1 AMakhosi 7

7 ¹Kodwa uSolomoni wachitha iminyaka eyishumi nantathu ekha isigodlo sakhe, waze wasiqeda sonke. ²Wakha iNdlu yeHlathi laseLebanoni: ubude bungaba amafidi ayikhulu namashumi amahlanu, ububanzi amafidi angamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu, ukuphakama amafidi angamashumi amane nanhlanu, yakhiwa phezu kwemizila emine yezinsika zomsedari, kunemishayo yomsedari phezu kwazo. ³Ngaphezulu yembeswa ngomsedari phezu kwamakamelo ayephezu kwezinsika, engamashumi amane nanhlanu ewonke, eyishumi nanhlanu emzileni ngamunye. ⁴Kwakukhona izikhala zamafasitela emizileni emithathu, ifasitela libhekene nefasitela ngezigaba ezintathu. ⁵Yonke iminyango nezinsika zeminyango yayinezikhala ezinamagumbi amane, ifasitela libhekene nefasitela ngezigaba ezintathu. ⁶Wenza iHholo leziNsika, ubude bungaba amafidi angamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu, ububanzi amashumi amane nanhlanu, kunevulandi ngaphambili, izinsika, nophahla ngaphambi kwazo. ⁷Wenza iHholo lesiHlalo sobuKhosi, lapho ayeyahlulela khona—iHholo lokwaHlulela—elinanyekwe ngomsedari kusukela phansi kuze kufike ophahleni. ⁸Indlu yakhe yokuhlala, eyayisegcekeni elinye ngemuva kwehholo, yayifana nalowo msebenzi. USolomoni waphinde wakhela indodakazi kaFaro ayeyithethe indlu efana nayo. ⁹Konke lokhu kwakungamatshe anenani eliphezulu, abazwe ngesilinganiso futhi asahwe ngaphakathi nangaphandle, kusukela esisekelweni kuze kufike phezulu, kuqhubekele ngaphandle egcekeni elikhulu. ¹⁰Isisekelo sasingamatshe anenani eliphezulu, amatshe amakhulu, amanye ubude bawo bungaba amafidi ayishumi nanhlanu, amanye amafidi ayishumi nambili. ¹¹Ngaphezulu kwakunamatshe anenani eliphezulu, abazwe ngesilinganiso, nemithi yomsedari. ¹²Igceke elikhulu, nxazonke, lalinemizila emithathu yamatshe abaziwe nomzila wemishayo yomsedari ebaziwe, njengegceke elingaphakathi lendlu kaBaba wethu nevulandi layo.

Ithusi lendlu kaBaba

¹³INkosi uSolomoni yathumela eThire yabuya noHiramu. ¹⁴Unina wayengumfelokazi wesizwe sakwaNafetali; uyise wayengumkhandi wethusi waseThire. UHiramu wayegcwele ukuhlakanipha, ukuqonda, nolwazi lokwenza yonke imisebenzi yethusi. Weza eNkosini uSolomoni, wenza yonke imisebenzi yenkosi. ¹⁵Wabumba izinsika ezimbili zethusi, nganye ukuphakama kwayo kungaba amafidi angamashumi amabili nesikhombisa, kunentambo engaba amafidi ayishumi nesishiyagalombili ezungeza nganye. ¹⁶Wenza iziqongo ezimbili zethusi elibunjiwe ukuba zibe sezicongweni zezinsika, nganye ukuphakama kwayo kungaba amafidi ayisikhombisa nengxenye. ¹⁷Amanetha okweluka nemiqhele yamaketanga kwakuhlobisa isiqongo sensika ngayinye—eziyisikhombisa kwesinye, eziyisikhombisa kwesinye. ¹⁸Wenza izinsika, imizila emibili yamahalananda izungeze inetha ngalinye, imbozile iziqongo ngaphezulu—kwaba njalo nakuzo zombili iziqongo. ¹⁹Iziqongo eziphezu kwezinsika evulandini zazibunjwe zafana nemiduze, ukuphakama kwazo kungaba amafidi ayisithupha. ²⁰Eziqongweni zazo zombili izinsika, ngaphezu kwendawo egobile eceleni kwenetha, kwakunamahalananda angamakhulu amabili emizileni ezungeze isiqongo ngasinye. ²¹Wamisa izinsika evulandini lethempeli, wayiqamba eyaseningizimu ngokuthi uJakini, eyasenyakatho ngokuthi uBhowazi. ^a a v21 Igama elithi uJakini lisho ukuthi “uyamisa,” kanti uBhowazi usho ukuthi “kuye kukhona amandla” — izinsika ezimbili zazimi emnyango njengobufakazi bokuthi uBaba wethu uyayivikela ayisekele indawo yakhe yokuhlala. ²²Phezu kwezinsika kwakunomfanekiso womduze. Ngakho umsebenzi wezinsika waphela.

²³Wenza uLwandle lwensimbi ebunjiwe, oluyindilinga, ububanzi bungaba amafidi ayishumi nanhlanu kusukela onqenqemeni kuya onqenqemeni, ukuphakama kungaba amafidi ayisikhombisa nengxenye; umucu ongamafidi angamashumi amane nanhlanu wawuluzungeza. ²⁴Ngaphansi konqenqema, amaselwa ayeluzungeza, alishumi efidini nengxenye, nxazonke zoLwandle; abunjwa ngemizila emibili, eyingxenye eyodwa nalo. ²⁵ULwandle lwalumi phezu kwezinkabi eziyishumi nambili: ezintathu zibheke enyakatho, ezintathu zibheke entshonalanga, ezintathu zibheke eningizimu, ezintathu zibheke empumalanga, izinqe zazo zibheke ngaphakathi. ²⁶Ubukhulu balo babungaba amayintshi amathathu; unqenqema lwalo, njengolwenkomishi, lwaluvuleke njengembali yomduze. Lwalungenisa cishe amagaloni ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili.

²⁷Wenza izisekelo eziyishumi zethusi, nganye ubude bungaba amafidi ayisithupha, ububanzi amafidi ayisithupha, ukuphakama amafidi amane nengxenye. ²⁸Izisekelo zazenziwe kanje: zazinamapulangwe afakwe phakathi kwezinti ezimileyo. ²⁹Emapulangweni aphakathi kwezinti kwakunezingonyama, izinkabi, namakherubi, kunemiqhele ekhandiweyo ngaphezulu nangaphansi kwezingonyama nezinkabi. ³⁰Isisekelo ngasinye sasinamasondo amane ethusi neziqu zamasondo zethusi; imilenze yaso emine yayinezinsika zokweseka ezabunjwa ngaphansi komgqomo, kunemiqhele eceleni kwaso nganye. ³¹Umlomo waso wawungaphakathi komqhele, uphakama cishe ifidi nengxenye ngaphezu kwawo, uyindilinga, ubunjwe njengesisekelo, ububanzi bungaba amafidi amabili, ubaziwe nxazonke; amapulangwe awo ayenamagumbi amane, engeyona indilinga. ³²Amasondo amane ayengaphansi kwamapulangwe; iziqu zawo zazixhunywe esisekelweni—isondo ngasinye ukuphakama kwaso kungaba amayintshi angamashumi amabili nesikhombisa. ³³Amasondo ayenziwe njengamasondo ezinqola: iziqu zawo, imiphetho yawo, imisebe yawo, neziko lawo—konke kwakuyinsimbi ebunjiwe. ³⁴Isisekelo ngasinye sasinezibambo ezine, esisodwa ekhoneni ngalinye, ziphuma esisekelweni uqobo. ³⁵Esicongweni sesisekelo ngasinye kwakunonqenqema oluyindilinga olujule cishe amayintshi ayisishiyagalolunye; phezu kwaso, izinsika zokweseka namapulangwe kwakuyingxenye eyodwa naso. ³⁶Ebusweni bezinsika zokweseka nasemapulangweni waqopha amakherubi, izingonyama, nezihlahla zesundu, kuzo zonke izindawo ezinethuba, kunemiqhele nxazonke. ³⁷Wazenza kanjalo izisekelo eziyishumi: ukubunjwa kunye, usayizi munye, isimo sinye kuzo zonke.

³⁸Wenza imigqomo eyishumi yethusi, ngamunye ungenisa cishe amagaloni angamakhulu amabili namashumi amane, ububanzi bungaba amafidi ayisithupha—owodwa wesisekelo ngasinye kwaleziyishumi. ³⁹Wabeka izisekelo ezinhlanu ohlangothini lwaseningizimu lwethempeli, ezinhlanu enyakatho, uLwandle walubeka ekhoneni laseningizimu-mpumalanga.

⁴⁰UHiramu wenza amabhodwe, amafosholo, nemicengezi. Waqeda wonke umsebenzi awenzela iNkosi uSolomoni endlini kaBaba wethu: ⁴¹izinsika ezimbili; iziqongo ezimbili ezimise okwemicengezi eziphezu kwezinsika; amanetha amabili ayemboza iziqongo ezimbili ezimise okwemicengezi eziphezu kwezinsika; ⁴²amahalananda angamakhulu amane awamanetha amabili, imizila emibili kulinye ngalinye, embozile iziqongo ezimbili ezimise okwemicengezi eziphezu kwezinsika. ⁴³izisekelo eziyishumi nemigqomo yazo eyishumi; ⁴⁴uLwandle olulodwa nezinkabi eziyishumi nambili ngaphansi kwalo. ⁴⁵Amabhodwe, amafosholo, nemicengezi—zonke lezi zinto uHiramu azenzela iNkosi uSolomoni, zendlu kaBaba wethu—kwakuyithusi elilolongiwe. ⁴⁶Inkosi yazibumbisa ezibunjelweni zobumba ethafeni laseJordani, phakathi kweSukhoti neZarethani. ⁴⁷USolomoni wazishiya zonke izinto zingakalinganiswa—zaziziningi kakhulu—isisindo sethusi asizange sitholakale.

⁴⁸USolomoni wenza zonke izimpahla zendlu kaBaba wethu: i-altare legolide netafula legolide elaliphethe isinkwa sokubukwa. ⁴⁹izinti zezibani—ezinhlanu ngaseningizimu, ezinhlanu ngasenyakatho, phambi kwendawo engcwele engaphakathi—zegolide elicwengekileyo; izimbali, izibani, nezindlawu, kwakungokwegolide. ⁵⁰imicengezi, izinqamulelo zezintambo, imicengezi yokufafaza, izitsha, nezitsha zomlilo kwakungokwegolide elicwengekileyo; izikhonkwane zegolide zeminyango yekamelo elingaphakathi kakhulu, iNdawo eNgcwelengcwele, nezeminyango yehholo elikhulu lethempeli.

⁵¹Lapho iNkosi uSolomoni iqeda wonke umsebenzi wendlu kaBaba wethu, yangenisa lokho uyise uDavide ayekungcwelisile—isiliva, igolide, nezimpahla—yakubeka ezindlini zokugcina zendlu kaBaba wethu.