2 Chronicles 6

1USolomoni wasesithi, “UJehova usetshilo ukuthi uzahlala eyezini elimnyama,

2sengikwakhele ithempeli elimangalisayo, indawo yakho ozahlala kuyo kuze kube nininini.”

3Ibandla lonke lisemi khona lapho, inkosi yaphenduka yababusisa. 4Yasisithi: “Kadunyiswe uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli yena osegcwalise ngezandla zakhe ayekuthembise ubaba uDavida ngomlomo wakhe. Ngoba wathi,

5‘Kusukela ngelanga engakhupha ngalo abantu bami eGibhithe, akuladolobho engalikhethayo laloba kusiphi isizwana sako-Israyeli, ukuba iBizo lami lakhelwe ithempeli khona, njalo angikhethanga loba ngubani ukuba abe ngumkhokheli wabantu bami bako-Israyeli. 6Kodwa khathesi sengikhethe iJerusalema ukuba iBizo lami libe khonale, njalo sengikhethe uDavida ukuba abuse abantu bami bako-Israyeli.’

7“Ubaba uDavida wayetshiseka enhliziyweni yakhe ukuba akhele iBizo likaJehova ithempeli, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 8Kodwa uJehova wathi kubaba uDavida, ‘Njengoba wawutshiseka enhliziyweni yakho ukuba wakhele iBizo lami ithempeli, wenza kuhle ukuba ube lalokhu enhliziyweni yakho. 9Lanxa kunjalo, kawusuwe ozakwakha ithempeli, kodwa indodana yakho eyinyama yakho legazi lakho – yiyo ezakwakhela iBizo lami ithempeli.’

10“UJehova usigcinile isithembiso asenzayo. Sengithethe isikhundla sikababa uDavida njalo khathesi ngihlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sika-Israyeli njengokuthembisa kukaJehova, njalo sengakhele iBizo likaJehova ithempeli, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 11Kulapho engibeke khona ibhokisi, phakathi kwalo kulesivumelwano sikaJehova asenza labantu bako-Israyeli.”

Umkhuleko KaSolomoni WokuNikela

12USolomoni wasesima phambi kwe-alithare likaJehova phambi kwalo lonke ibandla lako-Israyeli welula izandla zakhe. 13Wayenze isitubhu sethusi, ubude baso buzingalo ezinhlanu, lobubanzi baso buzingalo ezinhlanu njalo buzingalo ezintathu ukuya phezulu, sona wayesimise phakathi laphakathi kweguma elingaphandle. Wema phezu kwesitubhu waseguqa phambi kwalo lonke ibandla lako-Israyeli waphakamisela izandla zakhe ezulwini.

14Wasesithi: “O Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kakho uNkulunkulu ofanana lawe ezulwini lasemhlabeni – wena ogcina isivumelwano sakho sothando lezinceku zakho eziqhubeka endleleni yakho ngezinhliziyo ezipheleleyo. 15Usigcinile isithembiso sakho encekwini yakho uDavida ongubaba; ngelizwi lakho uthembisile njalo ngesandla sakho usigcinile isivumelwano – njengoba kunje lamuhla.

16“Ngakho Jehova, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, gcinela inceku yakho uDavida ubaba isithembiso owasenza kuye usithi, ‘Kawuyikuswela umuntu ozakuma phambi kwami esihlalweni sobukhosi buka-Israyeli, nxa amadodana akho ezahamba ngokomthetho wami phambi kwami, njengalokhu okwenzileyo wena.’

17Ngakho, O Jehova, Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kaligcwaliseke ilizwi lesithembiso owalikhuluma kuDavida inceku yakho.

18“Kambe uNkulunkulu angahlala labantu emhlabeni na? Amazulu, kanye lamazulu aphezulu kakhulu, kawakulingani. Pho lisilela kanganani lelithempeli engilakhileyo! 19Kodwa-ke akuzwe umkhuleko wenceku yakho lokucela kwayo umusa, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, ulalele ukukhala lokukhuleka kwenceku yakho ekwenzayo phambi kwakho. 20Ebusuku lemini amehlo akho kakhangele lindlu, yona eyindawo owathi iBizo lakho lizakuba kuyo. Akuzwe umkhuleko wenceku yakho ngalindawo.

21Akulalele ukucela kwenceku yakho lokwabantu bakho bako-Israyeli bekhulekela lindawo. Akuzwe ezulwini, lona eliyindawo yakho yokuhlala; ukuze uthi ungezwa, uthethelele.

22“Nxa umuntu angonela umakhelwana wakhe, afungiswe, abesefunga isifungo phambi kwe-alithare lakho kulelithempeli, 23zwana usezulwini, uthethelele. Yehlulela izinceku zakho, uyehlisele ngezenzo zayo leyo elecala ngalokho ekwenzileyo. Tshono ukuthi ongonanga kalamlandu ukuze kuvele ukuba msulwa kwakhe.

24“Kuthi lapho abantu bakho bako-Israyeli behlulwe yizitha ngoba bonile kuwe, akuthi lapho bephenduka befakaza ibizo lakho, bekhuleka njalo becela phambi kwakho kulelithempeli, 25zwana usezulwini uthethelele izono zabantu bakho bako-Israyeli ubabuyisele elizweni owabapha lona kanye laboyise.

26“Akuthi nxa emazulwini kuvalekile lingasani izulu ngoba abantu bakho bonile kuwe, njalo bathi nxa bekhuleka bekhangele kulindawo befakaza ibizo lakho betshiya izono zabo ngoba ubajezisile, 27zwana usezulwini uthethelele isono sezinceku zakho, abantu bakho u-Israyeli. Bafundise indlela eqondileyo yokuphila uthumele izulu elizweni owalinika abantu bakho ukuba libe yilifa labo.

28“Nxa kufika indlala loba isifo elizweni, loba ingumane loba isikwekhwe, intethe loba isikhongwane, loba izitha zibavimbezela loba kukuyiphi imizi yabo, loba kufika incithakalo kumbe umkhuhlane bani, 29akuthi nxa umkhuleko kumbe isicelo sisenziwa laloba ngubani wabantu bakho bako-Israyeli – ngulowo lalowo ebona izinhlupheko lezinsizi zakhe njalo ephakamisela izandla zakhe kulelithempeli – 30akuzwe wenze usezulwini, eliyindawo yakho yokuhlala. Thethelela, uphathe umuntu ngamunye, kusiya ngezenzo zakhe, ngoba wena uyayazi inhliziyo yakhe (phela nguwe wedwa owazi izinhliziyo zabantu), 31ukuze bakwesabe bahambe ezindleleni zakho besaphila elizweni owalipha okhokho bethu.

32“Akuthi owezizweni ongasuye omunye wabantu bakho bako-Israyeli kodwa evela elizweni elikhatshana ngenxa yodumo lwebizo lakho lesandla sakho esilamandla lengalo yakho elulekileyo – nxa esiza ekhuleka ekhangele kulelithempeli, 33umuzwe usezulwini, lona eliyindawo yakho yokuhlala, umenzele owezizweni loba kuyini akucela kuwe, ukuze kuthi abantu bonke emhlabeni balazi ibizo lakho bakwesabe, njengalokhu abantu bakho bako-Israyeli bekwenza, ukuze bazi ukuthi lindlu engiyakhileyo ngeyeBizo lakho.

34“Nxa abantu bakho bephuma impi ukuba bahlasele izitha zabo, loba kungaphi lapha obathuma khona, kuthi nxa bekhuleka kuwe bekhangele kulumuzi owukhethileyo lalelithempeli engilakhele iBizo lakho, 35uzwe usezulwini imikhuleko yabo lokuncenga kwabo, ubamele wena.

36“Kuze kuthi nxa bonile kuwe – ngoba kakho ongenzi sono – njalo uze ubathukuthelele ubanikele ezitheni zabo, ezizabathumba zibase elizweni elikhatshana loba eliseduzane, 37njalo kuthi nxa kulokuguquka kwezinhliziyo zabo elizweni lokuthunjwa kwabo, loba bephenduka loba bekuncenga elizweni lokuthunjwa kwabo sebesithi, ‘Sonile, senza okubi, saganga,’ 38loba nxa bephendukela kuwe ngezinhliziyo zabo zonke langemiphefumulo yabo elizweni njalo bekhuleka bekhangele elizweni owalinika oyise, edolobheni owalikhethayo lasethempelini engilakhele iBizo lakho; 39ngakho wena osezulwini, endaweni yakho yokuhlala, akuzwe imikhuleko yabo lokuncenga kwabo, ubamele. Njalo ubathethelele abantu bakho, bona abakoneleyo.

40“Ngakho-ke, Nkulunkulu wami sengathi amehlo akho angavuleka lezindlebe zakho zilalele imithandazo eyenziwa kule indawo.

41“Ngakho phakama, O Nkulunkulu, uze endaweni yakho yokuphumula, wena lebhokisi lesivumelwano samandla akho. Sengathi abaphristi bakho, O Jehova Nkulunkulu, bangembathiswa ngensindiso, sengathi abangcwele bakho bangathokoza ngokulunga kwakho.

42O Jehova Nkulunkulu, ungafulatheli ogcotshiweyo wakho. Khumbula uthando olukhulu olwathenjiswa uDavida inceku yakho.”