5Usuphelile umsebenzi wonke uSolomoni ayewenzela indlu yeNkosi, wangenisa izinto ezingcwelisiweyo zikaDavida uyise, lesiliva legolide lazo zonke izitsha wazibeka esiphaleni senotho sendlu kaNkulunkulu.

Ukungeniswa komtshokotsho wesivumelwano ethempelini

2 Ngalesosikhathi uSolomoni wabuthanisa eJerusalema abadala bakoIsrayeli, lazo zonke inhloko zezizwe, izinduna zaboyise babantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukuthi benyuse umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi usuke emzini kaDavida oyiZiyoni. 3 Wonke amadoda akoIsrayeli asebuthana enkosini emkhosini owenyanga yesikhombisaa. 4 Labo bonke abadala bakoIsrayeli beza, amaLevi asewuthwala umtshokotshob, 5 awuletha umtshokotsho lethente lenhlangano lazo zonke izitsha ezingcwele ezazisethenteni; abapristi lamaLevi basebekwenyusac. 6 Inkosi uSolomoni lenhlangano yonke yakoIsrayeli eyayibuthene phambi komtshokotsho basebenikela imihlatshelo yezimvu lezinkabi ezingelakubhalwa lezingelakubalwa ngobunengi. 7 Abapristi basebewungenisa umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi endaweni yawo, endaweni yelizwi yendlu, kungcwele yezingcwele, kwaze kwaba ngaphansi kwempiko zamakherubhi*. 8 Ngoba amakherubhi* elulela impiko zawo phezu kwendawo yomtshokotsho; amakherubhi awembesa umtshokotsho lemijabo yawo ngaphezulu. 9 Basebeselula imijabo, izihloko zemijabo zaze zabonakala emtshokotshweni phambi kwendawo yelizwid, kodwa zingabonakali ngaphandle; ukhona lapho-ke kuze kube lamuhla. 10 Kwakungelalutho emtshokotshweni, ngaphandle kwezibhebhe ezimbili uMozisi azifaka khona eHorebe lapho iNkosi eyenza khona isivumelwano labantwana bakoIsrayeli ekuphumeni kwabo eGibhithe.

11 Kwasekusithi abapristi bephuma endaweni engcwele, ngoba bonke abapristi abatholakalayo babezihlambulule bengagcinanga izigaba, 12 lamaLevi angabahlabeleli babo bonke - akoAsafi, akoHemani, akoJeduthuni, lakumadodana abo lakubafowabo - begqoke amalembu acolekileyo amhlophe, belezinsimbi ezincencethayo lezigubhu zezintambo lamachacho, bema ngempumalanga kwelathi; njalo kanye labo kulabapristi abalikhulu lamatshumi amabili bekhalisa izimpondo. 13 Kwasekusithi bekhalisa izimpondo behlabelela kanyekanye ukuzwakalisa umsindo owodwa, ukudumisa lokubonga iNkosi, lalapho bephakamisa ilizwi ngezimpondo langezinsimbi ezincencethayo lezinto zokuhlabelela, lalapho bedumisa iNkosi ukuthi ilungile lokuthi umusa wayo umi kuze kube phakade, indlu yagcwaliswa liyezi, indlu yeNkosi, 14 abapristi kabaze baba lakho ukuma ukukhonza ngenxa yeyezi, ngoba inkazimulo yeNkosi yagcwalisa indlu kaNkulunkulu.