USolomoni Ulungiselela Ukwakhiwa Kwendlu KaSimakade
1USolomoni wakhipha umyalo wokuba kwakhelwe igama likaSimakade indlu nesigodlo sombuso wakhe. 2USolomoni wabala izisebenzi eziyizi-70 000, ababazi bamatshe abayizi-80 000 kwelezintaba, nezinduna eziyizi-3 600 ukuba zibengamele.
3USolomoni wathumela kuHuramu, inkosi yaseThire, wathi: “Njengalokho wenza kuDavide, ubaba, wathumela kuye imisedari, ukuba akhe indlu, ahlale kuyo, yenza kanjalo-ke nakimi. 4Ngizokwakhela igama likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wami indlu, ukuba ngimngcwelisele yona, ngishise phambi kwakhe impepho enuka kahle, njalo kubekwe izinkwa zokubukwa, kunikelwe ngeminikelo yokushiswa ekuseni nakusihlwa ngamasabatha, ngokwethwasa kwenyanga, nangemikhosi emisiweyo kaSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu. Lokhu kungumthetho kwa-Israyeli kuze kube phakade.
5“Indlu engiyakuyakha iyakuba nkulu, ngokuba mkhulu uNkulunkulu wethu phezu kwabo bonke onkulunkulu. 6Kepha ngubani onamandla okumakhela indlu, lokhu izulu nezulu lamazulu lingemanele na? Pho ngingubani mina ukuba ngingamakhela indlu, ukuze kushiswe impepho phambi kwakhe na?
7“Ngakho-ke ake uthumele kimi umuntu oyingcweti, osebenza ngegolide, ngesiliva, ngethusi, ngensimbi, ngokubukhwebezane, ngokubomvu, nangokuluhlaza; oyingcweti yokuqopha yonke imiqopho, azosebenza nezingcweti ezinami kwaJuda naseJerusalema, ezabekwa nguDavide ubaba.
8“Ngithumelele futhi imisedari, imisayiphuresi, nemi-alimugi evela eLebhanoni, ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi izinceku zakho ziyakwazi ukugawula imithi eLebhanoni. Izinceku zami ziyosebenza nezinceku zakho, 9ukungilungisela imithi eminingi, ngoba indlu engiyakuyakha iyakuba nkulu ngokumangalisayo. 10Bheka, ngiyakunika izinceku zakho ezigawula imithi, amakhora kakolo ayizi-20 000, amakhora ebhali ayizi-20 000, amabhati ewayini ayizi-20 000, namabhati ayizi-20 000 amafutha.”
11UHuramu, inkosi yaseThire, waloba wayesethumela kuSolomoni, wathi: “USimakade uyabathanda abantu bakhe; ukubeke waba yinkosi phezu kwabo.”
12UHuramu wabuye wathi: “Makabongwe uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli owenza izulu nomhlaba, nowanika uDavide, inkosi, indodana ehlakaniphileyo, enolwazi nokuqonda, ezokwakhela uSimakade indlu nesigodlo sasebukhosini.
13“Manje ngikuthumelela umuntu ohlakaniphileyo nonolwazi, uHuramu Abhi, 14uyindodana yowesifazane wamadodakazi akwaDani; uyise wayengumuntu waseThire, owayekwazi ukusebenza ngegolide, ngesiliva, ngethusi, ngensimbi, ngamatshe, ngemithi, ngokubukhwebezane, ngokuluhlaza, ngelineni elicolekileyo, nangokubomvu, nokuqopha yonke imiqopho, nokuqamba yonke imisebenzi yobungcweti. Mnike izingcweti zakho nezingcweti zenkosi yami uDavide, uyihlo.
15“Ngakho-ke ukolo, ibhali, amafutha, newayini inkosi yami ekhulume ngakho, mayikuthumele kuzo izinceku zayo. 16Thina sizogawula imithi eLebhanoni njengalokhu uyidinga, siyithumele kuwe eJopha ngolwandle ngezihlenga, wena uyikhuphulele eJerusalema.”
17USolomoni wabala bonke abezizwe ababesezweni kwa-Israyeli, ngendlela uDavide uyise ayebabale ngayo phambilini. Wathola ukuthi bayizi-153 600. 18Wabeka kubo abayizi-70 000 ukuba bathwale imithwalo, abayizi-80 000 ukuba babe ngababazi bamatshe ezintabeni, nabayizi-3 600 ukuba bengamele abantu abasebenzayo.
