2 Imilando 7

1 Kwathi uSolomoni eseqedile ukukhuleka, kwehla umlilo uvela ezulwini, waqhunqisa umnikelo wokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, inkazimulo kaThixo yagcwalisa ithempeli.

And when Solomon had completed pouring out his prayers, fire descended from heaven, and it devoured the holocausts and the victims. And the majesty of the Lord filled the house.

2 Abaphristi behluleka ukungena ethempelini likaThixo ngoba laligcwele inkazimulo kaThixo.

Neither were the priests able to enter into the temple of the Lord, because the majesty of the Lord had filled the temple of the Lord.

3 Kwathi lapho bonke abako-Israyeli bebona umlilo usehla lenkazimulo kaThixo ethempelini, bathi mbo ngobuso phansi embundwini weguma, badumisa bebonga uThixo besithi: “Yena ulungile; uthando lwakhe lumi kuze kube nininini.”

Moreover, all the sons of Israel saw the fire descending, and the glory of the Lord upon the house. And falling prone upon the ground, on the layer of pavement stones, they adored and praised the Lord: “For he is good. For his mercy is everlasting.”

4 Inkosi labantu bonke banikela imihlatshelo kuThixo.

Then the king and all the people were immolating victims before the Lord.

5 Ngalokho inkosi uSolomoni yanikela umhlatshelo wenkomo ezizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili lambili kanye lezimvu lembuzi ezizinkulungwane ezilikhulu elilamatshumi amabili. Ngakho inkosi labantu bonke banikela ithempeli likaNkulunkulu.

And so, king Solomon slaughtered victims: twenty-two thousand oxen, and one hundred twenty thousand rams. And the king and the entire people dedicated the house of God.

6 Abaphristi bema ngezindawo zabo, njengoba labaLevi labo bema ngamachacho lawo inkosi uDavida eyayivele iwenzele ukudumisa uThixo njalo ayevele esetshenziswa nxa ebonga, esithi, “Uthando lwakhe lumi kuze kube nininini.” Maqondana labaLevi, abaphristi babevuthela amacilongo abo, njalo bonke abako-Israyeli babemi.

Then the priests and the Levites were standing in their offices, with the instruments of music for the Lord, which king David made in order to praise the Lord: “For his mercy is eternal.” And they were playing the hymns of David with their hands. And the priests were sounding out with trumpets before them, and all of Israel was standing.

7 USolomoni wahlukanisela uThixo indawo yaphakathi laphakathi kweguma phambi kwethempeli likaThixo, njalo kulapho anikelela khona iminikelo yokutshiswa lamafutha eminikelo yobudlelwano, ngoba i-alithari lethusi ayelenzile lalingeke lenele iminikelo yokutshiswa, iminikelo yamabele kanye lamafutha.

Also, Solomon sanctified the middle of the atrium in front of the temple of the Lord. For he had offered the holocausts and the fat of peace offerings in that place because the bronze altar, which he had made, had not been able to support the holocausts and the sacrifices and the fat.

8 Ngakho ngalesosikhathi uSolomoni wathakazelela umkhosi okwensuku eziyisikhombisa, labo bonke abako-Israyeli ababelaye, ababelibandla elikhulu, abanye bevela eLebho Hamathi kusiya eSihotsheni saseGibhithe.

Therefore, Solomon kept the solemnity, at that time, for seven days, and all of Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath, even to the torrent of Egypt.

9 Ngosuku lwesificaminwembili benza umhlangano, ngoba babekhonze ngokunikela i-alithari okwensuku eziyisikhombisa lomkhosi wezinye insuku eziyisikhombisa phezulu.

And on the eighth day, he held a solemn gathering, because he had dedicated the altar over seven days, and he had celebrated the solemnity over seven days.

10 Ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lantathu lwenyanga yesikhombisa wakhulula abantu ukuthi babuyele emakhaya abo bethokoza njalo bejabula ngenhliziyo ngenxa yezinto ezinhle uThixo ayezenzele uDavida loSolomoni kanye labantu bakhe bako-Israyeli.

And so, on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he dismissed the people to their dwellings, joyful and glad over the good that the Lord had done for David, and for Solomon, and for his people Israel.

11 Kwathi uSolomoni eseqedile ithempeli likaThixo lesigodlo, esenelisile lokwenza konke ayekunakana ngethempeli likaThixo kanye lesigodlo sakhe,

And Solomon completed the house of the Lord, and the house of the king, and all that he had resolved in his heart to do for the house of the Lord, and for his own house. And he prospered.

12 UThixo wabonakala kuye ebusuku wathi: “Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho njalo sengizikhethele indawo le ukuba ibe lithempeli lemihlatshelo.

Then the Lord appeared to him by night, and said: “I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.

13 Nxa ngivala iphezulu ukuze kungabi lezulu, loba ngithumela intethe ukuchitha ilizwe, ingabe ngithumela isifo phakathi kwabantu bami,

If I close up heaven, so that no rain will fall, or if I order and instruct the locust to devour the land, or if I send a pestilence among my people,

14 nxa abantu bami, ababizwa ngebizo lami, bezazithoba bakhuleke badinge ubuso bami njalo batshiye izindlela zabo ezimbi, kulapho ngizakuzwa khona ngisezulwini ngithethelele izono zabo njalo ngiphephise ilizwe labo.

and if my people, over whom my name has been invoked, being converted, will have petitioned me and sought my face, and will have done penance for their wicked ways, then I will heed them from heaven, and I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land.

15 Ngalokho amehlo ami azavuleka, lezindlebe zami zizalalela imikhuleko eyenziwa kulindawo.

Also, my eyes will be open, and my ears will be attentive, to the prayer of him who shall pray in this place.

16 Ngilikhethile ngizahlukanisela lelithempeli ukuze iBizo lami libe kulo kuze kube nininini. Amehlo ami lenhliziyo yami kuzakuba kulo ngazozonke izikhathi.

For I have chosen and sanctified this place, so that my name may be there continually, and so that my eyes and my heart may remain there, for all days.

17 Wena, nxa ungahamba phambi kwami njengalokhu okwenziwa nguyihlo uDavida, wenze konke engikulaya ngakho, ulandele izimiso lemithetho yami,

And as for you, if you will walk before me, just as your father David walked, and if you will act in accord with all that I have instructed you, and if you will observe my justices and judgments,

18 ngizaqinisa isihlalo sakho sobukhosi, njengesivumelwano engasenza loyihlo uDavida ngisithi: ‘Kawuyikuswela umuntu ozabusa u-Israyeli.’

I will raise up the throne of your kingdom, just as I promised to your father David, saying: ‘There shall not be taken away a man from your stock who will be ruler in Israel.’

19 Kodwa ungafulathela utshiye izimiso lemilayo engikunika yona usuke uyekhothamela abanye onkulunkulu ubakhonze,

But if you will have turned away, and will have forsaken my justices and my precepts, which I have set before you, and going astray, you serve strange gods, and you adore them,

20 kulapho ngizakhucula abako-Israyeli elizweni lami, engabanika lona, kuthi lelithempeli engilahlukanisele iBizo lami ngilichithe, ngilenze libe yinto ekhohlakeleyo into eyinhlekisa kubo bonke abantu.

I will uproot you from my land, which I gave to you, and from this house, which I sanctified to my name, and I will cast it away from before my face, and I will deliver it to be a parable and an example for all the peoples.

21 Loba lelithempeli likhanga amehlo, bonke abedlula lapha bazamangala bathi, ‘Kanti kungani uThixo ekwenzile lokhu okunje kulelilizwe kanye lakulelithempeli?’

And this house will be like a proverb to all who pass by. And being astonished, they shall say: ‘Why has the Lord acted this way toward this land and toward this house?’

22 Abantu bazaphendula bathi, ‘Ngoba bamfulathele uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo, owabakhupha eGibhithe, basuka bayabambelela kwabanye onkulunkulu, bebakhonza njalo bebakhothamela, yikho ebehlisele incithakalo yonke le.’”

And they shall respond: ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who led them away from the land of Egypt, and they took hold of foreign gods, and they adored and worshipped them. Therefore, all these evils have overwhelmed them.’”