1 Amakhosi 6
1 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wamakhulu amane lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili emva kokuphuma kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli elizweni leGibhithe, ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kukaSolomoni koIsrayeli, ngenyanga kaZivi, eyinyanga yesibili, waqala ukwakha indlu yeNkosi.
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 Njalo indlu inkosi uSolomoni eyayakhela uJehova, ubude bayo babuzingalo ezingamatshumi ayisithupha, lobubanzi bayo babungamatshumi amabili, lokuphakama kwayo kwakuzingalo ezingamatshumi amathathu.
Inside, [the main part of] the temple was 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
3 Lekhulusi phambi kwethempeli lendlu, ubude balo babuzingalo ezingamatshumi amabili, njengobubanzi bendlu, ububanzi balo babuzingalo ezilitshumi phambi kwendlu.
The entrance room was 15 feet long and 30 feet wide, just as wide as the main part of the temple.
4 Njalo wayenzela indlu amawindi abanzi ngaphandle kulangaphakathi.
There were windows in [the walls of] the temple. The windows were narrower on the outside than on the inside.
5 Futhi emdulini wendlu wakha amakamelo inhlangothi zonke, imiduli yendlu inhlangothi zonke, esenzela ithempeli lendawo yelizwi. Wenza lezindlwana eziseceleni inhlangothi zonke.
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 Ikamelo elingaphansi kwawo wonke, ububanzi balo babuzingalo ezinhlanu, leliphakathi, ububanzi balo buzingalo eziyisithupha, lelesithathu, ububanzi balo buzingalo eziyisikhombisa. Ngoba ngaphandle kwendlu wenza izinciphiso inhlangothi zonke, ukuze imijabo ingagxunyekwa emidulwini yendlu.
[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 Njalo indlu, isakhiwa, yakhiwa ngamatshe ayepheleliswe enkwalini, ukuze kungezwakali isando lehloka, loba yisiphi isikhali sensimbi endlini nxa isakhiwa.
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 wendlwana eseceleni ephakathi wawusehlangothini lwesokunene lwendlu; njalo bakhwela ngesikhwelo esibhodayo ukuya kwengaphakathi, lokusuka kwengaphakathi kusiya kweyesithathu.
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 Wayakha-ke indlu, wayiqeda; wagubuzela indlu ngentungo lamapulanka emisedari.
So Solomon’s [workers] finished building the [framework of the] temple. They made the ceiling from cedar beams and boards.
10 Wasesakha izindlwana eceleni kwendlu yonke, ubude bazo buzingalo ezinhlanu, wakuxhuma endlini ngezigodo zemisedari.
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 leNkosi laselifika kuSolomoni lathi:
Then Yahweh said this to Solomon:
12 Mayelana lale indlu oyakhayo, uba uhamba ngezimiso zami, usenza izahlulelo zami, njalo ugcina yonke imilayo yami ukuhamba ngayo, ngizakwenza ilizwi lami kuwe engalikhuluma kuDavida uyihlo;
“[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 kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ngingabatshiyi abantu bami uIsrayeli.
I will live among the Israeli people, [in this temple, ] and I will never abandon them.”
14 Wayakha-ke uSolomoni indlu, wayiqeda.
Solomon’s [workers] finished building the temple.
15 Wasesakha imiduli yendlu ngaphakathi ngamapulanka emisedari, kusukela kuphansi lendlu kuze kufike emidulwini yophahla, wayembesa ngaphakathi ngezigodo, wendlala iphansi lendlu ngamapulanka amafiri.
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 Wasesakha izingalo ezingamatshumi amabili emaceleni endlu, ngamapulanka emisedari, kusukela kuphansi kwaze kwafika emidulwini; wayakhela ngaphakathi, esenzela indawo yelizwi, esenzela ingcwele yezingcwele.
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 Lendlu, elithempeli, ngaphambili, yayizingalo ezingamatshumi amane.
In front of the Very Holy Place there was a room that was 60 feet long.
18 Njalo umsedari wendlu ngaphakathi wawubazwe waba zinduku lamaluba avulekileyo; konke kwakungumsedari, kungabonakali litshe.
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 Waselungisa indawo yelizwi phakathi endlini ukubeka khona umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi.
At the back of the temple they made the Very Holy Place, where the Sacred Chest would be put.
20 Lendawo yelizwi ephambili, ubude babuzingalo ezingamatshumi amabili, lobubanzi buzingalo ezingamatshumi amabili, lokuphakama kwayo kuzingalo ezingamatshumi amabili; wayihuqa ngegolide elicwengekileyo; wasesembesa ilathi ngomsedari.
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 waseyihuqa indlu ngaphakathi ngegolide elicwengekileyo, wenza isehlukaniso ngamaketane egolide phambi kwendawo yelizwi, wasesihuqa 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 Lendlu yonke wayihuqa ngegolide yaze yaphelela yonke indlu; lelathi lonke elisendaweni yelizwi walihuqa ngegolide.
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 Endaweni yelizwi wasesenza amakherubhi amabili ngesihlahla somhlwathi, ukuphakama kwakuzingalo ezilitshumi ngalinye.
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 Olunye uphiko lwekherubhi lwaluzingalo ezinhlanu, lolunye uphiko lwekherubhi lwaluzingalo ezinhlanu; kusukela ekucineni kolunye uphiko kusiya ekucineni kolunye uphiko kwakuzingalo ezilitshumi.
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 Lelinye ikherubhi lalizingalo ezilitshumi; womabili amakherubhi ayeyisilinganiso sinye lesimo sinye.
26 Ukuphakama kwelinye ikherubhi kwakuzingalo ezilitshumi, lelinye ikherubhi lalinjalo.
27 Wasewabeka amakherubhi phakathi kwendlu engaphakathi; njalo amakherubhi elula impiko, kuze kuthi olunye uphiko lwathinta umduli, lophiko lwelinye ikherubhi lwathinta omunye umduli, lempiko zawo zathintana uphiko lophiko ngaphakathi kwendlu.
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 Wasewahuqa amakherubhi ngegolide.
They covered the statues with [very thin sheets of] gold.
29 Wabaza imiduli yonke yendlu inhlangothi zonke ngemifanekiso ebaziweyo yamakherubhi lezihlahla zamalala lamaluba avulekileyo ngaphakathi langaphandle.
[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 Iphansi lendlu waselihuqa ngegolide ngaphakathi langaphandle.
They also covered the floor of both rooms with [very thin sheets of] gold.
31 Emnyango wendawo yelizwi wenza izivalo zesihlahla somhlwathi, ikhothamo lemigubazi kulezinhlangothi ezinhlanu.
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 Lezivalo zombili zazingezesihlahla somhlwathi, wabaza kuzo imibazo yamakherubhi lezihlahla zamalala lamaluba avulekileyo, wazihuqa ngegolide, wakhandela igolide phezu kwamakherubhi lezihlahla zamalala.
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 Ngokunjalo wasesenzela umnyango wethempeli imigubazi yesihlahla somhlwathi, ezinhlangothini ezine.
They made a rectangular door frame from olive tree wood, and put it [between the entrance room and] the main room.
34 Lezivalo ezimbili zazingezezihlahla zamafiri; impiko zombili zesivalo esisodwa zazigoqeka, lezilenge ezimbili zesivalo sesibili zazigoqeka.
They made two folding doors from cypress wood [and fastened them to the door frame].
35 Wasebaza kuzo amakherubhi lezihlahla zamalala lamaluba avulekileyo, wakuhuqa ngegolide elendlala kuhle 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 Wasesakha iguma elingaphakathi ngemizila emithathu yamatshe abaziweyo, lomzila wemijabo yemisedari.
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 Ngomnyaka wesine isisekelo sendlu yeNkosi sabekwa, ngenyanga kaZivi.
They laid the foundation of the temple of Yahweh in early May, in the fourth year [that Solomon ruled].
38 Kwathi ngomnyaka wetshumi lanye, enyangeni kaBuli, okuyinyanga yesificaminwembili, yaphela indlu ezintweni zayo zonke lanjengakho konke ukumiswa kwayo. Ngakho wayakha iminyaka eyisikhombisa.
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.
