2 Nyakati 2

1 Sasa Selemani akaamuru kulijengea nyumba jina la Yahwe na nyumamba kwa ajili ya ikulu ya ufalme wake.

Solomon ordered the building of a Temple to honor the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

2 Selemeni akateua wanaume elfu sabini wabebe mizigo, na wanaume elfu themanini wa kukata mbao katika mlima, na wanaume 3, 600 kwa ajili ya kusimamia.

He allocated 70,000 men as laborers, 80,000 as stone cutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as foremen.

3 Selemani akatuma ujumbe kwa Hiramu, mfalme wa Tiro, ukisema, “Kama ulivyofanya na Daudi baba yangu, ulivyomtumia magogo ya mierezi ili ajenge nyumba ya kuishi, fanya hivyo hivyo na mimi.

Solomon sent a message to Hiram, king of Tyre, telling him,

4 Tazama, niko karibu kujenga nyumba kwa ajili ya jina la Yahwe Mungu wangu, kuiweka wakifu kwake, kwa ajili ya kumtolea sadaka za kuteketezwa zenye viungo vitamu mbele zake, kwa ajili ya mkate wa uwepo, na kwa ajili ya sadaka za kuteketezwa asubuhi na jioni, katika siku za Sabato na za mwezi mpya, na katika sikukuu zilizoteuliwa kwa ajili ya Yahwe Mungu wetu. Hii itakuwa milele, kwa Israeli.

“Please do as you did with my father David when you sent him cedar timber for him to build a palace to live in. I'm about to start building a Temple to honor the Lord my God, dedicated to him, where he will be offered sweet-smelling incense, where the showbread will be always set out in rows, and where burnt offerings will be made every morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, at new moon festivals, and at the feasts of the Lord our God—this to be done forever in Israel.

5 Nyumba nitakayoijenga itakuwa kubwa sana, maana Mungu wetu ni mkuu kuliko miungu mingine yote.

This Temple I am about to build must be impressive, because our God is greater than all gods.

6 Lakini ni nani anayeweza kumjengea Mungu nyumba, kama dunia yote na hata mbigu yenyewe haviwezi kumtosha? Mimi ni nani hata nimjengee nyumba, ispokuwa sadaka kwa ajili ya sadaka za kufukiza mbele zake?

But who can build a Temple for him to live in, for the heavens, even highest heaven, cannot contain him, and who am I that I should dare to build him a house, except to burn incense to him?

7 Kwa hiyo nileteeni mtu mwenye ujuzi wa kazi katika kazi ya dhahabu, fedha, shaba, na chuma, na ya dhambarau, na nyekundu, na sufu ya samawati, mtu anayejua kutengeza aina zote za mapambo ya mbao. Atakuwa na watu wenye ustadi waliopamoja nami katika Yuda na Yerusalemu, ambao Daudi baba yangu aliwaweka.

So please send me a master craftsman who is skilled in working with gold, silver, bronze, and iron; and in purple, scarlet, and blue fabrics. He must also know how to engrave, working together with my expert craftsmen from Judea and Jerusalem provided by my father David.

8 Nitumieni pia mierezi, miberoshi, na miti ya msandali kutoka Lebanoni, maana najua ya kuwa watumishi wako wanajua jinsi ya kukata mbao katika Lebanoni. Angalia, watumishi wangu watakuwa na watumishi wako,

Also send me cedar, cypress, and algum timber from Lebanon, for I know that your workers are skillful in cutting down the trees of Lebanon. I will send men to help your workers

9 ili kwamba watayarishe mbao nyingi kwa ajili yangu, maana nyumba ninayotaka kuijenga itakuwa kubwa na ya ajabu.

to produce a large quantity of timber because the Temple I'm building will be really large and very impressive.

10 Angalia, nitawapa watumishi wako, watu watakaozikata mbao, kori ishirini elfu za ngano ya aridhini, kori ishirini elfu za shayiri, bathi ishirini elfu za mvinyo, na bathi ishirini elfu za mafuta.” (Maandishsi ya kale yanasema: “kori ishirini elfu za ngano kama chakula”).

I will pay your workers, the wood-cutters, 20,000 cors of crushed wheat, 20,000 cors of barley, 20,000 baths of wine, and 20,000 baths of olive oil.”

11 Kisha Hiramu, mfalme wa Tiro, akajibu kwa maandishi, ambayo alimtumia Selemani: “Kwa kuwa Yahwe anawapenda watu wake, amekufanya kuwa mfalme juu yao.”

King Hiram of Tyre responded to Solomon by letter: “It's because the Lord loves his people that he has made you their king.”

12 Zaidi ya hayo, Hiramu akasema, “Abarikiwe Yahwe, Mungu wa Israeli, aliyeziumba mbingu na dunia, amempa Daudi mwana mwenye hekima, mwenye karama ya busara na uelewa, ambaye atajenga nyumba kwa aajili ya Yahwe, na nyumba kwa ajili ya ufalme wake.

Hiram went on, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son with insight and understanding who is going to build a Temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.

13 Sasa nimemtum mtu mwenye ujuzi, mwenye karama ya uelewa, Hiramu, mtaalamu wangu.

I'm sending you Hiram-Abi, a master craftsman who knows and understands what he's doing.

14 Ni mwana wa mwanamke wa binti za Dani. Baba yake alikuwa mtu kutoka Tiro. Ana ujuzi katika kazi za dhahabu, fedha, shaba, chuma, mawe, na katika mbao, na katika dhambarau, samawati, na sufu yenkundu, na kitani safi. Pia ana ujuzi katika kutengeneza michoro ya aina yoyote na katika kubuni kitu chochote. Apatiwe nafsi miongoni mwa watumishi wako wenye ujuzi, na pamoja na wale wa bwana wangu, Daudi, baba yako.

His mother is from the tribe of Dan and his father is from Tyre. He's an expert in working with gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple, blue, and crimson fabric, and fine linen. He can do all kinds of engraving and can make any design he's given. He'll work with your craftsmen and with the craftsmen of my lord, your father David.

15 Sasa, ngano na shayiri, mafuta na mvinyo, ambayo bwana wangu aliisema, na apeleke sasa vitu hivi kwa watumishi wake.

Now my lord, please send to us his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he spoke about.

16 Tutakata mbao kutoka Lebanoni, mbao nyingi kadri unavyohitaji. Tutazileta kwako kama mitumbwi kupitia bahari kwenda Yafa, na utazibeba hadi Yerusalemu.”

We will cut all timber you need from Lebanon and take it to you by sea in rafts to Joppa. From there you can transport it to Jerusalem.”

17 Selemani akawahesabu watu wageni waliokuwa katika nchi ya Israeli, kwa kutumia njia ya Daudi, baba yake, aliyoitumia kuwahesabu. Walikutwa wako 153, 600.

Solomon had a census taken of all the foreigners in the land of Israel, like the census his father David had conducted, and found there were 153,600.

18 Miongoni mwao aliwateua sabini elfu ili wabebe mizigo, themanini elfu kuwa wakataji wa mbao katika milima, na 3, 600 kuwa wasimamizi wa kuwasimamia watu wafanye kazi.

He allocated 70,000 as laborers, 80,000 as stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as foremen.