1 Amakhosi 6
1 Ngomnyaka wamakhulu amane lasificaminwembili abako-Israyeli baphuma eGibhithe, ngomnyaka wesine uSolomoni ebusa ko-Israyeli, ngenyanga kaZivi, iyinyanga yesibili, waqalisa ukwakha ithempeli likaThixo.
480 years after the Israeli people left Egypt, during the fourth year that Solomon ruled Israel, early in May, Solomon’s workers began to build the temple.
2 Ithempeli elakhiwa yiNkosi uSolomoni elakhela uThixo lalizingalo ezingamatshumi amabili ububanzi balo, lengalo ezingamatshumi amathathu ukuyaphezulu.
Inside, [the main part of] the temple was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
3 Isigaba sekhulusi elingaphambi kwendlu enkulu yethempeli sengezelela ububanzi lokuqhela kwethempeli, ngezingalo ezingamatshumi amabili njalo sasiphutsha ukwedlula indlu enkulu kusiya phambi kwayo ngezingalo ezilitshumi.
The entrance room was 15 feet long and 30 feet wide, just as wide as the main part of the temple.
4 Amafasitela awenzayo ethempelini ayengamancinyane.
There were windows in [the walls of] the temple. The windows were narrower on the outside than on the inside.
5 Emidulini yendlu enkulu yethempeli lasendlini engcwele ephakathi wakha esinye isimo, kulapho okwaba lezindlwana khona emaceleni.
Against the two sides and against the back of the temple walls, they built a structure/building that had rooms in it. [This structure had three levels/stories and each was 7-1/2 feet high].
6 Indawo ephansi kuzozonke yayibanzi okwezingalo ezinhlanu, kuthi iguma laphakathi lalizingalo eziyisithupha kanti-ke iguma lesithathu lalingaba ngeziyisikhombisa. Wakha imithangala ngaphandle kwethempeli ukuze kungabi lalutho olwaluzafakwa phakathi kwemiduli yethempeli.
[Each room in] the lowest level/story was 7-1/2 feet wide. [Each room in] the middle level/story was nine feet wide. [The rooms in] the top level/story were 10-1/2 feet wide. The wall of the temple at the top level/story was thinner than the wall at the middle level/story, and the wall of the middle level/story was thinner than the wall at the bottom level/story. The result was that the rooms could be supported by the wall underneath them, and did not require wooden beams to support them.
7 Ekwakheni ithempeli, kwasetshenziswa amatshe ayebazwe alolongwa lapho ayevela khona kuphela, ngakho kwakungezwakali sando, ihloka loba yiphi insimbi yokwakha ethempelini ngesikhathi kusakhiwa.
The huge stones for [the foundation of] the temple were cut and shaped at the quarry [to become very smooth]. The result was that while the workers were building the temple there was no noise, because they did not use hammers or chisels or any other iron tools there.
8 Umnyango weguma laphansi wawungezansi yethempeli; kulamakhwelelo okuya esigcawini saphakathi kuthi kusuka lapho kwedlulele esigcawini sesithathu.
The entrance to the bottom level/story [of that attached structure] was on the south side of the temple. There were stairs from the bottom level/story to the middle and top level/story.
9 Ngakho wakha ithempeli waliqeda, walifulela ngentungo lamapulanka ezigodo zomsedari.
So Solomon’s [workers] finished building the [framework of the] temple. They made the ceiling from cedar beams and boards.
10 Wasesakha izindlwana zalandelela imiduli yethempeli. Ubude bokuya phezulu kwendlwana ngayinye babuzingalo ezinhlanu, njalo zazibanjaniswe lemiduli yethempeli ngemijabo yezigodo zomsedari.
They built the structure that had three levels/stories, that was against the walls of the temple. Each level/story was 7-1/2 feet high, and was joined to the temple with cedar beams.
11 Ilizwi likaThixo leza kuSolomoni lathi,
Then Yahweh said this to Solomon:
12 “Okwalelithempeli olakhayo, nxa ulandela iziqondiso zami, lemilayo yami ugcine konke engikulaya ngakho ukulandele, ngawe ngizagcwalisa zonke izithembiso engazenza kuyihlo uDavida.
“[I want to tell you] about this temple that you are building. If you continually obey all my statutes and laws and commands, I will do for you what I promised to your father David.
13 Ngizahlala phakathi kwabantu bako-Israyeli njalo angiyikubatshiya abantu bami bako-Israyeli.”
I will live among the Israeli people, [in this temple, ] and I will never abandon them.”
14 Ngakho uSolomoni wakha ithempeli waliqeda.
Solomon’s [workers] finished building the temple.
15 Wacecisa emidulini yangaphakathi ngamapulanka omsedari, wavala ececisa kusukela phansi kusiya ephahleni, walungisa iphansi lethempeli ngamapulanka ezigodo zephayini.
On the inside, they lined/covered the walls with cedar boards. They lined/covered them from the floor to the ceiling. They made the floor from cypress boards.
16 Waquma wavala indawo ezingalo ezingamatshumi amabili emsamo wethempeli ngamapulanka omsedari kusukela phansi kusiya ephahleni esakha isiphephelo sangaphakathi kwethempeli, iNdawo eNgcwelengcwele.
Inside the back part of the temple they built an inner room, called the Very Holy Place. It was 30 feet long. All the walls of this room were lined with cedar boards.
17 Indlu enkulu phambi kwaleyo yona yayizingalo ezingamatshumi amane ubude bayo.
In front of the Very Holy Place there was a room that was 60 feet long.
18 Ngaphakathi kwethempeli kwakwakhiwe ngomsedari, ubazwe iziduku lamaluba aqhakazileyo. Konke kwakungumsedari, kungabonakali litshe lelilodwa.
The cedar [boards on the walls] inside the temple were decorated with carvings of gourds and flowers. [The walls were] completely covered with cedar boards, with the result that the stones [of the walls behind them] could not be seen.
19 Walungisa isiphephelo ngaphakathi kwethempeli ukubeka ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo khonapho.
At the back of the temple they made the Very Holy Place, where the Sacred Chest would be put.
20 Isiphephelo sangaphakathi sasizingalo ezingamatshumi amabili ubude, amatshumi amabili ububanzi njalo kungamatshumi amabili ukuyaphezulu. Wahuqa ingaphakathi ngegolide elicengekileyo, wasehuqa le-alithari lomsedari.
That room was 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 30 feet high. They covered the walls with [very thin sheets of] pure gold. [For burning incense] they also made an altar of cedar [boards].
21 USolomoni wahuqa ingaphakathi yethempeli ngegolide elicengekileyo, njalo wengezelela amaketane egolide aquma phambi kwesiphephelo sangaphakathi, sona esasihuqwe ngegolide.
Solomon told them to cover the other walls inside the temple with [very thin sheets of] pure gold and to fasten gold chains across the entrance to the Very Holy Place.
22 Ngakho wahuqa ingaphakathi yonke ngegolide. Wasehuqa njalo ngegolide i-alithari elalingelesiphephelo sangaphakathi.
They covered all the walls of the temple and the altar that was outside the Very Holy Place with [very thin sheets of] gold.
23 Phakathi kwesiphephelo sangaphakathi wenza amakherubhi amabili ngesihlahla somʼoliva, ubude bokuya phezulu ngalinye buzingalo ezilitshumi.
Inside the Very Holy Place, they made from olive tree wood [large statues of] two creatures with wings. Each one was 15 feet tall.
24 Uphiko olulodwa lwekherubhi lakuqala lwaluzingalo ezinhlanu ubude balo, kanye lalolu olunye uphiko lwaluzingalo ezinhlanu, ingalo ezilitshumi kusukela ekucineni kophiko kusiya ekucineni kophiko.
They each were the same size and had the same shape. They each had two wings [which were spread out]. Each wing was 7-1/2 feet long, with the result that the distance between the outer ends of the two wings was 15 feet.
25 Ikherubhi lesibili lalo lalizingalo ezilitshumi, womabili amakherubhi ayelingana njalo efanana isimo.
26 Ubude bokuya phezulu bekherubhi ngalinye babuzingalo ezilitshumi.
27 Amakherubhi wawafaka endlini ephakathi kwethempeli, amaphiko awo echayekile. Uphiko lwelinye ikherubhi lwathinta umduli wangapha kwathi uphiko lwelinye lalo lwathinta umduli ngale, kwathi phakathi laphakathi kwendlu amaphiko awo athintana.
They put those statues next to each other in the Very Holy Place so that the wing of the one touched the one wing of the other in the center of the room, and the outer wings touched the walls.
28 Amakherubhi lawo wawahuqa ngegolide.
They covered the statues with [very thin sheets of] gold.
29 Emidulini indawana yonke ukubhoda ithempeli, ezindlini zangaphakathi lezangaphandle wabaza amakherubhi, lezihlahla zamalala lamaluba aqhakazileyo.
[Solomon told them to] decorate the walls of the main room and the Very Holy Place by carving representations of winged creatures and palm trees and flowers.
30 Wahuqa njalo iphansi lezindlu zangaphandle lezangaphakathi kwethempeli ngegolide.
They also covered the floor of both rooms with [very thin sheets of] gold.
31 Emnyango wesiphephelo sangaphakathi wenza izivalo zamapulanka omʼoliva, imigubazi yakhona ilamacele amahlanu.
They made a set of doors from olive tree wood, and placed them at the entrance to the Very Holy Place. The doorposts joined at the top to form a pointed arch.
32 Kwathi ezivalweni zombili zomʼoliva wabaza amakherubhi, lezihlahla zamalala lamaluba aqhakazileyo, wahuqa amakherubhi lezihlahla zamalala ngegolide elikhandiweyo.
The doors were decorated by carving on them representations of winged creatures, palm trees, and flowers. All of these things were covered with [very thin sheets of] gold.
33 Ngokufananayo wenza imigubazi elamacele amane ngomʼoliva emnyango wokungena endlini enkulu.
They made a rectangular door frame from olive tree wood, and put it [between the entrance room and] the main room.
34 Wenza njalo izivalo zomphayini ezimbili, ngasinye singesigoqeka kabili.
They made two folding doors from cypress wood [and fastened them to the door frame].
35 Wabaza amakherubhi lezihlahla zamalala lamaluba aqhakazileyo kuzo wasewahuqa ngegolide likhandwe lalingana phezu kokubaziweyo.
The doors were also decorated with wood carvings of winged creatures, palm trees, and flowers, and they were also covered evenly with [very thin sheets of] gold.
36 Wakhela njalo iguma langaphakathi imizila emithathu ngamatshe abaziweyo lowodwa owemijabo yomsedari.
They built a courtyard in front of the temple. The walls around the courtyard were made of cedar and stone; to make the walls, between each layer of cedar beams they put down two layers of stone.
37 Isisekelo sethempeli likaThixo samiswa ngomnyaka wesine ngenyanga kaZivi.
They laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh in early May, in the fourth year [that Solomon ruled].
38 Ngomnyaka wetshumi lanye ngenyanga kaBhuli, inyanga yesificaminwembili, kwaba yikuphela kwethempeli lakhiwe njengokumiswa kwalo langeziqondiso zalo. Wayethethe iminyaka eyisikhombisa elakha.
In the eleventh year [that he ruled], in the middle of October, they finished building the temple and all of its parts, doing exactly what Solomon told them to do. It required seven years to build it.
