1 Kwathi ngomnyaka wamakhulu amane namashumi ayisishiyagalombili emva kokuphuma kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli ezweni laseGibithe, ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kukaSolomoni phezu kwabakwa-Israyeli, ngenyanga kaZivi eyinyanga yesibili, waqala ukwakha indlu kaJehova.
2 Indlu inkosi uSolomoni eyayakhela uJehova, ubude bayo babuyizingalo ezingamashumi ayisithupha, nobubanzi bayo babungezingamashumi amabili, nokuphakama kwayo kwakuyizingalo ezingamashumi amathathu.
3 Umpheme ngaphambili kwendlu yethempeli wawuyizingalo ezingamashumi amabili ubude bawo maqondana nobubanzi bendlu; ububanzi bawo babuyizingalo eziyishumi ngaphambi kwendlu.
4 Wenzela indlu amafasitele anamahele angenakususwa.
5 Ngasodongeni lwendlu wakha izimpondo nxazonke ngasezindongeni zendlu nxazonke, ethempelini nasegumbini; wenza amakamelo asezinhlangothini nxazonke;
6 uphondo lwangaphansi lwaluyizingalo eziyisihlanu ububanzi balo, noluphakathi lwaluyizingalo eziyisithupha ububanzi balo, nolwesithathu lwaluyizingalo eziyisikhombisa ububanzi balo; ngokuba ngaphandle wenza uqaqa endlini nxazonke, ukuze imishayo ingangeni ezindongeni zendlu.
7 Indlu isakhiwa yakhiwa ngamatshe alungiswa enkwalini; akuzwakalanga sando nazembe naphiki* nanto yensimbi, isakhiwa.
8 Umnyango wekamelo lohlangothi eliphakathi wawuseceleni lokunene lendlu; kwakhushukwa ngezikhwelo ezishwilayo ukuya ophondweni olungaphakathi, kuphunywe kolungaphakathi kuyiwe kolwesithathu.
9 Wakha-ke kanjalo indlu, wayiqeda, wayifulela indlu ngemishayo nangamapulangwe emisedari.*
10 Wakha izimpondo zangasendlini yonke, yilolo nalolo lwaba yizingalo eziyisihlanu ukuphakama kwalo; zanamathela endlini ngemithi yemisedari.*
11 Izwi likaJehova lafika kuSolomoni, lathi:
12 “Kumi kanje maqondana nale ndlu oyakhayo: uma uyakuhamba ngezimiso zami, wenze izahlulelo zami, ugcine yonke imiyalo yami ukuba uhambe ngayo, ngiyakugcwalisa kuwe izwi engalikhuluma kuDavide uyihlo:
13 ngiyakuhlala phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngingabashiyi abantu bami u-Israyeli.”
14 Wakha-ke uSolomoni indlu, wayiqeda.
15 Wakha izindonga zendlu ngaphakathi ngamapulangwe emisedari;* kusukela phansi endlini kuze kufike emishayweni yophahla wembesa ngamapulangwe ngaphakathi, wendlala phansi endlini ngamapulangwe emisayipuresi.*
16 Wakha futhi izingalo ezingamashumi amabili ngaseceleni lendlu lasemuva ngamapulangwe emisedari* kusukela phansi kuze kufike emishayweni, wazakhela phakathi okwaba yigumbi, okuyindawo engcwelengcwele.
17 Indlu yangaphambili yethempeli yayiyizingalo ezingamashumi amane.
18 Kwakungumsedari* ngaphakathi endlini, kubaziwe ngezintangazane nangezimbali eziqhakazileyo; konke kwakungumsedari, akubonakalanga tshe khona.
19 Walungisa igumbi phakathi endlini ukuba kubekwe khona umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova.
20 Phambi kwegumbi kwakuyizingalo ezingamashumi amabili ubude, nezingalo ezingamashumi amabili ngobubanzi, nezingalo ezingamashumi amabili ngokuphakama; wakunameka ngegolide elicwengekileyo, walembesa i-altare imisedari.*
21 USolomoni wayinameka indlu phakathi ngegolide elicwengekileyo, walivalela igumbi ngamaketanga egolide; walinameka nalo ngegolide.
22 Wanameka-ke yonke indlu ngegolide, yaze yaphelela indlu yonke; ne-altare lonke elalisegumbini walinameka ngegolide.
23 Egumbini wenza amakherubi* amabili ngomnqumo, yilelo nalelo liyizingalo eziyishumi ukuphakama kwalo.
24 Elinye iphiko lekherubi laliyizingalo eziyisihlanu, nelinye iphiko lekherubi laliyizingalo eziyisihlanu; kusukela esihlokweni selinye iphiko kuze kufike esihlokweni selinye kwakuyizingalo eziyishumi.
25 Elinye ikherubi laliyizingalo eziyishumi nalo; amakherubi omabili ayeyisilinganiso sinye nesimo sinye.
26 Ukuphakama kwelinye ikherubi kwakuyizingalo eziyishumi, nelinye ikherubi lalinjalo.
27 Wawabeka amakherubi phakathi nendlu engaphakathi; amakherubi awelula amaphiko, iphiko lelinye lathinta odongeni, nephiko lelinye ikherubi lathinta odongeni olunye; amaphiko awo athintana phakathi nendlu.
28 Wawanameka amakherubi ngegolide.
29 Wafekethisa zonke izindonga zendlu nxazonke ngezithombe ezibaziweyo zamakherubi, nangamasundu, nangezimbali eziqhakazileyo ngaphakathi nangaphandle.
30 Naphansi endlini wanameka ngegolide, ngaphakathi nangaphandle.
31 Wenzela umnyango wegumbi izivalo zomnqumo; ikhothamo nezinsika zomnyango kwakuyizinhlangothi eziyisihlanu.
32 Wenza-ke izivalo ezimbili ngomnqumo, wazifekethisa ngamakherubi abaziweyo, nangamasundu, nangezimbali eziqhakazileyo, wazinameka ngegolide, wembesa amakherubi namasundu igolide.
33 Wenzela futhi umnyango wethempeli izinsika zomnyango ngomnqumo, ziyizinhlangothi ezine,
34 nezivalo ezimbili ngomsayipuresi;* izinxenye zombili zaleso naleso sivalo zasongwa.
35 Wazifekethisa ngamakherubi, nangamasundu, nangezimbali eziqhakazileyo, wazinameka ngegolide kukho okubaziweyo.
36 Wakha igceke elingaphakathi ngezinhla ezintathu zamatshe abaziweyo, nohla lwemishayo yemisedari.*
37 Ngomnyaka wesine isisekelo sendlu kaJehova sase sibekiwe ngenyanga kaZivi.
38 Ngomnyaka weshumi nanye ngenyanga kaBuli eyinyanga yesishiyagalombili indlu yaqedwa kukho konke okwayo ngayo yonke imithetho yayo. Wayelokhu akha iminyaka eyisikhombisa.