UNdikhoyo ubonakala kuSolomon
1Ke kaloku uSolomon wathi akuba egqibile ukwakha indlu *kaNdikhoyo kunye nebhotwe lakhe nako konke oko wafikelela kuko ngokweenjongo zakhe, 2uNdikhoyo wabonakala kuye okwesibini, kanye kwangalaa ndlela wayebonakele ngayo kuye eGibheyon. 3UNdikhoyo wathetha naye wathi:
“Ndiwuvile umthandazo nezikhungo ozenzileyo kum. Le ndlu uyakhele ukuhlala igama lam ndiyingcwalisile. Amehlo am ohlala kuyo, intliziyo yam ingaze yahlukane nayo.
4“Ke wena ukuba uthe wahamba phambi kwam ngokunyaniseka konke nangentliziyo engagqwidiziyo njengoyihlo uDavide, xa uthe wakwenza konke endikuyalela kona, wayigqala imimiselo nemithetho yam, 5ndiya kubuzinzisa ubukhosi bakho phezu koSirayeli nanini-nanini njengoko ndathembisayo kuyihlo uDavide ngokuya ndandisithi: ‘Akusoze ungabi nayo indoda yokuhlala kwisihlalo sobukhosi kwaSirayeli.’
6“Kodwa ukuba nina nokuba ngoonyana benu nisuke nandilahla anayikhathalela imiyalelo nemimiselo endininike yona, naphamba naya kukhonza ninqula *thixo bambi, 7mna ndomnqamla uSirayeli kweli lizwe ndamnika lona, nale ndlu ndiyingcwalisele igama lam ndoyilahla. Ke yena uSirayeli uya kuba ngundaba-mlonyeni, abe sisigculelo kuzo zonke izizwe. 8Ewe, ingade ibe ngoku inomtsalane le ndlu, kodwa bonke abadlula kuyo baya kumangaliseka baphoxise bathi: ‘Ngani ukuba uNdikhoyo enze into enje kweli lizwe nakule ndlu?’ 9Bophendula ke abantu bathi: ‘Kungenxa yokuba aba bantu besuke bamfulathela uNdikhoyo uThixo wabo, lowo wakhupha ooyise eJiputa. Basuke baqhogana nathixo bambi, bababusa babanqula. Kungenxa yeso sizathu ke ebathobele esi sithwakumbe nje.’ ”
Eminye imisebenzi kaSolomon
10Ke kaloku ekupheleni kwamashumi amabini eminyaka, xesha elo walithathayo uSolomon ekwakheni ezi zakhiwo zibini ziyindlu kaNdikhoyo nebhotwe likakumkani, 11ukumkani uSolomon wanika ukumkani uHiram waseTire iidolophu ezimashumi mabini kweliya laseGalili. Kaloku uHiram lo nguye owamxhasa ngazo zonke izinto awayezifuna: imithi yomsedare, imipayini, kunye negolide. 12Kambe ke uthe uHiram akuba esukile eTire waya kubona ezo dolophu azinikwe nguSolomon, suka azamkholisa. 13Wabuza wathi: “Ezi dolophu undiphe zona yile mfeketho, mntakwethu?” Wazibiza ngokuba ngumhlaba waseKabhuli. Zisabizwa njalo ke unanamhla. 14Ke uHiram lo wathumela uSolomon igolide ebunzima bungaphezu kwamawaka amane eekhilogram.
15Ukumkani uSolomon wagaya abasebenzi bonyanzelo ukuze akhe indlu *kaNdikhoyo kunye nebhotwe lakhe nokulungiselelanisa umhlaba oxhase isixeko ngasempuma, ukwakha iindonga ezijikeleze iJerusalem, nokwakha iHazore, iMegido, neGezere. 16Kaloku ukumkani waseJiputa wayihlasela wayithatha iGezere. Wayitshisa ngomlilo, wababulala abemi bayo abangamaKanana, waza wembesa ngayo intombi yakhe eyayingumka-Solomon. 17Ke uSolomon wabuya wayivusa iGezere. Wayakha iBhete-horon engezantsi, 18iBhalati, neTademore entlango kwasemhlabeni wakhe, 19ndawonye nazo zonke izixeko ezazingoovimba bakhe, nezixeko zeenqwelo kunye nezamahashe akhe, nayo nantoni na awayakhayo eJerusalem naseLebhanon, ukanti nakuwo wonke ummandla awayewulawula.
20Bonke abantu ababesele kwiintlanga zama-Amori, amaHiti, amaPerezi, amaHivi, namaJebhusi – ezi ntlanga ke zazingengawo amaSirayeli, 21koko zazisisizukulwana sazo ezingazange zacinywa igama ngamaSirayeli – uSolomon wagaya bona baba libutho labasebenzi abanyanzelwayo, njengoko kusenjalo unanamhla. 22Kambe ke uSolomon lo amaSirayeli akawafakanga kwibutho labasebenza ngokunyanzelwa, koko wawagayela kumabutho omkhosi, aba zizinxiba-mxhaka kurhulumente wakhe, engamagosa, oomaqhuzu, nababhexeshi beenqwelo, nabakhweli-mahashe. 23Amanye ke ayengamaphakathi aphambili aphethe imisebenzi kaSolomon, engamagosa angamakhulu amahlanu anamashumi amahlanu awayongamele amadoda awayesenza umsebenzi.
24Intombi yokumkani waseJiputa eyayingumka-Solomon, ithe yakuphuma kwisixeko sikaDavide, isiza kwibhotwe awayakhela lona uSolomon, uSolomon wawulungelelanisa umhlaba owawuxhase isixeko ngasempuma.
25Kathathu ngonyaka uSolomon wayesenza amadini atshiswayo nawobudlelwane apho kwelo qonga wayelakhele uNdikhoyo, kananjalo amenzele isiqhumiso uNdikhoyo, efezekisa zonke iimfuneko zendlu kaThixo.
26Ukumkani uSolomon wakha neenqanawa e-Eziyon-gebhere engase-Elati kwaEdom kunxweme loLwandle oluBomvu. 27UHiram wamthumelela amadoda, izinto ezazilwazi ulwandle, ancedisa loo madoda kaSolomon ekuziqhubeni iinqanawa. 28Baya eOfire, baza babuya negolide ebunzima bungaphezu kweshumi elinesine lamawaka eekhilogram, bayisa kuSolomon.