Umnikelo nephupho likaSolomoni eGibeyoni. Izinqola namahashi akhe
1USolomoni indodana kaDavide waqiniswa ebukhosini bakhe; uJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe wayenaye, wamkhulisa kakhulu.
2USolomoni wakhuluma kuye wonke uIsrayeli, nakuzo izinduna zezinkulungwane nezamakhulu, nakubahluleli, nakuzo zonke izikhulu kwaIsrayeli wonke, izinhloko zawoyise.
3Wahamba uSolomoni, nebandla lonke linaye, waya endaweni ephakemeyo yaseGibeyoni, ngokuba kwakukhona lapho itende lokuhlangana likaNkulunkulu elalenziwe nguMose inceku kaJehova ehlane.
4Kepha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uDavide wayewukhuphulile eKiriyatiJeharimi, wawuyisa endaweni uDavide ayewulungisele yona, ngokuba wayewumisele itende eJerusalema.
5Futhi ialtare lethusi elalenziwe nguBesaleli indodana kaUri kaHure lalilapho phambi kwetabernakele* likaJehova; uSolomoni nebandla baya ukubuza kulo.
6USolomoni wanikela khona phambi kukaJehova ealtare lethusi elalingasetendeni lokuhlangana, wanikela ngeminikelo eyinkulungwane yokushiswa phezu kwalo.
7Ngalobobusuku uNkulunkulu wabonakala kuSolomoni, wathi kuye: Cela lokhu othanda ukuba ngikunike khona.
8Wayesethi uSolomoni kuNkulunkulu: Umenzele uDavide ubaba umusa omkhulu, wangibeka inkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
9Ngalokho, Jehova Nkulunkulu, maliqiniswe izwi lakho kuDavide ubaba, ngokuba ungibeké inkosi phezu kwabantu abangangothuli lomhlabathi ngobuningi.
10Ngiphe manje ukuhlakanipha nokwazi ukuba ngiphume, ngingene phambi kwalabobantu, ngokuba ngubani ongahlulela labobantu bakho abakhulu kangaka na?
11Wayesethi uNkulunkulu kuSolomoni: Ngenxa yokuba lokho kwakusenhliziyweni yakho, ungacelanga ingcebo, nemfuyo, nodumo, nokuphila kwabakuzondayo, futhi ungacelanga imihla eminingi, kepha wazicelela ukuhlakanipha nokwazi ukuba wahlulele abantu bami engikubeké inkosi phezu kwabo,
12uyakuphiwa ukuhlakanipha nokwazi; ngiyakukunika nengcebo, nemfuyo, nodumo, angazange abe-nakho okungako amakhosi ayengaphambi kwakho, nalandelayo emva kwakho awayikuba-nakho.
13USolomoni wayesesuka endaweni ephakemeyo yaseGibeyoni etendeni lokuhlangana, waya eJerusalema; wabusa phezu kukaIsrayeli.
14USolomoni wabutha izinqola nabamahashi; wayenezinqola eziyinkulungwane namakhulu amane nabamahashi abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, owakubeka emizini yezinqola nasenkosini eJerusalema.
15Inkosi yenza isiliva negolide kuvame eJerusalema njengamatshe, nemisedari* yayenza ibe-njengemithombe esigodini ngobuningi.
16Amahashi uSolomoni ayenawo ayekhishwé eGibithe; abathengi benkosi bawamukela ngamadlanzi, yilelo nalelodlanzi ngentengo yalo.
17Bakhuphula, bakhipha eGibithe inqola ngamashekeli* angamakhulu ayisithupha esiliva, nehashi ngayikhulu namashumi ayisihlanu; bawakhiphela kanjalo onke amakhosi amaHeti namakhosi aseAramu ngezandla zabo.
