1 USolomon, unyana kaDavide, womelela ebukumkanini bakhe; uYehova uThixo wakhe waba naye, wamenza mkhulu, wamphakamisa.
2 Wathetha uSolomon kumaSirayeli onke, kubathetheli bamawaka nabamakhulu, nakubagwebi, kwizikhulu zonke, kumaSirayeli onke, kwiintloko zezindlu zooyise.
3 Baya ke ooSolomon nebandla lonke elo esigangeni esibe siseGibheyon; ngokuba yabe ikhona intente yokuhlangana kaThixo, awayenzayo uMoses umkhonzi kaThixo entlango.
4 Ke yona ityeya kaThixo wayeyinyusile uDavide eKiriyati-yeharim, wayisa kuloo ndawo abeyilungisele yona uDavide; ngokuba wayeyimisele intente eYerusalem.
5 Isibingelelo sobhedu, abesenzile uBhetsaleli unyana kaUri, unyana kaHuri, sasilapho phambi komnquba kaYehova; bamquqela uYehova ooSolomon nebandla kwisibingelelo eso,
6 Wenyusa khona uSolomon esibingelelweni sobhedu phambi koYehova, esibe singasententeni yokuhlangana, wenyusa kuso amadini anyukayo aliwaka.
7 UThixo wabonakala ngobo busuku kuSolomon, wathi kuye, Cela into, ndikuphe.
8 Wathi uSolomon kuThixo, Wena wenzé kuDavide ubawo inceba enkulu, wandenza ukumkani esikhundleni sakhe.
9 Ke kaloku, Yehova Thixo, malinyaniseke ilizwi lakho owalenza kuDavide ubawo; ngokuba wena undenzé ukumkani wabantu abaninzi njengothuli lomhlaba.
10 Ndínike kaloku ubulumko nokwazi, ndiphume ndingene phambi kwaba bantu; ngokuba ngubani na onokubalawula aba bantu bakho bangaka?
11 Wathi uThixo kuSolomon, Ngenxa enokuba loo nto ibisentliziyweni yakho, akwacela ubutyebi, nenzuzo, nozuko, nobomi beentshaba zakho; kananjalo akwacela imihla emininzi, wasuka wazicelela ubulumko nokwazi, ukuze ubalawule abantu bam, endikwenze ukumkani kubo:
12 ùbunikiwe ubulumko nokwazi; ndiya kukunika ubutyebi, nenzuzo, nozuko, ekungabangakho unjalo kookumkani ababephambi kwakho, ekungayi kubakho unjalo emva kwakho.
13 Wabuya ke uSolomon esigangeni esibe siseGibheyon, weza eYerusalem, esuka phambi kwentente yokuhlangana, waba ngukumkani kumaSirayeli.
14 USolomon wahlanganisa iinqwelo zokulwa namahashe akhwelwayo; waba newaka elinamakhulu amané eenqwelo zokulwa, namawaka alishumi elinamabini amahashe akhwelwayo; wazibeka emizini yeenqwelo, nakukumkani eYerusalem.
15 Ukumkani wayenza isilivere negolide yaninzi njengamatye eYerusalem, nemisedare* wayenza yanjengemithombe esesihlanjeni, ukuba mininzi.
16 Ukuphuma kwamahashe abengakaSolomon eYiputa, lathi igqiza labathengela ukumkani, lathabatha igqiza lawo ngenani elithile.
17 Baphuma nenqwelo eYiputa, bayithenga ngamakhulu amathandathu eeshekele zesilivere,* nehashe ngekhulu elinamanci mahlanu. Benjenjalo ke bona ngokwabo ukubathuthela amahashe ookumkani bonke bamaHeti nookumkani bama-Aram.*