< 2 Nyakati 2 >
1 Solomoni akatoa amri kujenga Hekalu kwa ajili ya Jina la Bwana na jumba la kifalme kwa ajili yake mwenyewe.
And Solomon determined to build a house to the name of the Lord, and a palace for himself.
2 Solomoni akaandika watu 70,000 kuwa wachukuzi wa mizigo, na watu 80,000 kuwa wachonga mawe vilimani, na watu 3,600 kuwa wasimamizi wao.
And he numbered out seventy thousand men to bear burdens, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.
3 Solomoni akapeleka ujumbe huu kwa Mfalme Hiramu wa Tiro: “Unitumie magogo ya mierezi kama ulivyomfanyia baba yangu Daudi wakati ulipompelekea mierezi ya kujenga jumba lake la kifalme la kuishi.
He sent also to Hiram king of Tyre, saying: As thou didst with David my father, and didst send him cedars, to build him a house, in which he dwelt:
4 Sasa ninakaribia kujenga Hekalu kwa ajili ya Jina la Bwana Mungu wangu na kuliweka wakfu kwake kwa ajili ya kufukizia uvumba wenye harufu nzuri mbele zake, mahali pa kuweka mikate ya Wonyesho kwa kufuata utaratibu na kwa ajili ya mahali pa kutolea sadaka za kuteketezwa kila siku asubuhi na jioni, siku za Sabato na Mwezi Mwandamo pia katika sikukuu zilizoamriwa za Bwana Mungu wetu. Hili ni agizo la kudumu kwa ajili ya Waisraeli.
So do with me that I may build a house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to burn incense before him, and to perfume with aromatical spices, and for the continual setting forth of bread, and for the holocausts, morning and evening, and on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and the solemnities of the Lord our God for ever, which are commanded for Israel.
5 “Hekalu nitakalolijenga litakuwa kubwa, kwa sababu Mungu wetu ni mkuu kuliko miungu mingine yote.
For the house which I desire to build, is great: for our God is great above all gods.
6 Lakini ni nani awezaye kumjengea Hekalu, maadamu mbingu, hata mbingu zilizo juu sana, haziwezi kumtosha? Mimi ni nani basi hata nimjengee Hekalu, isipokuwa liwe tu mahali pa kutolea dhabihu za kuteketezwa mbele zake?
Who then can be able to build him a worthy house? if heaven, and the heavens of heavens cannot contain him: who am I that I should be able to build him a house? but to this end only, that incense may be burnt before him.
7 “Hivyo basi nitumie mtu mwenye ustadi wa kufanya kazi ya kutengeneza dhahabu na fedha, shaba na chuma, nyuzi za rangi ya zambarau, nyekundu na buluu, mwenye uzoefu wa kutia nakshi, ili afanye kazi Yuda na Yerusalemu pamoja na mafundi wangu wenye ustadi, ambao baba yangu Daudi aliwaweka.
Send me therefore a skillful man, that knoweth how to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, and in iron, in purple, in scarlet and in blue, and that hath skill in engraving, with the artificers, which I have with me in Judea and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.
8 “Pia nitumie magogo ya mierezi, miberoshi na misandali kutoka Lebanoni kwa maana najua kwamba watu wako wanao ujuzi wa kupasua mbao huko. Watu wangu watafanya kazi pamoja na watu wako
Send me also cedars, and fir trees, and pine trees from Libanus: for I know that thy servants are skillful in cutting timber in Libanus, and my servants shall be with thy servants,
9 ili wanipatie mbao kwa wingi kwa sababu Hekalu nitakalojenga lazima liwe kubwa na zuri kabisa.
To provide me timber in abundance. For the house which I desire to build, is to be exceeding great, and glorious.
10 Nitawapa watumishi wako, yaani, maseremala wakatao mbao, kori 20,000 za unga wa ngano, kori 20,000 za shayiri, bathi 20,000 za mvinyo, na bathi 20,000 za mafuta ya zeituni.”
And I will give thy servants the workmen that are to cut down the trees, for their food twenty thousand cores of wheat, and as many cores of barley, and twenty thousand measures of wine, and twenty thousand measures of oil.
11 Ndipo Hiramu mfalme wa Tiro akamjibu Solomoni kwa barua: “Kwa sababu Bwana anawapenda watu wake, amekufanya wewe kuwa mfalme wao.”
And Hiram king of Tyre sent a letter to Solomon, saying: Because the Lord hath loved his people, therefore he hath made thee king over them.
12 Naye Hiramu akaongeza kusema: “Ahimidiwe Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli aliyezifanya mbingu na nchi! Amempa Mfalme Daudi mwana mwenye hekima, aliyejaliwa maarifa na ufahamu, ambaye atajenga Hekalu kwa ajili ya Bwana, na jumba la kifalme kwa ajili yake mwenyewe.
And he added, saying: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who hath given to king David a wise and knowing son, endued with understanding and prudence, to build a house to the Lord, and a palace for himself.
13 “Mimi nitamtuma kwako Huramu-Abi, mtu mwenye ustadi mwingi,
I therefore have sent thee my father Hiram, a wise and most skillful man,
14 ambaye mama yake alitoka Dani na baba yake alitoka Tiro. Yeye ni stadi wa kutengeneza vitu, kufanya kazi zote za dhahabu, fedha, shaba, chuma, mawe na mbao pamoja na kufuma. Ni stadi katika kutia rangi ya zambarau, buluu, nyekundu na nguo za kitani safi. Yeye ana ujuzi katika aina zote za kutia nakshi na anaweza kufuatiliza mchoro wowote wa kazi anayopewa. Atafanya kazi na mafundi wako na wale wa bwana wangu, Daudi baba yako.
The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, whose father was a Tyrian, who knoweth how to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, and in iron, and in marble, and in timber, in purple also, and violet, and silk and scarlet: and who knoweth to grave all sort of graving, and to devise ingeniously all that there may be need of in the work with thy artificers, and with the artificers of my lord David thy father.
15 “Sasa basi bwana wangu na awapelekee watumishi wake ngano, shayiri, mafuta ya zeituni na mvinyo kama alivyoahidi,
The wheat therefore, and the barley and the oil, and the wine, which thou, my lord, hast promised, send to thy servants.
16 nasi tutakata magogo yote yale unayohitaji kutoka Lebanoni nasi tutayafunga pamoja na kuyaweka yaelee baharini mpaka Yafa. Kisha utaweza kuyachukua mpaka Yerusalemu.”
And we will cut down as many trees out of Libanus, as thou shalt want, and will convey them in floats by sea to Joppe: and it will be thy part to bring them thence to Jerusalem.
17 Ndipo Solomoni akaamuru ifanyike hesabu ya wageni wote waliokuwa katika Israeli, baada ya ile hesabu iliyofanywa na Daudi; wakapatikana watu 153,600.
And Solomon numbered all the proselytes in the land of Israel, after the numbering which David his father had made, and they were found a hundred and fifty-three thousand and six hundred.
18 Akawaweka watu 70,000 miongoni mwao kuwa wachukuzi wa mizigo, na 80,000 kuwa wachonga mawe vilimani, na 3,600 wakiwa wasimamizi juu yao ili wawahimize watu kufanya kazi.
And he set seventy thousand of them to carry burdens on their shoulders, and eighty thousand to hew stones in the mountains: and three thousand and six hundred to be overseers of the work of the people.