1 Khona wakhuluma uSolomoni, wathi: “UJehova ushilo ukuthi uyakuhlala esigayegayeni.
2 Kepha ngikwakhele indlu yokuhlala, indawo yokuhlala kwakho kuze kube phakade.”
3 Inkosi yayisiphenduka, yalibusisa lonke ibandla lakwa-Israyeli, lonke ibandla lakwa-Israyeli lalimi.
4 Yathi: “Makabongwe uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli owakhuluma ngomlomo wakhe kuDavide ubaba, ukugcwalisile ngesandla sakhe, ethi:
5 ‘Kusukela osukwini engakhipha ngalo abantu bami u-Israyeli ezweni laseGibithe angikhethanga muzi ezizweni zonke zakwa-Israyeli ukwakha indlu ukuba igama lami libe khona lapho, futhi angikhethanga muntu ukuba abe ngumbusi wabantu bami u-Israyeli,
6 kodwa ngikhethe iJerusalema ukuba igama lami libe khona lapho, ngakhetha noDavide ukuba abe phezu kwabantu bami u-Israyeli.’
7 “Kwakusenhliziyweni kaDavide ubaba ukwakhela igama likaJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli indlu.
8 Kepha uJehova wathi kuDavide ubaba: ‘Njengokuba kwakusenhliziyweni yakho ukwakhela igama lami indlu, wenza kahle, ngokuba kwakusenhliziyweni yakho lokho;
9 kepha wena awuyikwakha indlu, kodwa indodana yakho eyakuphuma okhalweni lwakho, yiyona eyakwakhela igama lami indlu.’
10 “UJehova uliqinisile izwi alikhulumayo, ngokuba mina ngivelile esikhundleni sikaDavide ubaba, ngihlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sakwa-Israyeli njengokusho kuka Jehova, ngakhele igama likaJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli indlu.
11 Ngiwumisile lapho umphongolo okukuwo isivumelwano sikaJehova asenza nabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.”
12 Wema phambi kwe-altare likaJehova ebusweni balo lonke ibandla lakwa-Israyeli, welula izandla zakhe,
13 ngokuba uSolomoni wayenzile ibhesitulu* lethusi; ubude balo babuyizingalo eziyisihlanu, nobubanzi balo babuyizingalo eziyisihlanu, nokuphakama kwalo kwakuyizingalo ezintathu; walimisa phakathi negceke, wema kulo, wayeseguqa ngamadolo phambi kwalo lonke ibandla lakwa-Israyeli, welulela izandla zakhe ngasezulwini,
14 ethi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, akakho unkulunkulu onjengawe ezulwini noma emhlabeni, ogcina isivumelwano nomusa nezinceku zakho ezihamba phambi kwakho ngayo yonke inhliziyo yazo,
15 ogcine nenceku yakho uDavide ubaba lokho owakusho kuyo; yebo, owakukhuluma ngomlomo wakho usukugcwalisile ngesandla sakho njengokuba kunjalo namuhla.
16 “Ngalokho, Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, gcina nenceku yakho uDavide ubaba lokho owakusho kuyo ukuthi: ‘Akuyikunqunywa muntu kuwe emehlweni ami ukuhlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sakwa-Israyeli, uma kuphela abantwana bakho beqaphela indlela yabo ukuba bahambe emthethweni wami, njengalokho wena uhambe phambi kwami.’
17 Ngalokho, Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, maliqiniseke izwi lakho owalikhuluma encekwini yakho uDavide.
18 “Kepha uNkulunkulu uyakuhlala impela nabantu emhlabeni na? Bheka, izulu nezulu lamazulu alinakukwanela; pho, kakhulu kangakanani le ndlu encane engiyakhileyo na?
19 Mawubheke umkhuleko wenceku yakho nokunxusa kwayo, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, uzwe ukukhala nokukhuleka, inceku yakho ekukhuleka phambi kwakho namuhla,
20 ukuba amehlo akho avulekele le ndlu ubusuku nemini, indawo owasho ngayo ukuthi uyakubeka khona igama lakho, uze ulalele umkhuleko inceku yakho eyakuwukhuleka ibhekene nale ndawo.
21 Kulalele ukunxusa kwenceku yakho nokwabantu bakho u-Israyeli abayakukukhuleka bebhekene nale ndawo, ukuzwe usendaweni yakho yokuhlala ezulwini, nalapho usuzwile, uthethelele.
22 “Uma umuntu ona umakhelwane wakhe, athweswe isifungo sokumfungisa, abeseza ukufunga phambi kwe-altare lakho kule ndlu,
23 mawuzwe wena ezulwini, wenze, wahlulele izinceku zakho, kuphindiselwe konecala, ubeke indlela yakhe phezu kwekhanda lakhe, uthethelele olungileyo, umnike njengokulunga kwakhe.
24 “Uma abantu bakho u-Israyeli benqotshwa yisitha, ngokuba bonile kuwe, kepha bese bebuya bephindela kuwe, balivume igama lakho, bakhuleke, banxuse kuwe kule ndlu,
25 mawuzwe wena ezulwini, uthethelele isono sabantu bakho u-Israyeli, ubabuyisele ezweni owalinika bona nawoyise.
26 “Lapho izulu livaliwe, imvula ingekho, ngokuba bonile kuwe, kepha bese bekhuleka bebhekene nale ndawo, balivume igama lakho, baphenduke esonweni sabo, ngokuba uyabajezisa,
27 mawuzwe wena ezulwini, uthethelele isono sezinceku zakho nesabantu bakho u-Israyeli, lapho ubafundisa indlela enhle abayakuhamba ngayo, uthume imvula ezweni lakho obanike abantu bakho libe yifa labo.
28 “Uma kukhona indlala ezweni, noma kukhona isifo, noma kukhona ukuhamuka, nesikhutha, nesikhonyane, nemiswenya, noma izitha zabo zibavimbezela ezweni lemizi yabo, noma kuyiphi inhlupheko nasiphi isifo,
29 bese kuzwakala namuphi umkhuleko nakuphi ukunxusa noma ngumuphi umuntu noma yibo bonke abantu bakho u-Israyeli abayakwazi, kube yilowo nalowo inhlupheko yakhe nosizi lwakhe, elulele izandla zakhe kule ndlu,
30 mawuzwe wena ezulwini, indawo yakho yokuhlala, uthethelele, unike, kube yilowo nalowo njengezindlela zakhe zonke, wena owaziyo inhliziyo yakhe ngokuba wena kuphela uyazi izinhliziyo zabantwana babantu
31 ukuba bakwesabe, bahambe ngezindlela zakho zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwabo ezweni owalinika obaba.
32 “Futhi owezizwe ongesiye owabantu bakho u-Israyeli, lapho evela ezweni elikude ngenxa yegama lakho elikhulu nesandla sakho esinamandla nengalo yakho eyeluliweyo, abesefika ukukhuleka kule ndlu,
33 mawuzwe wena ezulwini, indawo yakho yokuhlala, wenze njengakho konke lo wezizwe akhala ngakho kuwe, ukuze bonke abantu bomhlaba bazi igama lakho, bakwesabe wena njengabantu bakho u-Israyeli, nokuze bazi ukuthi le ndlu engiyakhileyo ibiziwe ngegama lakho.
34 “Uma abantu bakho bephuma impi ukulwa nezitha zabo ngendlela obathuma ngayo, bese bekhuleka kuJehova bebhekene nalo muzi owukhethileyo nale ndlu engiyakhele igama lakho,
35 mawuzwe wena ezulwini umkhuleko wabo nokunxusa kwabo, ubavume.
36 “Uma bona kuwe ngokuba akukho muntu ongoniyo bese wubathukuthelela wena, ubanikele esitheni, ukuze ababathumbayo babamukisele ezweni lesitha, likude noma liseduze,
37 kepha bese becabanga ezweni lapho bethunjelwe khona, baphenduke, banxuse kuwe ezweni lababathumbayo ngokuthi: ‘Sonile, senzile ngokuphambeneyo, saziphatha kabi;’
38 uma bephendukela kuwe ngayo yonke inhliziyo yabo nangawo wonke umphefumulo wabo ezweni lokuthunjwa kwabo, lapho bebathumbele khona, bakhuleke bebhekene nezwe lakubo owalinika oyise, nomuzi owukhethileyo, nendlu engiyakhele igama lakho,
39 mawuzwe wena ezulwini, indawo yakho yokuhlala, umkhuleko wabo nokunxusa kwabo, ubavume, uthethelele abantu bakho abonile kuwe.
40 “Ngalokho, Nkulunkulu wami, amehlo akho mawavulekele, nezindlebe zakho maziwulalele umkhuleko owenziwa kule ndawo.
41 “Ngalokho:Vuka, Jehova Nkulunkulu,uze endaweni yakho yokuphumula,wena nomphongolo wamandla akho;abapristi bakho, Jehova Nkulunkulu,mabembathiswe ukusindiswa,nabathembekileyo bakho mabathokoze ngokuhle.
42 Jehova Nkulunkulu,ungafulatheli ogcotshiweyo wakho;khumbula umusa wakho kuDavide inceku yakho.”