2 Imilando 7
1 Kwathi uSolomoni eseqedile ukukhuleka, kwehla umlilo uvela ezulwini, waqhunqisa umnikelo wokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, inkazimulo kaThixo yagcwalisa ithempeli.
Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the LORD’s glory filled the house.
2 Abaphristi behluleka ukungena ethempelini likaThixo ngoba laligcwele inkazimulo kaThixo.
The priests could not enter into the LORD’s house, because the LORD’s glory 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.”
All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the LORD’s glory was on the house. They bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, worshipped, and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever!”
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.
King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated God’s house.
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.
The priests stood, according to their positions; the Levites also with instruments of music of the LORD, which David the king had made to give thanks to the LORD, when David praised by their ministry, saying “For his loving kindness endures forever.” 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 made the middle of the court that was before the LORD’s house holy; for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offering, the meal offering, 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.
So Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt.
9 Ngosuku lwesificaminwembili benza umhlangano, ngoba babekhonze ngokunikela i-alithari okwensuku eziyisikhombisa lomkhosi wezinye insuku eziyisikhombisa phezulu.
On the eighth day, they held 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.
On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the LORD had shown to David, 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 LORD’s house and the king’s house; and he successfully completed all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the LORD’s house and in his own house.
12 UThixo wabonakala kuye ebusuku wathi: “Ngiwuzwile umkhuleko wakho njalo sengizikhethele indawo le ukuba ibe lithempeli lemihlatshelo.
Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for myself for a 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 the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence amongst 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 who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Ngalokho amehlo ami azavuleka, lezindlebe zami zizalalela imikhuleko eyenziwa kulindawo.
Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to 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 I have chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.
17 Wena, nxa ungahamba phambi kwami njengalokhu okwenziwa nguyihlo uDavida, wenze konke engikulaya ngakho, ulandele izimiso lemithetho yami,
“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 will keep my statutes and my ordinances,
18 ngizaqinisa isihlalo sakho sobukhosi, njengesivumelwano engasenza loyihlo uDavida ngisithi: ‘Kawuyikuswela umuntu ozabusa u-Israyeli.’
then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I 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 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 I will pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword amongst all peoples.
21 Loba lelithempeli likhanga amehlo, bonke abedlula lapha bazamangala bathi, ‘Kanti kungani uThixo ekwenzile lokhu okunje kulelilizwe kanye lakulelithempeli?’
This house, which is so high, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done this 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.’”
They shall answer, ‘Because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and took other gods, worshipped them, and served them. Therefore he has brought all this evil on them.’”
