Emva kokuba uSolomon enziwe ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, uYehova wambuza: ‘Ufuna ndikunike ntoni?’ USolomon wathi: ‘Ndimncinci, ibe andiyazi le nto ndiyenzayo. Ndicela undiphe ubulumko bokukhokela abantu bakho.’ UYehova wathi: ‘Ngenxa yokuba ucele ubulumko, ndiza kukwenza ube nobulumko ngaphezu kwabo bonke abantu abasemhlabeni. Ndiza kukunika nobutyebi. Ukuba uyandithobela, uza kuphila ubomi obude.’

USolomon waqalisa ukwakha itempile. Wasebenzisa igolide, isilivere, imithi namatye. Kuloo tempile kwakusebenza amadoda nabafazi abanobuchule. Emva kweminyaka eyi-7, itempile yayilungele ukunikezelwa kuYehova. Yayinesibingelelo kunye neminikelo. USolomon waguqa phambi kwesibingelelo waza wathandaza wathi: ‘Owu Yehova, nangona le tempile intle yaye inkulu kangaka ayikufanelanga, kodwa sicela ukwamkele ukukukhonza kwethu uze umamele imithandazo yethu.’ Wayecinga ntoni uYehova ngetempile nomthandazo kaSolomon? Akugqiba ukuthandaza uSolomon, kwehla umlilo uvela esibhakabhakeni waza watshisa iminikelo eyayikwisibingelelo. UYehova wayeyamkela itempile. AmaSirayeli avuya akubona le nto.

UKumkani uSolomon wayesaziwa ngokuba nobulumko kulo lonke elakwaSirayeli nakwezinye iindawo ezikude. Abantu babesiya kuye xa beneengxaki. Nokumkanikazi waseShebha weza kumbuza imibuzo enzima ukuze abone ukuba bungakanani ubulumko bakhe. Xa weva iimpendulo zakhe, wathi: ‘Bendingabakholelwa abantu xa bendixelela ngawe, kodwa ngoku ndizibonele ukuba ulumke ngaphezu kokuba bebesitsho. UYehova, uThixo wakho, ukusikelele.’ Ngelo xesha, ubomi babumnandi kwaSirayeli, abantu bonwabile. Kodwa izinto zazisele ziza kutshintsha.

Xa uSolomon wayekhonza uYehova, kwakukho uxolo kwaSirayeli. Kodwa uSolomon watshata abafazi abaninzi ababehlala kwamanye amazwe, ibe aba bafazi babekhonza izithixo. Kancinci kancinci uSolomon waya etshintsha, naye wakhonza izithixo. UYehova wacaphuka. Wathi kuSolomon: ‘USirayeli uya kwahlulelana kabini. Izizwe ezininzi zikaSirayeli ndiya kuzinika abakhonzi bakho, ize intsapho yakho ilawule ezimbalwa.’

UYehova wayicacisa nangenye indlela le nto. Omnye wabakhonzi bakaSolomon, uYerobhoham, wadibana nomprofeti uAhiya endleleni. UAhiya wakrazula ingubo yakhe yangamalaphu ayi-12 waza wathi: ‘UYehova uza kubuthatha ubukumkani bakwaSirayeli kwintsapho kaSolomon aze abohlule kabini. Thatha amalaphu ayi-10 kuba uza kulawula izizwe eziyi-10.’ UKumkani uSolomon wayiva le nto waza wafuna ukubulala uYerobhoham! UYerobhoham wabalekela eYiputa. Ekuhambeni kwexesha uSolomon wafa, waza unyana wakhe uRehobhoham waba ngukumkani. Ngoko uYerobhoham wabuyela kwaSirayeli.

Abantu abadala bakwaSirayeli bathi kuRehobhoham: ‘Ukuba ubaphatha kakuhle abantu, baya kunyaniseka kuwe.’ Kodwa iitshomi zikaRehobhoham ezincinane njengaye zathi: ‘Kufuneka ube ngqwabalala ebantwini! Basebenzise nzima!’ URehobhoham wathatha icebiso lezi tshomi zakhe. Wabakhohlakalela abantu, baza bamvukela. Benza uYerobhoham wangukumkani wezizwe eziyi-10, ezazisaziwa ngokuba bubukumkani bakwaSirayeli. Ezinye izizwe eziyi-2 zona zazisaziwa ngokuba bubukumkani bakwaYuda, ibe zahlala zinyanisekile kuRehobhoham. Ngoku izizwe eziyi-12 zakwaSirayeli zazahlulelene.

UYerobhoham wayengafuni ukuba abantu baye kukhonza eYerusalem, eyayiphantsi kobukumkani bukaRehobhoham. Uyazi kwakutheni? Wayesoyikela ukuba babenokumjikela baze baxhase uRehobhoham. Ngoko wenza amathole egolide ayi-2 waza wathi ebantwini: ‘IYerusalem ikude kakhulu. Ninokukhonzela nalapha.’ Abantu bakhonza amathole egolide baza baphinda bamlibala uYehova.