NGAPHAMBI kokuba afe, uDavide waxelela uSolomon indlela uThixo awayefuna yakhiwe ngayo itempile kaYehova. Kunyaka wesine wolawulo lwakhe, uSolomon uqalisa ukwakha itempile yaye uyigqiba emva kweminyaka esixhenxe enesiqingatha. Etempileni kusebenza amadoda angamashumi amawaka yaye isakhiwo sidla imali eninzi. Le nto ibangelwa kukuba kusetyenziswa igolide nesilivere eninzi xa isakhiwa.

Itempile inamagumbi amabini amakhulu, njengokuba kwakunjalo nasemnqubeni. Kodwa la magumbi awaphinda kubini ngobukhulu lawo omnquba. USolomon ufaka ityeya yomnqophiso kwigumbi elingaphakathi letempile yaye ezinye izinto ezazigcinwa emnqubeni zibekwa kwelinye igumbi.

Xa itempile igqityiwe kubakho umbhiyozo omkhulu. USolomon uguqa ngamadolo phambi kwetempile aze athandaze, njengokuba umbona emfanekisweni. ‘Nezulu alikulingene,’ utsho uSolomon kuYehova, ‘kukangakanani ke ngale tempile. Kodwa, Thixo wam, khawubaphulaphule abantu bakho xa bethandaza ngale ndawo.’

Ekugqibeni kukaSolomon umthandazo wakhe, kuhla umlilo uvela ezulwini. Utshisa amadini ezilwanyana abewenziwe. Yaye itempile izaliswa kukukhanya okuqaqambileyo okuvela kuYehova. Le nto ibonisa ukuba uYehova uphulaphule nokuba uyakholiswa yitempile nangumthandazo kaSolomon. Kunokuba baye emnqubeni, ngoku abantu beza etempileni ukuze banqule.

USolomon ulawula ngobulumko kangangexesha elide yaye abantu bonwabile. Kodwa uSolomon utshata nabafazi abaninzi bamanye amazwe abangamnquliyo uYehova. Uyambona na omnye wabo enqula phambi kwesithixo? Ekugqibeleni abafazi bakaSolomon bambangela ukuba anqule abanye oothixo. Ngaba uyakwazi okwenzekayo xa uSolomon esenza oku? Akasabaphathi ngobubele abantu. Uyakhohlakala yaye abantu abasonwabanga.

Le nto yenziwa nguSolomon iyamqumbisa uYehova yaye uthi kuye: ‘Ndiya kubuthabatha kuwe ubukumkani ndibunike omnye umntu. Andiyi kukwenza oku ngethuba lokudla kwakho ubomi kodwa xa kulawula unyana wakho. Kodwa andiyi kubathabatha bonke abantu abaphantsi kobukumkani bonyana wakho.’ Masibone ukuba kwenzeka njani oku.