwe tjakabipa. 5 Ndizo ngwenu, ndakazwimisila kubakila ng'umba zina la Yahwe Ndzimu wangu, Yahwe sekwa bakadwa tate bangu Dafite bakati, ‘Nkololo uwo, wandinowogadza pa tjigalo tjitjo tje bushe mu bumo gugo, unowobakila zina langu ng'umba.’ 6 Ndizo ngwenu, tjidwa balanda babo banditemele mapango e sida ye Lebanoni, balanda bangu banowoshanganyila nshingo ne babo, imi ndowolipa balanda babo ndipo yaunowobe wandibigila iyo. Ngoti unoziba kuti mutili akuna una luzibo gwe kutema mapango se Basidoni.”
7 Kukati Hiramu ehwa matama a Solomoni, kashatha kwazo kabuya kati, “Nasi Yahwe ngabakudziwe, ibo bakapa Dafite nkololo wakatjenjela kun'gala thaka kubusa itjaba itjetji tjikulu kulu!” 8 Hiramu kabgwiliza shandulo kuna Solomoni eti, “Matama awanditumila bathu ndaahwa, ngono ndowothama njemulo dzidzo dzose ngekwe mapango e sida ne misipuri. 9 Balanda bangu banowo asenga kudwa ku Lebanoni bakaayisa ku gungwa. Ngono ndoasungilikanya kabe thala kayenda akaangama mu gungwa kunoti pa unowobe watendeka kuti abigwepo. Ndowodwa balanda bangu kuti baapalalanye ikoko, ube uaamutjila. Iwe undibhatshe ngopa be ng'umba yangu zojiwa.”
10 Ndizo Hiramu kapa Solomoni mapango wose e sida ne e misipuri aakabe akumbila. 11 Solomoni kapa Hiramu masaka e koroni ali zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili (20 000) ne zwikuyu zwe mafuta e ntoba zwili zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili (20 000) gole ne gole. 12 Ngono Yahwe bakapa Solomoni butjenjedu sekwa bakan'gadza bgwe, kwakabe kuna mbakiso pakati kwa Hiramu na Solomoni, bubili gwabo bakathama tjidumano tje kushingidzana.
13 Mambo Solomoni kashalula bashingi bali zwiwulu zwili makumi matatu (30 000) mu Iziraela yose. 14 Kabatumila ku Lebanoni belabadzana bakathubukana kuli makupo matatu, e bali zwiwulu zwili gumi (10 000) zwe balume mu gupo limwe ne limwe, bakabe betola mwedzi uli ng'ompela bali ku Lebanoni bezha bewobe kanyi kwe mimwedzi mibili. Ntungamili we bashingi wakabe ali Adoniramu. 15 Solomoni naiyebo wakabe ana basengi be mabgwe bali zwiwulu zwili makumi ali kutendeka (70 000) ne banobezha mabgwe bali zwiwulu zwili makumi ali zhanakadzi (80 000) mu shango ye matombo. 16 Ngono kuzhe kwa ibaba wakabe ana balume be batungamili bali zwiwulu zwitatu zwina mazana ali matatu (3 300) bakabe bakatungamila bathu ibaba ne kubona kuti nshingo unoyenda. 17 Nge ndaulo ya Mambo Solomoni, bakatsha mabgwe makulu e ntengo upezhugwi kuwala thiwa dze ng'umba ndiwo. 18 Babaki ba Solomoni ne babaki ba Hiramu ne balume be Gebali, bakabezha mabgwe, bakalulwamisa mapango ne mabgwe kubaka Ng'umba ye Ndzimu.