1 Ke kaloku uSolomon unyana kaDavide wazinza embusweni wakhe, kuba *uNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe wayengakuye, waza wamphakamisa kakhulu.
2 Ke uSolomon wathetha noSirayeli ewonke, iingqwayi-ngqwayi zamabutho aliwaka nalikhulu, abagwebi, nawo onke amadoda aphambili kwaSirayeli kunye neenkulu zezindlu.
3 Yena uSolomon nebandla lonke baya endaweni ephakamileyo yonqulo eGibheyon, kuba kaloku yayilapho intente *yesibingelelo yokuhlangana noThixo, leyo yayenziwe nguMosis isicaka sikaNdikhoyo entlango.
4 Kaloku yena uDavide wayeyithathile ityesi kaThixo eKiriyati-yarim waya nayo kuloo ndawo wayeyilungiselele yona, njengoko wayeyimisele intente eJerusalem.
5 Kodwa lona iqonga lamadini lobhedu elalenziwe nguBhezaleli unyana kaUri unyana kaYuri laliseseGibheyon phambi kwesibingelelo sikaNdikhoyo. Ngoko ke uSolomon nebandla elo babuzisa kuNdikhoyo khona apho.
6 Ewe, uSolomon waya kuNdikhoyo kwelo qonga lobhedu apho esibingelelweni sokuhlangana noNdikhoyo, wanikela kuso apho amadini atshiswayo aba liwaka.
7 Ngobo busuku uThixo wabonakala kuSolomon, wathetha naye wathi: “Cela nantoni na ofuna ndikuphe yona.”
8 USolomon ke uphendule uThixo wathi: “Umenzele ububele obukhulu ubawo uDavide, waza nam lo wandenza ukumkani esikhundleni sakhe.
9 Ngoku ke, Ndikhoyo Thixo wam, idinga owalimilisela ubawo uDavide khawuncede ulibethelele lifezeke, kuba kaloku undenze ukumkani wenyambalala engaka yabantu abaninzi njengothuli lomhlaba.
10 Ke mna ndiphe ubulumko nokuqonda ukuze ndikwazi ukubakhokela aba bantu; kaloku akukho mntu unganako ngokwakhe ukuyilawula le nginginya yabantu bakho.”
11 UThixo ke uthe kuSolomon: “Ngenxa yokuba lo ke ingumnqweno wentliziyo yakho, ungacelanga butyebi, nabunhanha, okanye ubuhandiba, ungatsho nokuba manditshabalalise iintshaba zakho, ewe, awucelanga nabomi bude, koko ucele ubulumko nokuqonda ukuze ube nako ukulawula abantu bam endikwenze ukumkani wabo,
12 ngoko ke ndiza kukunika ubulumko nokuqonda, kananjalo ndikuthi jize ngobutyebi nobunhanha, ube sisihandiba sokumkani ekungekho wumbi wakha wanjengawe ngaphambili, engayi kubakho nasemva kwakho.”
13 Ke uSolomon waya eJerusalem ukusuka kwakhe apho kwindawo ephakamileyo yonqulo eGibheyon, apho phambi kwaloo ntente yesibingelelo. Waza ke wamlawula uSirayeli.
14 USolomon waqokelela iinqwelo namahashe; ishumi elinesine lamakhulu eenqwelo, neshumi elinesibini lamawaka amahashe; zinto ezo wazigcina kwizixeko zeenqwelo, ezinye ke wazigcina kwakumkani eJerusalem.
15 Ukumkani lo ke isiliva negolide wayiqokelela eJerusalem yaninzi njengamatye, umthi womsedare wamninzi njengomthombe esihlanjeni.
16 USolomon amahashe wayewathenga eJiputa naseKewe. Abarhwebi bakomkhulu babewathenga eKewe ngexabiso ekuvunyelwene ngalo.
17 Babethenga iinqwelo eJiputa, ixabiso layo nganye liziisiliva ezimakhulu mathandathu, nehashe ngeesiliva ezilikhulu elinamashumi amahlanu. Kananjalo babewathengisa kookumkani bamaHiti nabama-Aram.