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1 USolomon wacinga ukulakhela indlu igama likaYehova, nokubakhela indlu ubukumkani bakhe.2 USolomon wamisa amashumi osixhenxe amawaka amadoda angabathwali, namashumi asibhozo amawaka amadoda angabaqingqi bamatye, nangabasebenzi bemithi, ezintabeni; nabongameli bawo abangamawaka amathathu anamakhulu mathandathu.3 Wathumela uSolomon kuHiram ukumkani waseTire, wathi, Njengoko wakwenzayo kuDavide ubawo, wathumela kuye imisedare yokuzakhela indlu yokuba ahlale kuyo, yenjenjalo nakum.4 Yabona, ndilakhela indlu igama likaYehova uThixo wam, ukuba ingcwaliselwe yena, kuqhunyiselwe phambi kwakhe isiqhumiso esiqholiweyo, kucwangciswe ngamaxesha onke ukucwangciswa kwezonka, kunyuswe amadini anyukayo kusasa nangokuhlwa, ngeesabatha, nasekuthwaseni kwenyanga, nangamaxesha amisiweyo nguYehova uThixo wethu; yeyaphakade loo nto kumaSirayeli.5 Indlu endiyakhayo inkulu; ngokuba mkhulu uThixo wethu koothixo bonke.6 Ngubani na onamandla okumakhela indlu; ngokuba izulu, nezulu lawo amazulu, alimlingene? Ndingubani na ke mna, ukuba ndimakhele indlu, ingaba yeyokuqhumisela phambi kwakhe kodwa?7 Ndithumele ke ngoko indoda enobugcisa ukusebenza ngegolide, nangesilivere, nangobhedu, nangesinyithi, nangemisonto emfusa nebomvu nemsi, ekwaziyo ukukrola ndawonye nabalumkileyo abakum kwaYuda naseYerusalem, abalungiswayo nguDavide ubawo.8 Ndithumele nemisedare, nemisipres, nemialgumi, evela eLebhanon; ngokuba ndiyazi mna ukuba abakhonzi bakho bayakwazi ukugawula imithi eLebhanon. Yabona abakhonzi bam bohamba nabakhonzi bakho,9 bandilungisele imithi emininzi; ngokuba indlu endiyakhayo inkulu ngokubalulekileyo.10 Yabona abaqingqi abo nabasebenzi bemithi, abakhonzi bakho abo, ndobanika ingqolowa ukuba ibe kukudla, iikore ezingamawaka angamashumi mabini, nerhasi iikore ezingamawaka angamashumi mabini, neebhate zewayini ezingamawaka angamashumi mabini, neebhate zeoli ezingamawaka angamashumi mabini.

11 UHiram ukumkani waseTire wathumela kuSolomon ngokubhala, wathi, UYehova, ngokubathanda kwakhe abantu bakhe, ukumisile ukuba ube ngukumkani kubo.12 Wathi uHiram, Makabongwe uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli, owenza izulu nehlabathi, omnikileyo uDavide ukumkani unyana olumkileyo, owaziyo, oqiqayo, oqondayo, oya kumakhela indlu uYehova, nendlu yobukumkani bakhe.13 Ngoko ndithumela indoda eligcisa, eyaziyo, eqondayo, inkunkqele uHuram,14 unyana wentokazi yasezintombini zakwaDan. Uyise ngumfo waseTire, okwaziyo ukusebenza ngegolide, nangesilivere, nangobhedu, nangesinyithi, nangamatye, nangemithi, nangemisonto emfusa nemsi, nangelinen ecikizekileyo, nangemisonto ebomvu, nokukrola konke, nokuyila zonke iintlobo zomsebenzi awuphathisiweyo, ndawonye nezilumko zakho, nezilumko zenkosi yam, uDavide uyihlo.15 Ingqolowa ke, nerhasi, neoli, newayini, ethethe ngazo inkosi yam, mayizithumele kubakhonzi bayo.16 Ke thina sogawula imithi eLebhanon njengokufuna kwakho konke, siyizise kuwe eYafo ngokuyidadisa elwandle, uyinyuse wena, uyise eYerusalem.17 USolomon wawabala onke amadoda angawasemzini, abe esezweni lamaSirayeli, emva kokubala awawabala ngako uDavide uyise; afumaneka elikhulu elinamanci amahlanu amawaka, elinesithathu samawaka, anamakhulu amathandathu.18 Wamisa amashumi asixhenxe amawaka kuwo aba ngabathwali; namashumi asibhozo amawaka aba ngabasebenzi bemithi, nabaqingqi bamatye ezintabeni; namawaka amathathu anamakhulu amathandathu aba ngabongameli bokusebenzisa abantu.