2 Imilando 7
1 Kwathi uSolomoni eseqedile ukukhuleka, umlilo wehla uvela emazulwini, wadla umnikelo wokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, lenkazimulo yeNkosi yagcwalisa indlu.
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from the sky and burned all the offerings and sacrifices [that were on the altar], and the glorious radiance of Yahweh filled the temple.
2 Njalo abapristi babengelakho ukungena endlini yeNkosi, ngoba inkazimulo yeNkosi yayigcwalise indlu yeNkosi.
The radiance [was extremely bright], with the result that the priests could not enter the temple of Yahweh.
3 Lapho bonke abantwana bakoIsrayeli bebona ukwehla komlilo lenkazimulo yeNkosi phezu kwendlu, bakhothama ngobuso babo emhlabathini endaweni egandelweyo, bakhonza bedumisa iNkosi, ukuthi ilungile, ukuthi umusa wayo umi phakade.
When all the Israeli people [who were there] saw the fire coming down and the glory of Yahweh above the temple, they prostrated themselves with their faces touching the ground. They worshiped and thanked Yahweh, singing, “Yahweh is always good to us; he faithfully loves us forever.”
4 Inkosi labo bonke abantu banikela-ke imihlatshelo phambi kweNkosi.
Then the king and all the people who were there dedicated the temple to Yahweh by offering more sacrifices to him. King Solomon gave 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats to be sacrificed.
5 Inkosi uSolomoni yasinikela imihlatshelo yezinkabi ezizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili, lezimvu ezizinkulungwane ezilikhulu lamatshumi amabili. Ngokunjalo inkosi labo bonke abantu bayehlukanisa indlu kaNkulunkulu.
6 Abapristi basebesima ezikhundleni zabo; lamaLevi elezinto zokuhlabelela zikaJehova inkosi uDavida ayezenzele ukudumisa uJehova, ngoba umusa wakhe umi phakade, lapho uDavida edumisa ngenkonzo yabo; labapristi bakhalisa impondo phambi kwabo, loIsrayeli wonke wema.
The priests stood in their positions, and the other descendants of Levi stood in their positions holding the musical instruments [to praise] Yahweh, instruments that King David had caused to be made for praising Yahweh and thanking him. [They sang], “He faithfully loves us forever.” Facing the other descendants of Levi the priests stood, blowing their trumpets, while all the Israeli people were standing [and listening].
7 USolomoni wasengcwelisa iphakathi leguma elaliphambi kwendlu yeNkosi, ngoba wenza lapho iminikelo yokutshiswa lamahwahwa eminikelo yokuthula, ngoba ilathi lethusi uSolomoni ayelenzile lalingenele umnikelo wokutshiswa, lomnikelo wokudla, lamahwahwa.
Solomon dedicated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple. Then he gave offerings to be completely burned there along with the fat of the animals to be sacrificed to maintain fellowship with Yahweh. The priests burned them there in the courtyard because in addition to those things there were offerings of grain, with the result that there was not enough space on the bronze altar to burn all those sacrifices.
8 Langalesosikhathi uSolomoni wenza umkhosi okwensuku eziyisikhombisa, loIsrayeli wonke kanye laye, ibandla elikhulu kakhulu, kusukela ekungeneni kweHamathi kusiya esifuleni seGibhithe.
Solomon [and the other people] celebrated the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters for seven days. There was a huge group of people who celebrated with him. Some of them came from [as far away as] Lebo-Hamath [in the far north] and the border of Egypt [in the far south].
9 Langosuku lwesificaminwembili benza umhlangano onzulu, ngoba benza ukwehlukaniswa kwelathi okwensuku eziyisikhombisa, lomkhosi okwensuku eziyisikhombisa.
On the eighth/next day they gathered again [to worship Yahweh]. They had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters for seven days.
10 Ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lantathu lwenyanga yesikhombisa waseyekela abantu bahamba baya emathenteni abo, bethokoza bejabula enhliziyweni ngokuhle iNkosi eyayikwenzele uDavida loSolomoni loIsrayeli abantu bayo.
Then on the next day Solomon sent them to their homes. They were very joyful because of all the good things that Yahweh had done for David and Solomon and for all his Israeli people.
11 Ngokunjalo uSolomoni waqeda indlu kaJehova lendlu yenkosi; lakho konke okwakuvela enhliziyweni kaSolomoni ukukwenza endlini yeNkosi lendlini yakhe wakuphumelelisa.
Solomon’s [workers] finished building the temple and Solomon’s palace. And Solomon finished doing everything else that he had planned to do.
12 INkosi yasibonakala kuSolomoni ebusuku yathi kuye: Ngizwile umkhuleko wakho, sengizikhethele lindawo ukuba yindlu yomhlatshelo.
Then Yahweh appeared to him one night [in a dream] and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this temple to be the place where my people will offer sacrifices to me.
13 Uba ngivala amazulu ukuze kungabi lazulu, kumbe uba ngilaya intethe ukuqeda ilizwe, kumbe uba ngithumela umatshayabhuqe wesifo phakathi kwabantu bami,
“When I prevent any rain from falling, or when I command locusts to eat all the crops, or when I send a plague among my people,
14 uba abantu bami ibizo lami elibizwa phezu kwabo bezithoba, bakhuleke badinge ubuso bami, baphenduke ezindleleni zabo ezimbi, mina-ke ngizakuzwa ngisemazulwini, ngithethelele isono sabo, ngelaphe ilizwe labo.
if the people who belong to me humble themselves and pray, and request me to help them, and if they turn away from their sinful behavior, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive them for having sinned and I will cause them to prosper again.
15 Khathesi amehlo ami azavuleka, lendlebe zami zilalele umkhuleko walindawo.
I [SYN] will see them and I [SYN] will hear them when they pray to me in this place.
16 Ngoba sengiyikhethile ngayingcwelisa lindlu ukuze ibizo lami libe khona kuze kube nininini; lamehlo ami lenhliziyo yami kuzakuba lapho zonke izinsuku.
I have chosen and have (set apart/dedicated) this temple in order that people may worship [MTY] me there forever. I will always watch over [MTY] it and protect [IDM] it.
17 Wena-ke, uba uhamba phambi kwami njengokuhamba kukaDavida uyihlo, wenze njengakho konke engikulaye khona, ugcine izimiso zami lezahlulelo zami,
“And as for you, if you obey me as David your father did, and if you do all that I command you to do, and obey all my laws and decrees,
18 ngizaqinisa-ke isihlalo sobukhosi sombuso wakho, njengokwenza kwami isivumelwano loDavida uyihlo ngisithi: Kakuyikusweleka muntu kuwe obusa koIsrayeli.
I will make sure that your descendants will always be kings, which is what I promised to David your father, saying, ‘Some of your descendants will always be the kings of Israel.’
19 Kodwa uba libuyela emuva lina, litshiya izimiso zami lemilayo yami engikubeke phambi kwenu, lihambe likhonze abanye onkulunkulu libakhothamele,
“But if you Israelis turn away from me and disobey the decrees and commands that I have given to you, and you start to worship other gods,
20 ngizabasiphuna-ke elizweni engibanike lona, lalindlu engiyingcwelisele ibizo lami ngizayilahla isuke phambi kwami, ngiyenze ibe yisiga lento yokuhozwa phakathi kwezizwe zonke.
I will cause you to be expelled from this land that I have given to you, and I will abandon this temple that I have set apart to be the place where people should worship me. I will cause it to be despised and ridiculed by people of all nations.
21 Lalindlu ephakemeyo izakuba yisimangaliso kulowo lalowo odlula kuyo, aze athi: INkosi ikwenzeleni okunje kulelilizwe lakulindlu?
Although this temple is now greatly respected, when that happens, all the people who pass by will be appalled, and they will say, ‘Why has Yahweh done terrible things like this to this country and to this temple?’
22 Bazakuthi-ke: Kungoba beyidelile iNkosi uNkulunkulu waboyise eyabakhupha elizweni leGibhithe, babambelela kwabanye onkulunkulu, babakhonza babasebenzela; ngenxa yalokho ibehlisele bonke lobububi.
And others will reply, ‘It happened because they rejected Yahweh, the God to whom their ancestors belonged, the one who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they have been worshiping other gods and trying to please them. And that is why Yahweh has caused them to experience all these disasters.’”
