Solomoni unolebesa bathu
(1 Bomambo 8:12-21)1 Ipapo Solomoni kati, “Yahwe bakati banowogala mu zhalima lakati zwititi. 2 Ngono ndakamubakila ng'umba ye tjimo tjipezhugwi, bugalo gwenyu gwamunowogala nge kusingapele.”
3 Kukati gubungano lose le Iziraela lili mile ipapo, Mambo Solomoni katendebuka kabakombolela. 4 Ngono kabe eti, “Ngakukudziwe Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bati nge luboko gwabo bakashingikadza tjabakagadzabgwe tate bangu Dafite beti, 5 ‘Tjinga kwe zhuba landakadusa bathu bangu Baiziraela mu Egipiti, akuna nzi nkulu mu njudzi dzose dze Iziraela wandakashalulila kubakigwa ng'umba inowogala zina langu kakale akuna nthu wandakashalula kubusa bathu bangu Baiziraela. 6 Koga ngwenu ndashalula Jerusalema kuti ibe iwo nzi wandinowonamatiwa kuuli kakale ndashalula Dafite kuti abe iye unotungamila bathu bangu.’
7 “Kukagala kuli mu moyo wa tate bangu Dafite kuti banowobakila zina la Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela ng'umba. 8 Koga Yahwe bakadwa tate bangu Dafite bakati, ‘Kwakalulwama kuti kube kuli mu moyo uwo kuti ubakile zina langu ng'umba, 9 nenguba kwakajalo, aungabakile zina langu ng'umba, koga mwana uwo unowozwagwa ndiye unowobakila zina langu ng'umba.’ 10 Ngono ngwenu Yahwe bashingikadza kugadzabgwe, ngobe ndamuka mu bumo gwa tate bangu Dafite, agala mu tjigalo tje bushe gwe Iziraela Yahwe sekwa bakagadzabgwe, kakale ndabakila zina la Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela ng'umba. 11 Ngwenu ndathamila Bhokisi le Tjidumano bugalo, ilo lakasenga tjidumano tja Yahwe tjabakathama ne bathu be Iziraela.”
Ntembezelo wa Solomoni
(1 Bomambo 8:22-53)12 Ndizo Solomoni kama mbeli kwe tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Yahwe, mbeli kwe gubungano lose le Iziraela, kamilidza maboko awe akaalingisa ku zhuzhugwi, 13 Solomoni wakabe athama itubhu nge phangula tjakabe tjakabakiwa pakati kwe nsha, budzilo gwatjo gwakabe guli thambo dzili shanu bupabi gwatjo guli thambo dzili shanu bulefu kuyenda pezhugwi guli thambo dzili thatu. Solomoni wakatatha itubhu kathigama mbeli kwe gubungano lose le Iziraela, kamilidzila maboko kudzimu, 14 ngono katembezela eti, “Imwi Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela, akuna Ndzimu unonga imwi kudzimu pezhugwi kene pasi mu shango, molondolodza tjidumano tjenyu ne ludo gusingazunguzike mu balanda benyu ha be muhwa nge moyo yabo yose. 15 Makalondolodza kugadzabgwe kwenyu kwamakagadzabgwe nlanda wenyu tate bangu Dafite, nasi mashingikadza dama lenyu limwe ne limwe nge masimba enyu. 16 Ndizo ngwenu, Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela, londolodzani tjamakagadzabgwe nlanda wenyu tate bangu Dafite muti, ‘Akutowoshayika nlume mu zwizekugwana zwizo unowogala pa tjigalo tje bushe gwe Iziraela, ha bakololo babo banga be ne njele mu zila dzabo, beyenda mbeli kwangu sekwa wakabe uyenda mbeli kwangu iwe.’ 17 Ndizo ngwenu, imwi Ndzimu we Iziraela, thamani kuti dama lenyu lizhadzisike lamakaleba ne nlanda wenyu tate bangu Dafite.
18 “Apa dumbu Ndzimu ungagala mu shango kene? Naiko kudzimu na pezhugwizhugwi akungabe bugalo gwakamulizana. Ngono ng'umba iyeyi yandakabaka ina bukulu gungapani gwaingamulizana kene? 19 Nenguba kwakajalo Yahwe Ndzimu wangu, itilani hanya ntembezelo we nlanda wenyu muamutjile kukumbila kukwe ne ntembezelo waanotembezela mbeli kwenyu nasi, 20 kuti zhisho lenyu libe pezhugwi kwe ng'umba iyeyi siku ne sikati, bugalo igogu gwamakaleba muti, ‘Zina langu lowobe muili,’ ndizo muhwe ntembezelo unotembezegwa nge nlanda wenyu akalinga bugalo igogu. 21 Ihwani kukumbila kwe nlanda wenyu nekwe bathu benyu Baiziraela ha betembezela bakalinga bugalo igogu. Ihwani muli mu bugalo gwenyu kudzimu muamutjile mutizwiibhatigwe.
22 “Ha nthu atjinyila ikamu tjitje kube kuyi atune, ebe ezha etuna mbeli kwe tjibeso tjenyu tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo mu ng'umba iyeyi, 23 ipapo Yahwe, muhwe muli kudzimu mutole thambo. Musumikilisa balanda benyu, mulobe shamu una nlandu nge kunkhiga nlandu uwe mu nsholo, mubuzile nlulwami kuyenda nge ndulamo iye.
24 “Ha bathu benyu Baiziraela bamutjinyila, bebe bekundiwa nge zwita zwabo mbeli kwenyu, koga bebe beshandukila kumuli, bedana zina lenyu, betembezela bemukumbila bali mu ng'umba iyeyi, 25 mubahwe muli kudzimu, muzwiibhatigwe zwibi zwe bathu benyu Baiziraela, mube mubabgwiliza ku shango yamakapa bobatategulu babo.
26 “Ha kudzimu kwazhaligwa vula isingane ngobe bathu benyu bamutjinyila, ngono ha beshandukila zwibi zwabo, belinga ku ng'umba iyeyi, betembezela bedana zina lenyu, ngoti mubaloba, 27 mubahwe muli kudzimu, muzwiibhatigwe zwibi zwe balanda benyu Baiziraela. Mubadiye ndulamo, kuyenda mu zila yabakafanila yenda muili. Mube mubanisila vula mu shango yabo, yamakabapa kube thaka.
28 “Ha kuna bhamba mu shango, ha kuna bugwele kene mathunde ali zwimbubgwi kene ana hwuzwi kene ejiwa nge phashu kene nge zwikonyana, kene bathu banginiligwa nge zwita zwabo mu mizi yabo, kene kuna gatekate le bugwele kene kuna bugwele gwawa, 29 muhwe mitembezelo yabo. Ha mmwe we bathu benyu Baiziraela, ezha nge kuhwa zogwadza, bemilidzila maboko abo ku ng'umba iyeyi betembezela, 30 muhwe mitembezelo yabo. Mubahwe muli mu nzi wenyu kudzimu, mubabhatshe. Ndimwi moga munoziba zwimu moyo ye bathu. Mubhatshe nthu mmwe ne mmwe kuyendidzana ngokumbila kukwe. 31 Kuti ndizo bathu benyu bamuhwe mu zwibaka zose bali mu shango yamakapa bobatategulu bedu.
32 “Nenge ntaya usi we ludzi gwe bathu benyu Baiziraela, ha angazha edwa ku shango ikulekule, ezhila zina lenyu ne simba lenyu gulu ne luboko gwenyu gwamakatambunudza, ha ezha wotembezela akalingisana ne ng'umba iyeyi, 33 muhwe muli kudzimu ku bugalo gwenyu ngono muthame ikoko kuti ndizo bathu bose be shango bazibe zina lenyu kakale bamutje se bathu benyu Baiziraela. Banowoziba kuti Ng'umba iyeyi yandamubakila ndipo pamakafanila zina lenyu lidang'wepo.
34 “Ha bathu benyu bebhuda beyenda ku ngwa, kunogwa ne zwita zwabo, bebe betembezela bakalinga nzi nkulu uwoyu wamakashalula ne ng'umba iyeyi yandakabakila zina lenyu, 35 muhwe mitembezelo ne kukumbila kwabo muli kudzimu, ngono mubape gwendo.
36 “Ha bathu benyu bangamuthamila tjibi, ngoti akuna nthu usingake kathama tjibi, ngono kube kuti nge bushongola gwenyu mube mubalonga mu maboko e zwita zwabo, kuti ndizo batapigwe ku shango ye zwita zwabo, kule kule kene pejo pejo, 37 bebe beti bali ku shango yabakatapigwa ko bebe bemukumbula mu moyo yabo, ngono bebe beshanduka, bemutembezela bali mu shango ya bakabatapa beti, ‘Takatjinya, ngono tikabhuda mu zila tikathama mbipo,’ 38 ha bashanduka mu mikumbulo yabo yose ne mu moyo yabo yose bali mu shango ye zwita zwabo, zwakabatapa, bebe betembezela bakalinga ku shango yabo yamakapa bobatategulu babo, nzi nkulu wamakashalula, ne ku ng'umba iyeyi yandakabakila zina lenyu, 39 muhwe mitembezelo ne kukumbila kwabo muli mu bugalo gwenyu kudzimu, mubahwile ngoni. 40 Ngono ngwenu Ndzimu wangu, zhulani mesho ne zebe muhwe ntembezelo iwoyu we magalo iyawa.
41 “Ngono ngwenu Yahwe Ndzimu tjimilikani ne Bhokisi le Tjidumano ilo simba lenyu gulu muzhe ku bugalo gwenyu gwe kunyaluluka. Ambadzani bapirisiti benyu jidzo mu nshingo wabo ngono bayengemali benyu bose ngabashathile bubuya gwenyu. 42 Yahwe Ndzimu, musindifupatile imi nzhodziwa wenyu! Kumbulani ludo gwenyu gusingazunguzike mu nlanda wenyu Dafite.”
1 Solomon prayed:
“Our Lord, you said that you
would live in a dark cloud.
2 Now I've built a glorious temple
where you can live forever.”
Solomon Speaks to the People
(1 Kings 8.14-21)3 Solomon turned toward the people standing there. Then he blessed them 4-6 and said:
Praise the Lord God of Israel! He brought his people out of Egypt long ago and later kept his promise to make my father David the king of Israel. The Lord also promised him that Jerusalem would be the city where his temple will be built, and now that promise has come true.
7 When my father wanted to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel, 8 the Lord said, “It's good that you want to build a temple where I can be worshiped. 9 But you're not the one to do it. Your son will build the temple to honor me.”
10 The Lord has done what he promised. I am now the king of Israel, and I've built a temple for the Lord our God. 11 I've also put the sacred chest in the temple. And in that chest are the two flat stones on which is written the solemn agreement the Lord made with our ancestors when he rescued them from Egypt.
Solomon Prays at the Temple
(1 Kings 8.22-53)12-13 Earlier, Solomon had a bronze platform made that was about two meters square and over a meter high, and he put it in the center of the outer courtyard near the altar. Solomon stood on the platform facing the altar with everyone standing behind him. Then he lifted his arms toward heaven; he knelt down 14 and prayed:
Lord God of Israel, no other god in heaven or on earth is like you!
You never forget the agreement you made with your people, and you are loyal to anyone who faithfully obeys your teachings. 15 My father David was your servant, and today you have kept every promise you made to him.
16 You promised that someone from his family would always be king of Israel, if they do their best to obey you, just as he did. 17 Please keep this promise you made to your servant David. 18 There's not enough room in all of heaven for you, Lord God. How could you possibly live on earth in this temple I have built? 19 But I ask you to answer my prayer. 20 This is the temple where you have chosen to be worshiped. Please watch over it day and night and listen when I turn toward it and pray. 21 I am your servant, and the people of Israel belong to you, and so whenever any of us look toward this temple and pray, answer from your home in heaven and forgive our sins.
22 Suppose someone accuses a person of a crime, and the accused has to stand in front of the altar in your temple and say, “I swear I am innocent!” 23 Listen from heaven and decide who is right. Then punish the guilty person and let the innocent one go free.
24 Suppose your people Israel sin against you, and then an enemy defeats them. If they come to this temple and beg for forgiveness, 25 listen from your home in heaven. Forgive them and bring them back to the land you gave their ancestors.
26 Suppose your people sin against you, and you punish them by holding back the rain. If they stop sinning and turn toward this temple to pray in your name, 27 listen from your home in heaven and forgive them. The people of Israel are your servants, so teach them to live right. And send rain on the land you promised them forever.
28 Sometimes the crops may dry up or rot or be eaten by locusts or grasshoppers, and your people will be starving. Sometimes enemies may surround their towns, or your people will become sick with deadly diseases. 29 Please listen when anyone in Israel truly feels sorry and sincerely prays with arms lifted toward your temple. 30 You know what is in everyone's heart. So from your home in heaven answer their prayers, according to what they do and what is in their hearts. 31 Then your people will worship you and obey you for as long as they live in the land you gave their ancestors.
32 Foreigners will hear about you and your mighty power, and some of them will come to live among your people Israel. If any of them pray toward this temple, 33 listen from your home in heaven and answer their prayers. Then everyone on earth will worship you, just as your own people Israel do, and they will know that I have built this temple in your honor.
34 Sometimes you will order your people to attack their enemies. Then your people will turn toward this temple I have built for you in your chosen city, and they will pray to you. 35 Answer their prayers from heaven and give them victory.
36 Everyone sins. But when your people sin against you, suppose you get angry enough to let their enemies drag them away to foreign countries. 37-39 Later, they may feel sorry for what they did and ask your forgiveness. Answer them when they pray toward this temple I have built for you in your chosen city, here in this land you gave their ancestors. From your home in heaven, listen to their sincere prayers and forgive your people who have sinned against you.
40 Lord God, hear us when we pray in this temple. 41 Come to your new home, where we have already placed the sacred chest, which is the symbol of your strength. I pray that when the priests announce your power to save people, those who are faithful to you will celebrate what you've done for them. 42 Always remember the love you had for your servant David, so that you will not reject your chosen kings.