Intetho kaSolomon
1Ke kaloku uSolomon wathi: “*UNdikhoyo wayethe uza kuhlala kwilifu elimnyama; 2ke mna ndikwakhele ipomakazi lendlu, indawo oya kuhlala kuyo kude kube ngonaphakade.”
3Lithe lisemi apho lonke elo bandla likaSirayeli, ukumkani wee guququ walithamsanqela, 4wathi:
“Makabongwe uNdikhoyo, uThixo kaSirayeli, yena othe ngesandla sakhe wasifezekisa isithembiso awasenza ngomlomo wakhe kubawo uDavide. Kaloku yena wathi: 5‘Ukusukela kwimini endabakhupha ngayo abantu bam eJiputa, andizange ndizikhethele sixeko nakwesiphi na isizwe sakwaSirayeli apho lalinokwakhelwa khona indlu igama lam, kananjalo andizange ndinyule mntu ukuze akhokele abantu bam amaSirayeli. 6Kambe ke ngoku ndinyule iJerusalem ukuze libe kuyo igama lam, ndaza ndanyula uDavide ukuze abalawule abantu bam amaSirayeli.’
7“Ubawo uDavide wayezimisele ngomxhelo wakhe ukuba igama likaNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli alakhele indlu. 8Kambe ke uNdikhoyo wathi kubawo uDavide: ‘Ibe yinto entle ukuba uzimisele ukulakhela indlu igama lam. 9Noko ke kambe asinguwe oza kulakhela indlu igama lam, koko yoba ngunyana wakho; nditsho kanye owesinqe sakho – nguye oya kulakhela indlu igama lam.’
10“UNdikhoyo ke usigcinile eso sithembiso wasenzayo. Naku ngoku ndingene esikhundleni sikabawo uDavide. Ewe, ndichophe kwisihlalo sokulawula sakwaSirayeli ngokwesithembiso sikaNdikhoyo, ndaza ndalakhela indlu igama likaNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli. 11Kuyo ndayibeka ityesi equlethe umnqophiso kaNdikhoyo awayewenze namaSirayeli.”
Umthandazo wokunikezela indlu kuThixo
12Ke kaloku uSolomon wema phambi kweqonga *likaNdikhoyo, apho phambi kwaloo nginginya yebandla likaSirayeli, waza ke waziphakamisa izandla zakhe. 13Ke kaloku wayenze iqonga lokuma lobhedu, laba ziimitha ezimbini ezinekota ubude nobubanzi, liyimitha enye enekota ukuphakama; walithatha ke walibeka embindini wenkundla engaphandle. Waqabela apho kulo, waza waguqa apho phambi kwaloo nginginya yebandla likaSirayeli, waza izandla zakhe waziphakamisela ezulwini, 14wathi:
“Ewe, Ndikhoyo, Thixo kaSirayeli, akakho uThixo onjengawe ezulwini nasemhlabeni. Kaloku ungulowo uwugcinayo umnqophiso wakhe wokuzithanda izicaka zakhe ezithe rhoqo ngomxhelo wazo wonke ukuhamba ezindleleni zakhe. 15Ngoku ke usigcinile isithembiso sakho kwisicaka sakho uDavide ubawo. Wathembisa ngomlomo wakho; kunamhlanje-nje ke ufezekisile ngesandla sakho.
16“Nangoku ke, Ndikhoyo, Thixo kaSirayeli, isicaka sakho uDavide ubawo khawumgcinele ezo zithembiso wamenzela zona usithi: ‘Akusoze ungabi nayo indoda yokuchopha phambi kwam kwisihlalo sokulawula sakwaSirayeli, ukuba kodwa oonyana bakho bathe bakunyamekela ngandlela zonke ukuhamba phambi kwam ngokomthetho wam njengawe lo.’ 17Ewe, nangoku, Ndikhoyo, Thixo kaSirayeli, ilizwi owalithethayo uthembisa isicaka sakho uDavide malifezeke.
18“Kambe ke, ngaba uThixo angade ahlale emhlabeni phakathi koluntu na? Hayi bo; kaloku namazulu, nditsho namazulu asemajuku-jukwini ngokwawo, akanako ukukuqulatha! Ibeke phi ke yona le ndlu ndiyakhileyo? 19Nakuba kunjalo, Ndikhoyo, Thixo wam, wubekele iindlebe umthandazo wesicaka sakho esizibikayo kuwe. Kuve ukulila nokukhunga kwesicaka sakho esikubongozayo! 20Imini nobusuku ngamana amehlo akho athi ntsho kuyo le ndlu. Kaloku yile wathetha ngayo usithi igama lakho liya kuba kuyo. Ke ngoko wuphulaphule lo mthandazo esiya kuthi isicaka sakho siwubhekise kule ndawo. 21Zibazele iindlebe izikhungo zesicaka sakho ndawonye nabantu bakho xa umthandazo wabo bewubhekisa kule ndawo. Yiva wena usekhayeni lakho ezulwini; ewe, yiva, uvile uxolele.
22“Xa umntu ethe wona ummelwane wakhe kwaza ke kwafuneka enze isifungo, waza ke yena weza kufunga kule ndlu phambi kweqonga lakho, 23wena ke yiva usezulwini, usebenze ngaloo nto. Uze ugwebe phakathi kwezicaka zakho, onetyala umbuyekeze ngesohlwayo esifanele isenzo sakhe. Uze umgwebele umntu omsulwa, khon' ukuze aphuhle ukuba umsulwa.
24“Xa abantu bakho amaSirayeli ethe oyiswa lutshaba ngenxa yokuba ekonile wena, makathi akubuya ebula, evuma igama lakho, ethandaza, esenza isikhungo kuwe kuyo le ndlu, 25wena ke yiva usezulwini, usixolele isono sabantu bakho amaSirayeli, uwabuyisele kulo mhlaba wawunika ooyise.
26“Xa amazulu athe avaleka ayabikho imvula, kuba abantu bakho bekonile, mabathi xa bathe babhekisa kule ndawo ngomthandazo bevuma igama lakho, bezishiya nezono zabo kuba wena ubabandezele, 27wena ke yiva usezulwini, usixolele isono sezicaka zakho, abantu bakho amaSirayeli. Uze ubafundise indlela efanelekileyo yokuziphatha, ulithi jize ngemvula ilizwe elililifa owalinika abantu bakho.
28“Xa kuthe kwakho indlala nokuba ngubhubhani kweli lizwe, okanye kubekho isihlava, isihumba, iinkumbi, iintothoviyane, okanye xa abantu bakho bethe bangqingwa ziintshaba ezixekweni zabo, ukanti nokuba sisiphi na isithwakumbe okanye isifo esibafikeleyo, 29makuthi xa kukho nawuphi na kubantu bakho othandazayo ekhunga ngokuva iimbandezelo neentlungu, izandla zakhe eziphakamisela kule ndlu, 30wena ke yiva usekhayeni lakho ezulwini. Ewe, xolela, ulowo nalowo umphathe ngokwezenzo zakhe, kuba wena uyayazi intliziyo yakhe. Kaloku nguwe wedwa ozaziyo iintliziyo zabantu. 31Ngaloo ndlela ke baya kukuhlonela, bahambe ezindleleni zakho ngalo lonke ixesha lokudla kwabo ubomi kulo mhlaba wawunika oobawo.
32“Kanti ke nowasemzini ongenguye owabantu bakho amaSirayeli, kodwa ofike evela kwelikude ilizwe ngenxa yodumo lwegama lakho, namandla esandla sakho, kunye nobungangamsha bengalo yakho, makathi akuza kuthandaza apha kule ndlu, 33wena ke uve usekhayeni lakho ezulwini, owasemzini lo umenzele konke oko akucelayo kuwe, khon' ukuze zonke izizwe zehlabathi zilazi igama lakho, zikuhlonele kwanjengokuba bekuhlonela abantu bakho amaSirayeli. Ewe, ukuze ziqonde ukuba le ndlu ndiyakhileyo ibizwa ngegama lakho.
34“Nabantu bakho xa bathe baya emfazweni besilwa neentshaba zabo, nokuba ubathumela phi na, mabathi bakuthandaza kuwe, bebhekisa kule ndlu ndiyakhele igama lakho, kwesi sixeko usinyulileyo, 35yithi wena usezulwini uwuve umthandazo nesikhungo sabo, ubagwebele.
36“Xa bathe bakona – kaloku akukho mntu ongoniyo – waza ke wena wakhathazeka wabanikela elutshabeni, luze ke lona lubathimbe lubafuduse, nokuba lubase kwilizwe elikude okanye elikufuphi, 37xa bathe baguquka bazisola kwelo lizwe bathinjelwe kulo, ewe, xa beguquka bezibika kuwe, belapho kwelo lizwe lokuthinjwa, besithi: ‘Ewe, sonile, senze ububi nenkohlakalo,’ 38xa bebuyela kuwe ngomxhelo wabo wonke nentliziyo yabo iphela bekwelo lizwe lokuthinjwa, bethandaza bebhekisa kweli lizwe walinika ooyise, kwesi sixeko wasinyulayo, nakule ndlu ndiyakhele igama lakho, 39yithi ke wena usekhayeni lakho ezulwini, uwuve umthandazo wabo, nezikhungo zabo, ubagwebele. Ewe kaloku, uze ubaxolele abantu bakho abakonileyo.
40“Nakalokunje, Thixo wam, ngamana wena ungawavula amehlo akho, uyibazele iindlebe imithandazo eyenziwa kule ndawo.
41“Ndikhoyo, Thixo wam, phakama,
uze endaweni yakho yokuphumla,
wena netyesi yobungangamsha bakho.
Ewe, Ndikhoyo, Thixo wam,
ababingeleli bakho ngamana bangavatha ezosindiso,
ithi nemilowo yakwakho yonwatyiswe kukulunga kwakho!
42Ewe, Ndikhoyo, Thixo wam,
uze ungambukuli umthanjiswa wakho;
uze ukhumbule ezo zibele wazithembisa uDavide isicaka sakho.”