1 UDavide inkosi wathi kulo lonke ibandla: “USolomoni indodana yami, oyedwa uNkulunkulu amkhethileyo, usengumfana, usathambile, nomsebenzi mkhulu, ngokuba ithempeli alisilo elomuntu kepha ngelikaJehova uNkulunkulu.
2 Sengilungisele indlu kaNkulunkulu wami ngamandla ami onke igolide lokwegolide, nesiliva lokwesiliva, nethusi lokwethusi, nensimbi yokwensimbi, nemithi yokwemithi, namatshe amashohamu* nawokufakwa, namatshe ahlobisayo nanemibala eyahlukeneyo, nezinhlobo zonke zamatshe ayigugu, namatshe amhlophe amaningi.
3 Futhi njengokuba ngiyenamela indlu kaNkulunkulu wami, nginengcebo yegolide nesiliva, ngiyanika indlu kaNkulunkulu wami yona phezu kwakho konke engikulungisele indlu engcwele,
4 amatalenta* ayizinkulungwane ezintathu egolide, igolide lase-Ofiri, namatalenta ayizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa esiliva elicwengekileyo ukunameka ngalo izindonga zezindlu,
5 igolide lokwegolide, isiliva lokwesiliva, yebo, kuwo wonke umsebenzi wezandla zezingcweti. Ngubani, pho, othokozela namuhla ukuzahlukanisela uJehova na?”
6 Zase zinikela ngenhliziyo izikhulu zawoyise, nezikhulu zezizwe zakwa-Israyeli, nezinduna zezinkulungwane nezamakhulu kanye nezinduna zomsebenzi wenkosi;
7 zanikela enkonzweni yendlu kaNkulunkulu amatalenta* ayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu egolide, namadarike* ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi, namatalenta ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi esiliva, namatalenta ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili ethusi, namatalenta ayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu ensimbi.
8 Ababe namatshe bawanikela engcebeni yendlu kaJehova phansi kwesandla sikaJehiyeli umGereshoni.
9 Abantu bajabula ngokunikela kwabo ngenhliziyo, ngokuba banikela ngenhliziyo epheleleyo kuJehova; naye uDavide inkosi wajabula ngokujabula okukhulu.
10 UDavide wayesebonga uJehova phambi kwebandla lonke; uDavide wathi: “Mawubongwe wena Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ubaba kuze kube phakade.
11 Ngobakho, Jehova, ubukhulu, namandla, nodumo, nenkazimulo, nobukhosi, ngokuba konke okusezulwini nasemhlabeni kungokwakho; ngowakho umbuso, Jehova; wena uphakeme, uyinhloko phezu kwakho konke.
12 Ingcebo nenkazimulo kuvela kuwe, wena ubusa phezu kwakho konke; esandleni sakho kukhona amandla nezikhwepha, esandleni sakho kukhona ukukhulisa nokunika bonke amandla.
13 Ngalokho, Nkulunkulu wethu, siyakubonga, siyadumisa igama lakho elitusekayo.
14 “Ngokuba ngingubani mina, nabantu bami, bayini ukuba sibe namandla okunikela ngenhliziyo engaka na? Ngokuba konke kuvela kuwe, nokuvela esandleni sakho lokhu sikunike wena.
15 Ngokuba singabafokazi phambi kwakho nezihambi njengabo bonke obaba; izinsuku zethu emhlabeni zinjengethunzi, nethemba alikho.
16 Jehova Nkulunkulu wethu, zonke lezi zinto esizilungisele ukwakhela igama lakho elingcwele indlu zivela esandleni sakho, zonke zingezakho.
17 Ngiyazi, Nkulunkulu wami, ukuthi uhlola inhliziyo, uthanda ubuqotho. Mina-ke ngobuqotho benhliziyo yami nginikele ngokuthokoza zonke lezi zinto, futhi sengibonile ngokujabula abantu bakho abakhona lapha ukuthi nabo banikele kuwe ngokuthokoza.
18 Jehova, Nkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noka-Isaka noka-Israyeli, obaba, gcina lokhu njalo ezizindlweni zemicabango yenhliziyo yabantu bakho, uqondisele inhliziyo yabo kuwe,
19 unike uSolomoni indodana yami inhliziyo epheleleyo ukuba agcine imiyalo yakho, nobufakazi bakho, nezimiso zakho, nokwenza konke lokhu, nokwakha ithempeli engililungiseleyo.”
20 UDavide wathi kulo lonke ibandla: “Ake nibonge uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu.” Lonke ibandla lambonga uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, lakhothama, lakhuleka kuJehova nasenkosini.
21 Bamhlabela uJehova imihlatshelo, banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova ngangomuso emva kwalolo suku, izinkunzi eziyinkulungwane, nezinqama eziyinkulungwane, namawundlu ayinkulungwane kanye neminikelo yakho yokuphuzwa, nemihlatshelo eminingi ngo-Israyeli wonke;
22 badla, baphuza phambi kukaJehova ngalolo suku ngokuthokoza okukhulu. Bambeka uSolomoni indodana kaDavide inkosi ngokwesibili, bamgcobela uJehova ukuba abe ngumholi, uSadoki abe ngumpristi.
23 USolomoni wayesehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaJehova njengenkosi esikhundleni sikaDavide uyise, waba nenhlanhla; wonke u-Israyeli wamlalela.
24 Zonke izikhulu, namaqhawe, nawo onke amadodana enkosi uDavide bazithoba phansi kukaSolomoni inkosi.
25 UJehova wamkhulisa uSolomoni kakhulu emehlweni abo bonke abakwa-Israyeli, wamnika udumo lobukhosi olungazange lube khona nakuyiphi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli phambi kwakhe.
26 UDavide indodana kaJese wayebusile phezu kwabo bonke abakwa-Israyeli.
27 Isikhathi abusa ngaso phezu kuka-Israyeli sasiyiminyaka engamashumi amane; iminyaka eyisikhombisa wabusa eHebroni, nengamashumi amathathu nantathu wabusa eJerusalema.
28 Wafa esemdala, esanelisiwe yizinsuku nengcebo nodumo; uSolomoni indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
29 Izenzo zikaDavide inkosi, ezokuqala nezokugcina, bheka, zilotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zikaSamuweli umboni, nasencwadini yezindaba zikaNathani umprofethi, nasencwadini yezindaba zikaGadi umboni,
30 kanye nakho konke ukubusa kwakhe, namandla akhe, nezehlo ezamehlelayo yena no-Israyeli, kanye nayo yonke imibuso namazwe.