1 USolomoni indodana kaDavide waqiniswa ebukhosini bakhe; uJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe wayenaye, wamkhulisa kakhulu.
2 USolomoni wakhuluma kuye wonke u-Israyeli, nakuzo izinduna zezinkulungwane nezamakhulu, nakubahluleli, nakuzo zonke izikhulu kwa-Israyeli wonke, izinhloko zawoyise.
3 Wahamba uSolomoni, nebandla lonke linaye, waya endaweni ephakemeyo yaseGibeyoni, ngokuba kwakukhona lapho itende lokuhlangana likaNkulunkulu elalenziwe nguMose inceku kaJehova ehlane.
4 Kepha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu uDavide wayewukhuphulile eKiriyati Jeharimi, wawuyisa endaweni uDavide ayewulungisele yona, ngokuba wayewumisele itende eJerusalema.
5 Futhi i-altare lethusi elalenziwe nguBesaleli indodana ka-Uri kaHure lalilapho phambi kwetabernakele* likaJehova; uSolomoni nebandla baya ukubuza kulo.
6 USolomoni wanikela khona phambi kukaJehova e-altare lethusi elalingasetendeni lokuhlangana, wanikela ngeminikelo eyinkulungwane yokushiswa phezu kwalo.
7 Ngalobo busuku uNkulunkulu wabonakala kuSolomoni, wathi kuye: “Cela lokhu othanda ukuba ngikunike khona.”
8 Wayesethi uSolomoni kuNkulunkulu: “Umenzele uDavide ubaba umusa omkhulu, wangibeka inkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
9 Ngalokho, Jehova Nkulunkulu, maliqiniswe izwi lakho kuDavide ubaba, ngokuba ungibeke inkosi phezu kwabantu abangangothuli lomhlabathi ngobuningi.
10 Ngiphe manje ukuhlakanipha nokwazi ukuba ngiphume, ngingene phambi kwalabo bantu, ngokuba ngubani ongahlulela labo bantu bakho abakhulu kangaka na?”
11 Wayesethi uNkulunkulu kuSolomoni: “Ngenxa yokuba lokho kwakusenhliziyweni yakho, ungacelanga ingcebo, nemfuyo, nodumo, nokuphila kwabakuzondayo, futhi ungacelanga imihla eminingi, kepha wazicelela ukuhlakanipha nokwazi ukuba wahlulele abantu bami engikubeke inkosi phezu kwabo,
12 uyakuphiwa ukuhlakanipha nokwazi; ngiyakukunika nengcebo, nemfuyo, nodumo, angazange abe nakho okungako amakhosi ayengaphambi kwakho, nalandelayo emva kwakho awayikuba nakho.”
13 USolomoni wayesesuka endaweni ephakemeyo yaseGibeyoni etendeni lokuhlangana, waya eJerusalema; wabusa phezu kuka-Israyeli.
14 USolomoni wabutha izinqola nabamahhashi; wayenezinqola eziyinkulungwane namakhulu amane nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, owakubeka emizini yezinqola nasenkosini eJerusalema.
15 Inkosi yenza isiliva negolide kuvame eJerusalema njengamatshe, nemisedari* yayenza ibe njengemithombe esigodini ngobuningi.
16 Amahhashi uSolomoni ayenawo ayekhishwe eGibithe; abathengi benkosi bawamukela ngamadlanzi, yilelo nalelo dlanzi ngentengo yalo.
17 Bakhuphula, bakhipha eGibithe inqola ngamashekeli* angamakhulu ayisithupha esiliva, nehhashi ngayikhulu namashumi ayisihlanu; bawakhiphela kanjalo onke amakhosi amaHeti namakhosi ase-Aramu ngezandla zabo.