1 UHiramu inkosi yaseTire wathuma izinceku zakhe kuSolomoni, ngokuba wayezwile ukuthi ugcotshiwe abe yinkosi esikhundleni sikayise, ngokuba uHiramu wayengumngane kaDavide njalo.
2 USolomoni wathumela kuHiramu, wathi:
3 “Wena uyazi ukuthi uDavide ubaba wayengenakwakhela igama likaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe indlu ngenxa yezimpi ezazimzungeza nxazonke, uJehova waze wazibeka phansi kwamathe ezinyawo zakhe.
4 Kepha manje uJehova uNkulunkulu wami unginike ukuphumula nxazonke; kakho omelana nami, akukho ngozi.
5 Bheka, sengicabanga ukwakhela igama likaJehova uNkulunkulu wami indlu, njengalokho uJehova akhuluma kuDavide ubaba, ethi: ‘Indodana yakho, engiyakuyibeka esihlalweni sakho sobukhosi esikhundleni sakho, yona iyakwakhela igama lami indlu.’
6 “Ngalokho yaleza ukuba bangigawulele imisedari* eLebanoni, izinceku zami zibe nezakho; ngiyakukunika inkokhelo yezinceku zakho njengakho konke ongakusho, ngokuba wena uyazi ukuthi akukho muntu kithi ongagawula imithi njengamaSidoni.”
7 Kwathi uHiramu ezwile amazwi kaSolomoni wathokoza kakhulu, wathi: “Makabusiswe uJehova namuhla omnikile uDavide indodana ehlakaniphileyo phezu kwalabo bantu abakhulu.”
8 UHiramu wayesethumela kuSolomoni, wathi:“Ngizwile lokho okuthume kimi; mina ngiyakwenza konke okufunayo ngemisedari* nangemisayipuresi.*
9 Izinceku zami ziyakuyehlisa eLebanoni, ziyiyise elwandle, mina ngiyenze ibe yizihlenga ezihamba elwandle, ziye endaweni oyakungiyalela yona, zihlakazwe khona; wena wozithatha khona, ufeze engikufunayo ngokubapha abendlu yami ukudla.”
10 UHiramu wayesenika uSolomoni imisedari* nemisayipuresi* njengakho konke ukufuna kwakhe.
11 USolomoni wamnika uHiramu amakhora* ayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili kakolweni, ukudla kwabendlu yakhe, namakhora angamashumi amabili amafutha akhanyiweyo; uSolomoni wamnika kanjalo uHiramu iminyaka ngeminyaka.
12 UJehova wamnika uSolomoni ukuhlakanipha njengokusho kwakhe kuye; kwakukhona ukuthula phakathi kukaHiramu noSolomoni; benza isivumelwano bobabili.
13 Inkosi uSolomoni yabiza izisebenzi kubo bonke abakwa-Israyeli; izisebenzi zaba ngabantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu.
14 Wabathuma eLebanoni, beyizinkulungwane eziyishumi ngenyanga, bededelana; babe seLebanoni inyanga, babe sekhaya izinyanga ezimbili; u-Adoniramu wayephezu kwezisebenzi.
15 USolomoni wayenabathwalayo imithwalo abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa, nababazi bamatshe ezintabeni abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisishiyagalombili,
16 ngaphandle kwezinduna ezinkulu zikaSolomoni ezaziphethe umsebenzi, izinkulungwane ezintathu namakhulu amathathu, ezazibusa abantu ababewenza umsebenzi.
17 Inkosi yayala, baqopha amatshe amakhulu, amatshe anenani elikhulu, ukuba babeke isisekelo sendlu ngamatshe abaziweyo.
18 Abakhi bakaSolomoni nabakhi bakaHiramu nabaseGebali bawabaza, balungisa imithi namatshe ukwakha indlu.