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1 USolomoni wasesithi, “UThixo usetshilo ukuthi uzahlala eyezini elimnyama, 2 sengikwakhele ithempeli elimangalisayo, indawo yakho ozahlala kuyo kuze kube nininini.”
3 Ibandla lonke lako-Israyeli lisemi khonapho, inkosi yaphenduka yababusisa. 4 Yasisithi:
“Kadunyiswe uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, yena osegcwalise ngezandla zakhe ayekuthembise ubaba uDavida ngomlomo wakhe. Ngoba wathi, 5 ‘Kusukela ngelanga engakhupha ngalo abantu bami eGibhithe, akuladolobho engalikhethayo laloba kusiphi isizwana sako-Israyeli, ukuba iBizo lami lakhelwe ithempeli khona, njalo angikhethanga loba ngubani ukuba abe ngumkhokheli wabantu bami bako-Israyeli. 6 Kodwa khathesi sengikhethe iJerusalema ukuba iBizo lami libe khonale, njalo sengikhethe uDavida ukuba abuse abantu bami bako-Israyeli.’
7 Ubaba uDavida wayetshiseka enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba akhele iBizo likaThixo ithempeli, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 8 Kodwa uThixo wathi kubaba uDavida, ‘Wenza kuhle ngokuba lesifiso sokungakhela ithempeli leBizo lami enhliziyweni yakho. 9 Lanxa kunjalo, kayisuwe ozakwakha ithempeli, kodwa indodana yakho eyinyama yakho legazi lakho, yiyo ezakwakhela iBizo lami ithempeli.’
10 UThixo usigcinile isithembiso asenzayo. Sengiyinkosi esikhundleni sikababa uDavida njalo khathesi sengihlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sika-Israyeli njengokuthembisa kukaThixo, njalo sengakhele iBizo likaThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ithempeli. 11 Kulapho engibeke khona ibhokisi, phakathi kwalo kulesivumelwano sikaThixo asenza labantu bako-Israyeli.”
Umkhuleko KaSolomoni WokuNikela
12 USolomoni wasesima phambi kwe-alithari likaThixo phambi kwalo lonke ibandla lako-Israyeli welula izandla zakhe. 13 Wayenze isitubhu sethusi, ubude baso buzingalo ezinhlanu, lobubanzi baso buzingalo ezinhlanu njalo buzingalo ezintathu ukuyaphezulu, sona wayesimise phakathi laphakathi kweguma elingaphandle. Wema phezu kwesitubhu waseguqa phambi kwalo lonke ibandla lako-Israyeli waphakamisela izandla zakhe ezulwini. 14 Wasesithi:
“Oh Thixo Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kakho uNkulunkulu ofanana lawe ezulwini lasemhlabeni, wena ogcina isivumelwano sakho sothando lezinceku zakho eziqhubeka endleleni yakho ngezinhliziyo ezipheleleyo. 15 Usigcinile isithembiso sakho encekwini yakho uDavida ongubaba; ngomlomo wakho uthembisile njalo ngesandla sakho ukugcwalisile lokho njengoba kunjalo lamuhla.
16 Ngakho Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, gcinela inceku yakho uDavida ubaba isithembiso owasenza kuye usithi, ‘Kawuyikuswela umuntu ozakuma phambi kwami esihlalweni sobukhosi buka-Israyeli, nxa amadodana akho ezahamba ngokomthetho wami phambi kwami, njengalokhu okwenzileyo wena.’ 17 Ngakho khathesi, Thixo, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kaligcwaliseke ilizwi lesithembiso owalikhuluma kuDavida inceku yakho.
18 Kambe uNkulunkulu uzahlala labantu emhlabeni na? Amazulu, kanye lamazulu aphezulu kakhulu, kawakulingani. Pho lisilela kanganani lelithempeli engilakhileyo! 19 Kodwa-ke akuzwe umkhuleko wenceku yakho lokucela kwayo umusa, Oh Thixo Nkulunkulu wami. Zwana ukukhala lokukhuleka kwenceku yakho phambi kwakho. 20 Ebusuku lemini amehlo akho kakhangele lindlu, yona eyindawo owathi iBizo lakho lizakuba kuyo. Akuzwe umkhuleko wenceku yakho ngalindawo. 21 Akulalele ukucela kwenceku yakho lokwabantu bakho bako-Israyeli nxa bekhuleka bekhangele kule indawo. Akuzwe ezulwini, lona eliyindawo yakho yokuhlala; ukuze uthi ungezwa, uthethelele.
22 Nxa umuntu angonela umakhelwane wakhe, afungiswe, abesefunga isifungo phambi kwe-alithari lakho kulelithempeli, 23 zwana usezulwini, uthethelele. Zahlulele izinceku zakho, uyigwebe leyo elecala ngalokho ekwenzileyo, njalo uyidedele engonanga uyiphe umvuzo ofanele ukuba msulwa kwayo.
24 Kuthi lapho abantu bakho bako-Israyeli behlulwe yizitha ngoba bonile kuwe, akuthi lapho bephenduka befakaza ibizo lakho, bekhuleka njalo becela phambi kwakho kulelithempeli, 25 zwana usezulwini uthethelele izono zabantu bakho bako-Israyeli ubabuyisele elizweni owabapha lona kanye laboyise.
26 Akuthi nxa emazulwini kuvalekile lingasani izulu ngoba abantu bakho bonile kuwe, njalo bathi nxa bekhuleka bekhangele kulindawo befakaza ibizo lakho betshiya izono zabo ngoba ubajezisile, 27 zwana usezulwini uthethelele izono zenceku zakho, abantu bakho u-Israyeli. Bafundise indlela eqondileyo yokuphila uthumele izulu elizweni owalinika abantu bakho ukuba libe yilifa labo.
28 Nxa kufika indlala loba isifo elizweni, loba ingumane loba isikhwekhwe, intethe loba isikhongwane, loba izitha zibavimbezela loba kukuyiphi imizi yabo, loba kufika incithakalo kumbe umkhuhlane bani, 29 kuthi lanxa umkhuleko kumbe isicelo sisenziwa ngomunye wabantu bakho bako-Israyeli, ngulowo lalowo ebona inhlupheko lezinsizi zakhe njalo ephakamisela izandla zakhe kulelithempeli, 30 lalela usezulwini, okuyindawo yakho yokuhlala. Thethelela, wenzele umuntu munye ngamunye lokho okuhambelana lezenzo zakhe, ngoba wena uyazazi inhliziyo zabo (futhi nguwe wedwa owazi inhliziyo zabantu), 31 ukuze bakwesabe bahambe ezindleleni zakho besaphila elizweni owalipha okhokho bethu.
32 Akuthi owezizweni ongasuye omunye wabantu bakho bako-Israyeli kodwa evela elizweni elikhatshana ngenxa yodumo lwebizo lakho lesandla sakho esilamandla lengalo yakho elulekileyo, nxa esiza ekhuleka ekhangele kulelithempeli, 33 umuzwe usezulwini, lona eliyindawo yakho yokuhlala, umenzele owezizweni loba kuyini akucela kuwe, ukuze kuthi abantu bonke emhlabeni balazi ibizo lakho bakwesabe, njengalokhu abantu bakho bako-Israyeli bekwenza, ukuze bazi ukuthi lindlu engiyakhileyo ngeyeBizo lakho.
34 Nxa abantu bakho bephuma besiya empini ukuyakulwa lezitha zabo, loba kungaphi lapho obathuma khona, njalo kuthi nxa bekhuleka kuwe bekhangele lelidolobho olikhethileyo kanye lalelithempeli engilakhele iBizo lakho, 35 uzwe usezulwini imikhuleko yabo lokuncenga kwabo, ubamele wena.
36 Nxa bonile phambi kwakho, ngoba kakho ongoniyo njalo uze ubathukuthelele ubanikele ezitheni zabo ezibathumba zibase elizweni elikhatshana loba eliseduzane, 37 kuthi nxa bengaguquka ezinhliziyweni zabo besemazweni abayabe bethunjelwe kuwo, baphenduke bakuncenge besemazweni abathunjelwa khona bathi, ‘Sonile, senza okungalunganga lokubi,’ 38 loba nxa bephendukela kuwe ngezinhliziyo zabo zonke langemiphefumulo yabo elizweni njalo bekhuleka bekhangele elizweni owalinika oyise, edolobheni owalikhethayo lasethempelini engilakhele iBizo lakho; 39 ngakho wena osezulwini, endaweni yakho yokuhlala, akuzwe imikhuleko yabo lokuncenga kwabo, ubamele. Njalo ubathethelele abantu bakho, bona abakoneleyo.
40 Ngakho-ke, Nkulunkulu wami sengathi amehlo akho angavuleka lezindlebe zakho zilalele imikhuleko eyenziwa kule indawo.
41 Ngakho phakama, Oh Thixo Nkulunkulu,
uze endaweni yakho yokuphumula,
wena lebhokisi lesivumelwano samandla akho.
Sengathi abaphristi bakho, Oh Thixo Nkulunkulu,
bangembathiswa ngensindiso,
sengathi labathembekileyo bakho bangathokoza ngokulunga kwakho.
42 Oh Thixo Nkulunkulu, ungafulatheli ogcotshiweyo wakho.
Khumbula uthando olukhulu olwathenjiswa uDavida inceku yakho.”