1 AMakhosi 5:1-18

UHiramu, inkosi yaseThire, wathuma izinceku zakhe kuSolomoni, ngokuba wayesezwile ukuthi ugcotshiwe ukuba abe yinkosi esikhundleni sikayise. UHiramu wayengumngani kaDavide zonke izinsuku zakhe. USolomoni wathumela kuHiramu, wathi: “Wena uyazi ukuthi uDavide, ubaba, akakwazanga ukwakhela igama likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakhe indlu, ngenxa yezimpi ezazimzungezile; uSimakade waze wabeka izitha phansi kwamathe ezinyawo zakhe. Kepha manje uSimakade uNkulunkulu wami unginike ukuphumula nhlangothi zonke; akekho omelana nami, akukho ngozi. Ngicabanga ukwakhela igama likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wami indlu, njengalokhu uSimakade asho kuDavide ubaba, wathi: ‘Indodana yakho, engiyakuyibeka esihlalweni sakho sobukhosi esikhundleni sakho, yiyona eyakwakhela igama lami indlu.’ “Ngakho-ke ake uyaleze ukuba bangigawulele imisedari eLebhanoni, izinceku zami zibe nezakho. Ngiyakukunika inkokhelo yezinceku zakho ngendlela oyobiza ngayo, ngokuba wena uyazi ukuthi akukho muntu kithi ongagawula imithi njengamaSidoni.” Kwathi uHiramu esewezwile amazwi kaSolomoni, wathokoza kakhulu, wathi: “Makadunyiswe uSimakade namuhla, ophe uDavide indodana ehlakaniphileyo ukubusa phezu kwalaba bantu abakhulu.” UHiramu wayesethumela kuSolomoni, wathi: “Ngizwile lokho okuthumele kimi; mina ngiyakwenza konke okufunayo ngemisedari nangemisayiphuresi. Izinceku zami ziyakuyehlisa eLebhanoni, ziyiyise olwandle, mina ngiyenze ibe yizihlenga ezihamba olwandle, ziye endaweni oyakungiyalela yona, zihlakazwe lapho. Wena uyakuzithwala lapho, ufeze engikufunayo ngokuba uphe abendlu yami ukudla.” UHiramu wayesenika uSolomoni imisedari nemisayiphuresi njengalokho ayekufunile. USolomoni wamnika uHiramu amakhora ayizi-20 000 kakolo, ukudla kwabendlu yakhe, namakhora angama-20 amafutha akhanyiweyo. USolomoni wamnika kanjalo uHiramu iminyaka ngeminyaka. USimakade wamnika ukuhlakanipha uSolomoni njengokuba ayeshilo kuye. Kwakukhona ukuthula phakathi kukaHiramu noSolomoni; benza isivumelwano bobabili. Inkosi uSolomoni yafuna izisebenzi kubo bonke abakwa-Israyeli; izisebenzi zaba yizi-30 000. Yathumela izisebenzi eziyizi-10 000 ngenyanga, eLebhanoni, zidedelana; zaziba seLebhanoni inyanga, zibe sekhaya izinyanga ezimbili. U-Adoniramu nguye owayephethe izisebenzi. USolomoni wayenabathwala imithwalo abayizi-70 000, nababazi bamatshe ezintabeni abayizi-80 000, ngaphandle kwezinduna ezinkulu zikaSolomoni ezaziphethe umsebenzi, eziyizi-3 300 ezazengamele abantu ababesebenza. Inkosi yayalela ukuba baqophe amatshe amakhulu, amatshe anenani elikhulu, ukuba babeke isisekelo sendlu ngamatshe abaziweyo. Abakhi bakaSolomoni nabakhi bakaHiramu nabaseGebhali bawabaza, balungisa imithi namatshe ukuba kwakhiwe indlu.