2 Imilando 7

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

Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.

2 Abaphristi behluleka ukungena ethempelini likaThixo ngoba laligcwele inkazimulo kaThixo.

And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house.

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.”

And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endures for ever.

4 Inkosi labantu bonke banikela imihlatshelo kuThixo.

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices 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 king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the 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.

And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of music of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endures for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

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.

Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, 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.

Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath to the river of Egypt.

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

And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast 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 on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had showed to David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

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

Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

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

And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.

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

If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send 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.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

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

Now my eyes shall be open, and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.

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

For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.

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, as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and shall observe my statutes and my judgments;

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

Then will I establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.

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

But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship 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.

Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

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

And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passes by it; so that he shall say, Why has the LORD done thus to this land, and to 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 it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore has he brought all this evil on them.