1 Ngomnyaka wamakhulu amane lasificaminwembili abako-Israyeli baphuma eGibhithe, ngomnyaka wesine uSolomoni ebusa ko-Israyeli, ngenyanga kaZivi, iyinyanga yesibili, waqalisa ukwakha ithempeli likaThixo.

2 Ithempeli elakhiwa yiNkosi uSolomoni elakhela uThixo lalizingalo ezingamatshumi amabili ububanzi balo, lengalo ezingamatshumi amathathu ukuyaphezulu. 3 Isigaba sekhulusi elingaphambi kwendlu enkulu yethempeli sengezelela ububanzi lokuqhela kwethempeli, ngezingalo ezingamatshumi amabili njalo sasiphutsha ukwedlula indlu enkulu kusiya phambi kwayo ngezingalo ezilitshumi. 4 Amafasitela awenzayo ethempelini ayengamancinyane. 5 Emidulini yendlu enkulu yethempeli lasendlini engcwele ephakathi wakha esinye isimo, kulapho okwaba lezindlwana khona emaceleni. 6 Indawo ephansi kuzozonke yayibanzi okwezingalo ezinhlanu, kuthi iguma laphakathi lalizingalo eziyisithupha kanti-ke iguma lesithathu lalingaba ngeziyisikhombisa. Wakha imithangala ngaphandle kwethempeli ukuze kungabi lalutho olwaluzafakwa phakathi kwemiduli yethempeli.

7 Ekwakheni ithempeli, kwasetshenziswa amatshe ayebazwe alolongwa lapho ayevela khona kuphela, ngakho kwakungezwakali sando, ihloka loba yiphi insimbi yokwakha ethempelini ngesikhathi kusakhiwa.

8 Umnyango weguma laphansi wawungezansi yethempeli; kulamakhwelelo okuya esigcawini saphakathi kuthi kusuka lapho kwedlulele esigcawini sesithathu. 9 Ngakho wakha ithempeli waliqeda, walifulela ngentungo lamapulanka ezigodo zomsedari. 10 Wasesakha izindlwana zalandelela imiduli yethempeli. Ubude bokuya phezulu kwendlwana ngayinye babuzingalo ezinhlanu, njalo zazibanjaniswe lemiduli yethempeli ngemijabo yezigodo zomsedari.

11 Ilizwi likaThixo leza kuSolomoni lathi, 12 “Okwalelithempeli olakhayo, nxa ulandela iziqondiso zami, lemilayo yami ugcine konke engikulaya ngakho ukulandele, ngawe ngizagcwalisa zonke izithembiso engazenza kuyihlo uDavida. 13 Ngizahlala phakathi kwabantu bako-Israyeli njalo angiyikubatshiya abantu bami bako-Israyeli.”

14 Ngakho uSolomoni wakha ithempeli waliqeda. 15 Wacecisa emidulini yangaphakathi ngamapulanka omsedari, wavala ececisa kusukela phansi kusiya ephahleni, walungisa iphansi lethempeli ngamapulanka ezigodo zephayini. 16 Waquma wavala indawo ezingalo ezingamatshumi amabili emsamo wethempeli ngamapulanka omsedari kusukela phansi kusiya ephahleni esakha isiphephelo sangaphakathi kwethempeli, iNdawo eNgcwelengcwele. 17 Indlu enkulu phambi kwaleyo yona yayizingalo ezingamatshumi amane ubude bayo. 18 Ngaphakathi kwethempeli kwakwakhiwe ngomsedari, ubazwe iziduku lamaluba aqhakazileyo. Konke kwakungumsedari, kungabonakali litshe lelilodwa.

19 Walungisa isiphephelo ngaphakathi kwethempeli ukubeka ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo khonapho. 20 Isiphephelo sangaphakathi sasizingalo ezingamatshumi amabili ubude, amatshumi amabili ububanzi njalo kungamatshumi amabili ukuyaphezulu. Wahuqa ingaphakathi ngegolide elicengekileyo, wasehuqa le-alithari lomsedari. 21 USolomoni wahuqa ingaphakathi yethempeli ngegolide elicengekileyo, njalo wengezelela amaketane egolide aquma phambi kwesiphephelo sangaphakathi, sona esasihuqwe ngegolide. 22 Ngakho wahuqa ingaphakathi yonke ngegolide. Wasehuqa njalo ngegolide i-alithari elalingelesiphephelo sangaphakathi.

23 Phakathi kwesiphephelo sangaphakathi wenza amakherubhi amabili ngesihlahla somʼoliva, ubude bokuya phezulu ngalinye buzingalo ezilitshumi. 24 Uphiko olulodwa lwekherubhi lakuqala lwaluzingalo ezinhlanu ubude balo, kanye lalolu olunye uphiko lwaluzingalo ezinhlanu, ingalo ezilitshumi kusukela ekucineni kophiko kusiya ekucineni kophiko. 25 Ikherubhi lesibili lalo lalizingalo ezilitshumi, womabili amakherubhi ayelingana njalo efanana isimo. 26 Ubude bokuya phezulu bekherubhi ngalinye babuzingalo ezilitshumi. 27 Amakherubhi wawafaka endlini ephakathi kwethempeli, amaphiko awo echayekile. Uphiko lwelinye ikherubhi lwathinta umduli wangapha kwathi uphiko lwelinye lalo lwathinta umduli ngale, kwathi phakathi laphakathi kwendlu amaphiko awo athintana. 28 Amakherubhi lawo wawahuqa ngegolide.

29 Emidulini indawana yonke ukubhoda ithempeli, ezindlini zangaphakathi lezangaphandle wabaza amakherubhi, lezihlahla zamalala lamaluba aqhakazileyo. 30 Wahuqa njalo iphansi lezindlu zangaphandle lezangaphakathi kwethempeli ngegolide.

31 Emnyango wesiphephelo sangaphakathi wenza izivalo zamapulanka omʼoliva, imigubazi yakhona ilamacele amahlanu. 32 Kwathi ezivalweni zombili zomʼoliva wabaza amakherubhi, lezihlahla zamalala lamaluba aqhakazileyo, wahuqa amakherubhi lezihlahla zamalala ngegolide elikhandiweyo. 33 Ngokufananayo wenza imigubazi elamacele amane ngomʼoliva emnyango wokungena endlini enkulu. 34 Wenza njalo izivalo zomphayini ezimbili, ngasinye singesigoqeka kabili. 35 Wabaza amakherubhi lezihlahla zamalala lamaluba aqhakazileyo kuzo wasewahuqa ngegolide likhandwe lalingana phezu kokubaziweyo.

36 Wakhela njalo iguma langaphakathi imizila emithathu ngamatshe abaziweyo lowodwa owemijabo yomsedari.

37 Isisekelo sethempeli likaThixo samiswa ngomnyaka wesine ngenyanga kaZivi. 38 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lanye ngenyanga kaBhuli, inyanga yesificaminwembili, kwaba yikuphela kwethempeli lakhiwe njengokumiswa kwalo langeziqondiso zalo. Wayethethe iminyaka eyisikhombisa elakha.