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Ukunikelwa KweThempeli
1 Kwathi uSolomoni eseqedile ukukhuleka, kwehla umlilo uvela ezulwini, waqhunqisa umnikelo wokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, inkazimulo kaThixo yagcwalisa ithempeli. 2 Abaphristi behluleka ukungena ethempelini likaThixo ngoba laligcwele inkazimulo kaThixo. 3 Kwathi lapho bonke abako-Israyeli bebona umlilo usehla lenkazimulo kaThixo ethempelini, bathi mbo ngobuso phansi embundwini weguma, badumisa bebonga uThixo besithi:
“Yena ulungile;
uthando lwakhe lumi kuze kube nininini.”
4 Inkosi labantu bonke banikela imihlatshelo kuThixo. 5 Ngalokho inkosi uSolomoni yanikela umhlatshelo wenkomo ezizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lambili kanye lezimvu lembuzi ezizinkulungwane ezilikhulu elilamatshumi amabili. Ngakho inkosi labantu bonke banikela ithempeli likaNkulunkulu. 6 Abaphristi bema ngezindawo zabo, njengoba labaLevi labo bema ngamachacho lawo inkosi uDavida eyayivele iwenzele ukudumisa uThixo njalo ayevele esetshenziswa nxa ebonga, esithi, “Uthando lwakhe lumi kuze kube nininini.” Maqondana labaLevi, abaphristi babevuthela amacilongo abo, njalo bonke abako-Israyeli babemi.
7 USolomoni wahlukanisela uThixo indawo yaphakathi laphakathi kweguma phambi kwethempeli likaThixo, njalo kulapho anikelela khona iminikelo yokutshiswa lamafutha eminikelo yobudlelwano, ngoba i-alithari lethusi ayelenzile lalingeke lenele iminikelo yokutshiswa, iminikelo yamabele kanye lamafutha.
8 Ngakho ngalesosikhathi uSolomoni wathakazelela umkhosi okwensuku eziyisikhombisa, labo bonke abako-Israyeli ababelaye, ababelibandla elikhulu, abanye bevela eLebho Hamathi kusiya eSihotsheni saseGibhithe. 9 Ngosuku lwesificaminwembili benza umhlangano, ngoba babekhonze ngokunikela i-alithari okwensuku eziyisikhombisa lomkhosi wezinye insuku eziyisikhombisa phezulu. 10 Ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lantathu lwenyanga yesikhombisa wakhulula abantu ukuthi babuyele emakhaya abo bethokoza njalo bejabula ngenhliziyo ngenxa yezinto ezinhle uThixo ayezenzele uDavida loSolomoni kanye labantu bakhe bako-Israyeli.
UThixo Uzibonakalisa KuSolomoni
11 Kwathi uSolomoni eseqedile ithempeli likaThixo lesigodlo, esenelisile lokwenza konke ayekunakana ngethempeli likaThixo kanye lesigodlo sakhe, 12 UThixo wabonakala kuye ebusuku wathi:
“Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho njalo sengizikhethele indawo le ukuba ibe lithempeli lemihlatshelo.
13 Nxa ngivala iphezulu ukuze kungabi lezulu, loba ngithumela intethe ukuchitha ilizwe, ingabe ngithumela isifo phakathi kwabantu bami, 14 nxa abantu bami, ababizwa ngebizo lami, bezazithoba bakhuleke badinge ubuso bami njalo batshiye izindlela zabo ezimbi, kulapho ngizakuzwa khona ngisezulwini ngithethelele izono zabo njalo ngiphephise ilizwe labo. 15 Ngalokho amehlo ami azavuleka, lezindlebe zami zizalalela imikhuleko eyenziwa kulindawo. 16 Ngilikhethile ngizahlukanisela lelithempeli ukuze iBizo lami libe kulo kuze kube nininini. Amehlo ami lenhliziyo yami kuzakuba kulo ngazozonke izikhathi.
17 Wena, nxa ungahamba phambi kwami njengalokhu okwenziwa nguyihlo uDavida, wenze konke engikulaya ngakho, ulandele izimiso lemithetho yami, 18 ngizaqinisa isihlalo sakho sobukhosi, njengesivumelwano engasenza loyihlo uDavida ngisithi: ‘Kawuyikuswela umuntu ozabusa u-Israyeli.’
19 Kodwa ungafulathela utshiye izimiso lemilayo engikunika yona usuke uyekhothamela abanye onkulunkulu ubakhonze, 20 kulapho ngizakhucula abako-Israyeli elizweni lami, engabanika lona, kuthi lelithempeli engilahlukanisele iBizo lami ngilichithe, ngilenze libe yinto ekhohlakeleyo into eyinhlekisa kubo bonke abantu. 21 Loba lelithempeli likhanga amehlo, bonke abedlula lapha bazamangala bathi, ‘Kanti kungani uThixo ekwenzile lokhu okunje kulelilizwe kanye lakulelithempeli?’ 22 Abantu bazaphendula bathi, ‘Ngoba bamfulathele uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo, owabakhupha eGibhithe, basuka bayabambelela kwabanye onkulunkulu, bebakhonza njalo bebakhothamela, yikho ebehlisele incithakalo yonke le.’ ”