USolomon ucela ubulumko
1Ke kaloku uSolomon unyana kaDavide wazinza embusweni wakhe, kuba *uNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe wayengakuye, waza wamphakamisa kakhulu.
2Ke uSolomon wathetha noSirayeli ewonke, iingqwayi-ngqwayi zamabutho aliwaka nalikhulu, abagwebi, nawo onke amadoda aphambili kwaSirayeli kunye neenkulu zezindlu. 3Yena uSolomon nebandla lonke baya endaweni ephakamileyo yonqulo eGibheyon, kuba kaloku yayilapho intente *yesibingelelo yokuhlangana noThixo, leyo yayenziwe nguMosis isicaka sikaNdikhoyo entlango. 4Kaloku yena uDavide wayeyithathile ityesi kaThixo eKiriyati-yarim waya nayo kuloo ndawo wayeyilungiselele yona, njengoko wayeyimisele intente eJerusalem. 5Kodwa lona iqonga lamadini lobhedu elalenziwe nguBhezaleli unyana kaUri unyana kaYuri laliseseGibheyon phambi kwesibingelelo sikaNdikhoyo. Ngoko ke uSolomon nebandla elo babuzisa kuNdikhoyo khona apho. 6Ewe, uSolomon waya kuNdikhoyo kwelo qonga lobhedu apho esibingelelweni sokuhlangana noNdikhoyo, wanikela kuso apho amadini atshiswayo aba liwaka.
7Ngobo busuku uThixo wabonakala kuSolomon, wathetha naye wathi: “Cela nantoni na ofuna ndikuphe yona.”
8USolomon ke uphendule uThixo wathi: “Umenzele ububele obukhulu ubawo uDavide, waza nam lo wandenza ukumkani esikhundleni sakhe. 9Ngoku ke, Ndikhoyo Thixo wam, idinga owalimilisela ubawo uDavide khawuncede ulibethelele lifezeke, kuba kaloku undenze ukumkani wenyambalala engaka yabantu abaninzi njengothuli lomhlaba. 10Ke mna ndiphe ubulumko nokuqonda ukuze ndikwazi ukubakhokela aba bantu; kaloku akukho mntu unganako ngokwakhe ukuyilawula le nginginya yabantu bakho.”
11UThixo ke uthe kuSolomon: “Ngenxa yokuba lo ke ingumnqweno wentliziyo yakho, ungacelanga butyebi, nabunhanha, okanye ubuhandiba, ungatsho nokuba manditshabalalise iintshaba zakho, ewe, awucelanga nabomi bude, koko ucele ubulumko nokuqonda ukuze ube nako ukulawula abantu bam endikwenze ukumkani wabo, 12ngoko ke ndiza kukunika ubulumko nokuqonda, kananjalo ndikuthi jize ngobutyebi nobunhanha, ube sisihandiba sokumkani ekungekho wumbi wakha wanjengawe ngaphambili, engayi kubakho nasemva kwakho.”
Iinqwelo zokulwa zikaSolomon
13Ke uSolomon waya eJerusalem ukusuka kwakhe apho kwindawo ephakamileyo yonqulo eGibheyon, apho phambi kwaloo ntente yesibingelelo. Waza ke wamlawula uSirayeli.
14USolomon waqokelela iinqwelo namahashe; ishumi elinesine lamakhulu eenqwelo, neshumi elinesibini lamawaka amahashe; zinto ezo wazigcina kwizixeko zeenqwelo, ezinye ke wazigcina kwakumkani eJerusalem. 15Ukumkani lo ke isiliva negolide wayiqokelela eJerusalem yaninzi njengamatye, umthi womsedare wamninzi njengomthombe esihlanjeni. 16USolomon amahashe wayewathenga eJiputa naseKewe. Abarhwebi bakomkhulu babewathenga eKewe ngexabiso ekuvunyelwene ngalo. 17Babethenga iinqwelo eJiputa, ixabiso layo nganye liziisiliva ezimakhulu mathandathu, nehashe ngeesiliva ezilikhulu elinamashumi amahlanu. Kananjalo babewathengisa kookumkani bamaHiti nabama-Aram.
