2 IZikhronike 7

7 ¹Kwathi uSolomoni eseqedile ukukhuleka, kwehla umlilo uvela ezulwini washwabadela umnikelo wokushiswa nemihlatshelo, inkazimulo kaBaba wethu yagcwalisa indlu. ²Abapristi babengakwazi ukungena endlini kaBaba wethu, ngokuba inkazimulo kaBaba wethu yayiyigcwalisile. ³Kwathi bonke abakwa-Israyeli bebona umlilo wehla nenkazimulo kaBaba wethu phezu kwendlu, baguqa ngamadolo, ubuso babo bubheke phansi phezu kwendawo egandayiwe, bakhuleka bebonga uBaba wethu, bethi: “Ulungile; uthando lwakhe oluthembekileyo lumi kuze kube phakade.”

⁴Inkosi nabantu bonke basebenikela imihlatshelo phambi kukaBaba wethu. ⁵INkosi uSolomoni yahlaba izinkabi ezingama-22 000 nezimvu ezingama-120 000; inkosi nabantu bonke bayingcwelisa indlu kaBaba wethu. ⁶Abapristi bema ezindaweni zabo; amaLevi ema ephethe izinsimbi zomculo zikaBaba wethu, iNkosi uDavida eyazenzela ukubonga uBaba wethu—“ngokuba uthando lwakhe oluthembekileyo lumi kuze kube phakade”—lapho uDavida edumisa ngalezo zinsimbi. Maqondana nabo abapristi babetha amacilongo, bonke abakwa-Israyeli bema.

⁷USolomoni wangcwelisa phakathi kwegceke, phambi kwendlu kaBaba wethu, ngokuba walapho enikela khona iminikelo yokushiswa namanoni eminikelo yokuthula, lokhu i-altare lethusi ayelenzile lalingenakho ukwamukela umnikelo wokushiswa, umnikelo wempuphu, namanoni.

⁸Ngaleso sikhathi uSolomoni wagcina umkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, bonke abakwa-Israyeli benaye—ibandla elikhulu kakhulu—kusukela eLebo-hamati kuze kufike eMfuleni waseGibhithe. ⁹Ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili benza umhlangano wokuphetha, ngokuba babegcine ukungcweliswa kwe-altare izinsuku eziyisikhombisa nomkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. ¹⁰Ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nantathu lwenyanga yesikhombisa, wabamukisa abantu baya emizini yabo, bethokoza begcwele injabulo enhliziyweni ngenxa yobuhle uBaba wethu abenzela uDavida, noSolomoni, no-Israyeli isizwe sakhe.

UBaba wethu ukhuluma noSolomoni

¹¹USolomoni waqeda indlu kaBaba wethu nendlu yobukhosi. Konke uSolomoni abehlose ukukwenza endlini kaBaba wethu nasendlini yakhe, wakwenza ngempumelelo.

¹²UBaba wethu wabonakala kuSolomoni ebusuku, wathi kuye: “Ngiwuzwile umthandazo wakho, ngizikhethele le ndawo ukuba ibe yindlu yomhlatshelo.

¹³“Uma ngivala amazulu kungabi nemvula ewayo, noma ngiyala isikhonyane ukuba sidle izwe, noma ngithumela isifo phakathi kwabantwana bami, ¹⁴uma abantwana bami—ababizwa ngegama lami—bezithoba, bathandaze, bafune ubuso bami, baphenduke ezindleleni zabo ezimbi, ngiyakuzwa ngisezulwini, ngithethelele isono sabo, ngelaphe izwe labo. ¹⁵Manje amehlo ami ayakuvuleka nezindlebe zami zilalele umthandazo owenziwa kule ndawo. ¹⁶Manje ngiyikhethile ngayingcwelisa le ndlu, ukuze igama lami lihlale khona kuze kube phakade; amehlo ami nenhliziyo yami kuyakuba khona njalonjalo.

¹⁷Wena-ke—uma uhamba phambi kwami njengoba uDavida uyihlo ahamba, wenze konke engakuyala khona, ugcine izimiso zami nezahlulelo zami, ¹⁸khona-ke ngiyakusiqinisa isihlalo sobukhosi bakho, njengoba ngenza isivumelwano noDavida uyihlo, ngithi: ‘Akusoze kwaswela kuwe umuntu obusa phezu kuka-Israyeli.’

¹⁹Kodwa uma niphambuka, nilahle izimiso zami nemiyalo yami engiyibeke phambi kwenu, niyokhonza abanye onkulunkulu nibakhulekele, ²⁰khona-ke ngiyakumsiphula u-Israyeli ezweni lami engabanika lona, ngiyisuse phambi kwami le thempeli engiyingcwelisele igama lami, ngiyenze isaga nenhlekisa phakathi kwabantu bonke. ²¹Le ndlu, eyake yaphakama kangaka, iyokwenza wonke owedlulayo amangale, athi: ‘Kungani uSimakade enze kanje kuleli zwe nakule ndlu?’

²²Bayakuphendula bathi: ‘Ngokuba bamshiya uSimakade, uNkulunkulu wawoyise, owabakhipha ezweni laseGibhithe, banamathela kwabanye onkulunkulu, babakhothamela babakhonza—yikho enzele bona yonke le nhlekelele.’”