1 Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever. 3 And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood. 4 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying, 5 Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel: 6 But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel. 7 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 8 But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart: 9 Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name. 10 The LORD therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 11 And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.
12 ¶ And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands: 13 For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven, 14 And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts: 15 Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 16 Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me. 17 Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David. 18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! 19 Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee: 20 That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. 21 Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.
22 ¶ If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house; 23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
24 ¶ And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; 25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
26 ¶ When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; 27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.
28 ¶ If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be: 29 Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house: 30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:) 31 That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
32 ¶ Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house; 33 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name. 34 If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; 35 Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. 36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near; 37 Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly; 38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: 39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee. 40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. 41 Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. 42 O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.
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.”