Ubuqaqawuli bukaBawo wethu buzalisa indlu

Umlilo uyehla, nobuqaqawuli buzalisa indlu, baze abantu baqubude bebhekise ubuso phantsi evethweni. Emva koko uBawo wethu uphendula ebusuku ngemiqathango: ukuba abantwana bam bayazithoba, bathandaze, bafune ubuso bam, baphenduke ebubini, ndiya kuva, ndixolele, ndiphilise ilizwe labo.

Isahluko 7.

Wathi uSolomon akugqiba ukuthandaza, kwehla umlilo uvela ezulwini, wadla idini elinyukayo nemibingelelo; buza ubuqaqawuli bukaBawo wethu bazalisa indlu. Ababingeleli ababa nako ukungena endlwini kaBawo wethu, ngokuba ubuqaqawuli bukaBawo wethu babuyizalisile. Bakubona bonke oonyana bakaSirayeli umlilo usihla nobuqaqawuli bukaBawo wethu buphezu kwendlu, baguqa ngobuso emhlabeni phezu kwevetho, baqubuda, bebulela kuBawo wethu, besithi: “Ulungile; inceba yakhe ingunaphakade.”

Waza ukumkani nabantu bonke babingelela imibingelelo phambi koBawo wethu. Ukumkani uSolomon wabingelela iinkomo ezingamashumi amabini anamabini amawaka, nezimvu ezilikhulu elinamashumi amabini amawaka; wayingcwalisa ke indlu kaBawo wethu ukumkani nabantu bonke. Ababingeleli bema ezikhundleni zabo; abaLevi bema neempahla zengoma zikaBawo wethu azenzayo ukumkani uDavide, zokubulela kuBawo wethu — “ngokuba inceba yakhe ingunaphakade” — xa uDavide wayedumisa ngazo. Malungana nabo ababingeleli bavuthela amaxilongo, aza ema onke amaSirayeli.

USolomon wayingcwalisa isazulu sentendelezo, phambi kwendlu kaBawo wethu, kuba wasondeza khona amadini anyukayo namanqatha eminikelo yoxolo, ngokuba isibingelelo sobhedu awasenzayo sasingenakuba nako ukuthwala idini elinyukayo, nomnikelo wengqolowa, namanqatha.

Ngelo xesha uSolomon wenza umthendeleko iintsuku ezisixhenxe, namaSirayeli onke kunye naye — ibandla elikhulu kakhulu — lithabathela ekuyeni eHamati, lise emlanjaneni waseYiputa. Ngosuku lwesibhozo benza ingqungquthela yokuvala, bakuba benze umthendeleko wokungcwaliswa kwesibingelelo iintsuku ezisixhenxe, nomsitho iintsuku ezisixhenxe. Ngosuku lwamashumi amabini anesithathu enyangeni yesixhenxe, wabandulula abantu baya emakhaya, bevuya, bechwayithile ngentliziyo ngenxa yokulunga awakwenzayo uBawo wethu kuDavide, nakuSolomon, nakumaSirayeli abantu bakhe.

UBawo wethu uthetha noSolomon

USolomon wayigqiba indlu kaBawo wethu nendlu yokumkani. Konke uSolomon awakubeka entliziyweni yakhe ukuba akwenze endlwini kaBawo wethu nasendlwini yakhe, wakwenza waba nempumelelo.

Waza uBawo wethu wabonakala kuSolomon ebusuku, wathi kuye: “Ndikuvile ukuthandaza kwakho, ndayinyula le ndawo ibe yindlu yombingelelo kum.

“Ukuba ndithe ndalivingca izulu ukuba kungabikho mvula ina, nokuba ndiwawisele umthetho amahlungulu ukuba adle ilizwe, nokuba ndithumele isibetho phakathi kwabantwana bam, ukuba abantwana bam — abathwele igama lam — bathe bazithoba, bathandaza, bafuna ubuso bam, baza babuya ezindleleni zabo ezimbi, ndoliva ezulwini, ndisixolele isono sabo, ndiliphilise ilizwe labo. Ngoku amehlo am aya kuvuleka neendlebe zam ziwuphaphele umthandazo owenziwa kule ndawo. Ngoku ndiyinyule le ndlu ndayingcwalisa, ukuze igama lam lihlale khona ngonaphakade; amehlo am nentliziyo yam zoba khona ngamaxesha onke.

Ke wena — ukuba uthe wahamba phambi kwam njengoko wahambayo uDavide uyihlo, usenza konke endakuwisela umthetho ngako, ugcine imimiselo yam namasiko am, ndoyiqinisa itrone yobukumkani bakho, njengoko ndenza umnqophiso noDavide uyihlo, ndisithi: ‘Akuyi kusweleka mntu wakho wokulawula amaSirayeli.’

Kodwa ukuba nithe nabheka ngasemva, nayishiya imimiselo yam nemithetho endiyibeke phambi kwenu, naya nakhonza thixo bambi, nabanqula, ndowanyothula amaSirayeli emhlabeni wam endibanike wona, ndiyilahle emehlweni am le ndlu endiyingcwalisele igama lam, ndiyenze umzekelo nondaba-mlonyeni phakathi kwezizwe zonke. Le ndlu, ebiphakanyiswe kangaka, iya kubamangalisa bonke abadlulayo, bathi: ‘Yini na ukuba uNdikhoyo enjenje kweli lizwe, nakule ndlu?’

Baya kuphendula, bathi: ‘Ngenxa yokuba bamshiya uNdikhoyo, uThixo wooyise, owabakhuphayo ezweni laseYiputa, banamathela kuthixo bambi, bebanqula bebakhonza — kungoko wabazisela bonke obu bubi.’”