1 Amakhosi 9
1 Kwasekusithi uSolomoni eseqedile ukwakha indlu kaJehova lendlu yenkosi laso sonke isifiso sikaSolomoni ayethokoza ukusenza,
After Solomon had finished the Lord's Temple and the royal palace, having accomplished everything he'd wanted to do,
2 iNkosi yabonakala kuSolomoni ngokwesibili njengokubonakala kwayo kuye eGibeyoni.
the Lord appeared to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
3 INkosi yathi kuye: Ngizwile umkhuleko wakho lokuncenga kwakho okuncenge phambi kwami. Ngiyingcwelisile lindlu oyakhileyo ukubeka ibizo lami lapho kuze kube nininini; lamehlo ami lenhliziyo yami kuzakuba lapho zonke izinsuku.
The Lord told him, “I have heard your prayer and your request to me. I have dedicated this Temple you have built by placing my name on it forever; I will always watch over it and take care of it.
4 Wena-ke, uba uhamba phambi kwami, njengoDavida uyihlo wahamba, ngokuphelela kwenhliziyo langokuqonda, ukwenza njengakho konke engikulaye khona, ugcine izimiso zami lezahlulelo zami,
As for you, if you follow my ways as your father David did, doing everything I've told you to do, and if you keep my laws and regulations,
5 khona ngizamisa isihlalo sobukhosi sombuso wakho phezu kukaIsrayeli kuze kube nininini, njengokukhuluma kwami kuDavida uyihlo, ngisithi: Kakuyikusweleka kuwe umuntu phezu kwesihlalo sobukhosi sikaIsrayeli.
then I will make your throne secure forever. I made this agreement with your father David, telling him, ‘You will always have a descendant to rule over Israel.’
6 Uba lizaphenduka lokuphenduka, lina labantwana benu, ekungilandeleni, lingayigcini imilayo yami, izimiso zami, engikubeke phambi kwenu, kodwa liyekhonza abanye onkulunkulu, libakhothamele,
But if you or your descendants turn away and do not keep the laws and the commandments I have given you, and if you go and serve and worship other gods,
7 khona ngizaquma uIsrayeli ebusweni belizwe engibanike lona, lendlu engiyingcwelisele ibizo lami ngizayilahla phambi kwami; loIsrayeli uzakuba yisaga lento yokuhozwa phakathi kwezizwe zonke.
then I will cut Israel off from the land I have given them. I will banish from my presence this Temple I have dedicated to my honor, and I will make it an object lesson of ridicule among the nations.
8 Lalindlu, ephakemeyo, wonke oyedlulayo uzamangala kakhulu ancife, bathi: INkosi ikwenzeleni okunje kulelilizwe lakulindlu?
This Temple will become a pile of rubble. All who pass by it will be appalled and will hiss, saying, ‘Why has the Lord acted in such a way to this land and this Temple?’
9 Njalo bazakuthi: Ngenxa yokuthi bayitshiyile iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo eyakhupha oyise elizweni leGibhithe, babambelela kwabanye onkulunkulu, babakhonza babasebenzela; ngalokho iNkosi ibehlisele bonke lobububi.
The answer will come, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their forefathers out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping them and serving them. That's why the Lord has brought all this trouble upon them.’”
10 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kweminyaka engamatshumi amabili uSolomoni esakhile izindlu zombili, indlu kaJehova lendlu yenkosi,
It took twenty years for Solomon to construct the two buildings—the Temple of the Lord and his own palace. After this,
11 (uHiramu inkosi yeTire wayemsekele uSolomoni ngezigodo zemisedari langezigodo zamafiri langegolide, njengesiloyiso sakhe sonke) ngalesosikhathi inkosi uSolomoni yamnika uHiramu imizi engamatshumi amabili elizweni leGalili.
King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had provided him with all the cedar and juniper and gold he wanted.
12 UHiramu wasephuma eTire ukubona imizi uSolomoni ayemnike yona, kodwa yayingalunganga emehlweni akhe.
But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the cities that Solomon had given him, he was not happy with them.
13 Wasesithi: Yimizi bani le onginike yona, mfowethu? Waseyibiza ngokuthi ilizwe leKabuli, kuze kube lamuhla.
“What are these towns you have given me, my brother?” asked Hiram. He called them the land of Cabul, the name they are known by to this day.
14 UHiramu wayethumele enkosini amathalenta alikhulu lamatshumi amabili egolide.
Even so, Hiram sent the king 120 talents of gold in payment.
15 Nantu-ke udaba lwezibhalwa inkosi uSolomoni eyazibuthela ukwakha indlu yeNkosi, lendlu yayo, leMilo, lomduli weJerusalema, leHazori, leMegido, leGezeri:
Here is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon imposed to build the Lord's Temple, his own palace, the terraces, and the wall of Jerusalem, as well as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
16 UFaro inkosi yeGibhithe wayenyukile wathumba iGezeri wayitshisa ngomlilo, wabulala amaKhanani ayehlala emzini, wakhunga ngayo indodakazi yakhe, umkaSolomoni.
Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites living in the town. He had then given it as a wedding dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife.
17 USolomoni wasesakha iGezeri, leBhethi-Horoni engaphansi,
Solomon rebuilt Gezer and lower Beth-horon,
18 leBahalathi, leTamari enkangala elizweni,
Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
19 lemizi yonke yokugcinela impahla uSolomoni ayelayo, lemizi yezinqola, lemizi yabagadi bamabhiza, lesiloyiso sikaSolomoni ayeloyisa ngaso ukwakha eJerusalema leLebhanoni lelizweni lonke lombuso wakhe.
and all of Solomon's towns for storage, and the towns for his chariots and for his horsemen, plus whatever Solomon wanted to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and throughout his entire kingdom.
20 Bonke abantu ababesele kumaAmori, amaHethi, amaPerizi, amaHivi, lamaJebusi, ababengeyisibo babantwana bakoIsrayeli,
The descendants of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (people who were not Israelites)
21 abantwana babo ababesele emva kwabo elizweni, abantwana bakoIsrayeli abangenelisanga ukubatshabalalisa, uSolomoni wababutha izibhalwa eziyizigqili, kuze kube lamuhla.
who remained in the land—those whom the Israelites were unable to destroy completely—were conscripted by Solomon to work as forced laborers, as they continue to do to this day.
22 Kodwa ebantwaneni bakoIsrayeli uSolomoni kenzanga sigqili, kodwa babengamadoda empi, lenceku zakhe, leziphathamandla zakhe, lezinduna zakhe, labaphathi bezinqola zakhe, labagadi bakhe bamabhiza.
But Solomon did not enslave any of the Israelites. They were his soldiers, officials, commanders, captains, chariot commanders, and horsemen.
23 Laba babezinduna zabaphathi abaphezu komsebenzi kaSolomoni, amakhulu amahlanu lamatshumi amahlanu, ababebusa abantu ababesebenza emsebenzini.
They were also the chief officers in charge of Solomon's programs: 550 in command of the people who carried out the work.
24 Kodwa indodakazi kaFaro yenyuka iphuma emzini kaDavida isiya endlini yayo ayeyakhele yona. Ngalesosikhathi wakha iMilo.
Once Pharaoh's daughter had moved from the City of David to the palace that Solomon had built for her, he built the city terraces.
25 Njalo kathathu ngomnyaka uSolomoni wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula phezu kwelathi ayelakhele iNkosi, watshisa impepha kulelo elaliphambi kweNkosi. Waqeda njalo indlu.
Three times each year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings on the altar he had built for the Lord, burning incense before the Lord with them, and so fulfilled what was required at the Temple.
26 Inkosi uSolomoni yasisenza imikhumbi eEziyoni-Geberi eseElothi ekhunjini loLwandle oluBomvu elizweni leEdoma.
King Solomon built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.
27 UHiramu wasethuma emikhunjini inceku zakhe, amadoda emikhumbi, abazi ulwandle, kanye lenceku zikaSolomoni.
Hiram sent his sailors who knew the sea to serve in the fleet with Solomon's men.
28 Bafika eOfiri, bathatha khona igolide, amathalenta angamakhulu amane lamatshumi amabili, baliletha enkosini uSolomoni.
They sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold from there and delivered it to Solomon.
