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UThixo Ubonakala KuSolomoni
USolomoni eseqedile ukwakha ithempeli likaThixo lesigodlo sobukhosi, esenelisile konke ayezimisele ukukwenza, UThixo wabonakala kuye ngokwesibili, njengoba wayebonakele kuye eGibhiyoni. UThixo wathi kuye:
“Sengiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho lesikhalazo osenzileyo phambi kwami; sengilenze labangcwele lelithempeli olakhileyo wena ngokufaka iBizo lami kulo lanininini. Amehlo ami kanye lenhliziyo yami kuzakuba phezu kwalo ngezikhathi zonke.
Wena, ungahamba phambi kwami ngobuqotho benhliziyo langokuqonda njengoba uyihlo uDavida akwenza, wenze konke engikulaya ngakho ugcine izimiso zami lemithetho yami, ngizaqinisa isihlalo sakho sobukhosi phezu kuka-Israyeli kuze kube nininini, njengoba ngathembisa uyihlo uDavida lapho ngathi, ‘Awuyikwehluleka ukuzuza indoda esihlalweni sobukhosi ko-Israyeli.’
Kodwa nxa wena kanye lamadodana akho lingifulathela lingagcini imithetho lezimiso zami engilinike khona beselisuka liye kwabanye onkulunkulu libakhonze, ngizamthathela u-Israyeli umhlaba engangimnike wona ngilikhalale leli ithempeli esengilingcwelisile ngeBizo lami. U-Israyeli uzadelelwa abe yinhlekisa ebantwini bonke. Lelithempeli lizakuba yinqumbi yamatshe. Bonke abedlula lapha bazakwenyanya bahleke ulunya bathi, ‘Kanti kungani uThixo enze into enje kulelilizwe lakulelithempeli na?’ Abantu bazaphendula bathi, ‘Kungenxa yokuthi sebedele uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo, owakhipha oyise eGibhithe, ngoba sebesuke banamathela kwabanye onkulunkulu, babakhonza njalo babasebenzela yikho-nje uThixo esebehlisele incithakalo yonke le.’ ”
Ezinye Izenzo ZikaSolomoni
10 Ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi amabili, lapho uSolomoni akha khona lezizindlu ezimbili, ithempeli likaThixo kanye lesigodlo sobukhosi, 11 iNkosi uSolomoni wanikela amadolobho angamatshumi amabili aweGalile kuHiramu inkosi yaseThire, ngoba uHiramu wayemnike zonke izigodo zesihlahla somsedari lezephayini legolide ayekufuna. 12 Kodwa uHiramu wathi esesuka eThire esiyabona amadolobho ayewaphiwe nguSolomoni, kazange ajabule ngawo. 13 Wambuza wathi, “Ngamadolobho bani la onginike wona, mfowethu?” njalo wayewabiza ngokuthi yilizwe leKhabhuli, okulibizo alokhu ebizwa ngalo lalamuhla. 14 Kunjalo-nje uHiramu wayethumele uSolomoni igolide elalingamathalenta alikhulu elilamatshumi amabili (120).
15 Nansi imbali yokubanjwa ngamandla kwabantu yiNkosi uSolomoni ukwakha ithempeli likaThixo, ukwakhiwa kwesigodlo sakhe, ledundulu elithiwa yiMilo, lomduli weJerusalema kanye leHazori, iMegido kanye leGezeri. 16 (UFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe wayehlasele wathumba iGezeri. Wayeyithungele ngomlilo wayitshisa. Wayebulele amaKhenani ayehlala khona, yona wasekhunga ngayo indodakazi yakhe, umkaSolomoni. 17 USolomoni waseyakha kutsha iGezeri.) Wakha iBhethi-Horoni esezansi, 18 leBhalathi, kanye leThamari enkangala, phakathi kwelizwe lakhe, 19 kanye lamadolobho ayeyiziphala lemizi yezinqola zakhe zempi kanye lamabhiza akhe lakho konke nje ayengafisa ukukwakha eJerusalema leLebhanoni kanye lakulo lonke ilizwe ayelibusa.
20 Kubo bonke abantu abasalayo bama-Amori, amaHithi, amaPherizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi (lababantu babengasibo ama-Israyeli) 21 okutsho ukuthi, izizukulwane zabo ezasalayo ama-Israyeli angazibulalanga aziqeda, laba uSolomoni wababamba isibhalo sokwenza umsebenzi wakhe wobugqili, njengoba kunjalo lalamuhla lokhu. 22 Kodwa uSolomoni kabenzanga izigqili abako-Israyeli; babengamadoda okumlwela, iziphathamandla zikahulumende, izikhulu zakhe, izinduna, kanye labalawuli bezinqola zakhe zempi labatshayeli bazo. 23 Njalo babeyizikhulu zokukhokhela imisebenzi eqakathekileyo kaSolomoni, izikhulu ezingamakhulu amahlanu lamatshumi amahlanu (550) ezazikhangela amadoda ayesenza umsebenzi.
24 Ngemva kokufika kwendodakazi kaFaro esigodlweni eyayisakhelwe nguSolomoni isuka eMzini kaDavida, wakha njalo idundulu elithiwa yiMilo.
25 Kathathu ngomnyaka uSolomoni wanikela umnikelo wokutshiswa lomnikelo wobudlelwano e-alithareni ayelakhele uThixo, etshisa impepha phambi kukaThixo kanye lemihlatshelo. Ngalokho wagcwalisa imilandu yezimiso zethempeli.
26 INkosi uSolomoni wakha njalo imikhumbi e-Eziyoni-Gebheri, eseduzane le-Elathi ngase-Edomi, ekhunjini loLwandle oluBomvu. 27 Kunjalo-nje uHiramu wathumela abantu bakhe, abagwedli ababelwazi ulwandle ukuba bayesebenza emikhunjini labakaSolomoni. 28 Bagwedla baya e-Ofiri baphenduka legolide elilesisindo samathalenta angamakhulu amane lamatshumi amabili (420), bayalethula enkosini uSolomoni.