< 1 Kings 10 >
1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions.
Malkia wa Sheba aliposikia uvumi wa Sulemani kuhusu jina la BWANA, alikuja kumjaribu kwa maswali magumu.
2 She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind.
Alikuja Yerusalemu na msafara mrefu, pamoja na ngamia waliokuwa wamebeba mizigo ya manukato, dhahabu nyingi, na mawe mengi ya thamani, akamwambia Sulemani yote yaliyokuwa moyoni mwake.
3 And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain.
Sulemani akajibu maswali yake yote. Hapakuwepo na swali ambalo aliuliza na mfalme akashindwa kujibu.
4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built,
Malkia wa Sheba alipoona hekima yote ya Sulemani, na ikulu aliyokuwa amejenga,
5 the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away.
chakula cha mezani kwake, kuketi kwa watumishi wake, kazi ya watumishi wake na kuvaa kwao, pia wanyweshaji wake, na jinsi alivyotoa sadaka za kuteketezwa katika nyumba ya BWANA, roho yake ilizimia.
6 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true.
Akamwambia mfalme, “Ni kweli, ile taarifa ambayo nimeisikia nchini kwangu juu ya maneno yako na hekima yako.
7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard.
Sikuamini kile nilichosikia hadi nilipofika hapa, na sasa macho yangu yamejionea. Hata nusu ya hekima na utajiri wako! Umezidi uvumi ambao nilikuwa nimesikia.
8 How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!
Tazama jinsi walivyobarikiwa wake zako, na jinsi walivyobarikwa watumishi wako ambao daima husimama mbele yako, kwa sababu wanasikia hekima zako.
9 Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”
BWANA, Mungu wako asifiwe, ambaye amependezwa na wewe, ambaye alikuweka kwenye kiti cha enzi cha Israeli. Kwa sababu BWANA aliipenda Israeli milele, na sasa amekufanya wewe kuwa mfalme, ili kwamba utoe hukumu ya kweli na ya haki.
10 Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
Basi Malikia alimpatia mfalme zaidi ya kilo 4500 za dhahabu na kiasi kikubwa cha mawe ya thamani. Hapakuwahi kutokea kiasi kikubwa cha viungo kama hiki ambacho Malkia wa Sheba alitoa kwa mfalme Sulemani kuwahi kutolewa tena.
11 (The fleet of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir also brought from Ophir a great cargo of almug wood and precious stones.
Ile merikebu ya Hiramu, ambayo ilileta dhahabu kutoka Ofri, pia ilileta Kutoka Ofri kiasi kikubwa cha miti ya msandali na vito vya thamani.
12 The king made the almug wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had such almug wood been brought in, nor has such been seen to this day.)
Mfalme alitengeneza nguzo za hekalu kwa ajili ya hekalu la BWANA na kwa nyumba ya mfalme, na vinubi na vinanda kwa hao waimbaji. haijatokea kiasi cha miti ya misandali kama hicho ambacho kimewahi kutokea hadi leo.
13 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired—whatever she asked—besides what he had given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left and returned to her own country, along with her servants.
Mfame Sulemani alimpatia Malkia wa Sheba kila kitu ambacho alihitaji, na kila kitu alichoomba, na zaidi ya yote Sulemani alimpatia kwa ukarimu wake vitu vya kifalme. Kisha akarudi kwake na watumishi wake.
14 The weight of gold that came to Solomon each year was 666 talents,
Kiasi cha dhahabu ambazo zililetwa kwa Sulemani kwa mwaka mmoja kilikuwa takribani kilo elfu ishirini na tatu za dhahabu,
15 not including the revenue from the merchants, traders, and all the Arabian kings and governors of the land.
zaidi ya dhahabu ambazo wafanya biashara na wachuuzi walileta. Wafame wote wa Uarabuni na maliwali wa nchi pia walileta dhahabu na fedha kwa Sulemani.
16 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.
Mfalme Sulemani alitengeneza ngao mia mbili za dhahabu iliyofuliwa, shekeli mia sita za dhahabu zilichukuliwa pamoja na ngao.
17 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
Pia alitengeneza ngao mia tatu za dhahabu iliyofuliwa. Mane tatu za dhahabu ziliambatana pamoja na ngao moja moja; mfalme aliviweka katika ikulu ya mwitu ya Lebanoni.
18 Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
Kisha mfalme akafanya kiti kikubwa cha enzi kwa pembe na akakisakafia kwa dhahabu laini.
19 The throne had six steps, and its back had a rounded top. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with a lion standing beside each armrest.
Hicho kiti kilikuwa na ngazi sita, na kitako chake kilikuwa cha mviringo. Na kilikuwa kimezungushiwa kwa mikono pande zake zote. Na simba wawili walisimama pembeni mwa ile mikono.
20 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
Kulikuwa na simba kumi na wawili waliokuwa wamesimama kwenye ile ngazi. Moja katika kila upande wa ngazi hizo. Hapakuwepo na kiti kama hicho katika ufalme mwingine.
21 All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
Vikombe vyote vya kunywea vya mfalme Sulemani vilikuwa vya dhahabu. Na vikombe vyote vya kunywea vya ikulu ya mwitu wa Lebanoni vilikuwa vya dhahabu safi. Hapakuwepo na kikombe cha fedha, kwa sababu fedha haikuwa na thamani katika siku za Sulemani.
22 For the king had the ships of Tarshish at sea with Hiram’s fleet, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
Mfalme alikuwa na merikebu za kusafiri pamoja na merikebu za Hiramu. Mara moja kila mwaka merikebu zilileta dhahabu, fedha, na pembe za ndovu, pamoja na nyani na tumbili.
23 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
Kwa hiyo mfalme Sulemani aliwazidi wafalme wote ulimwenguni katika utajiri n a hekiima.
24 The whole world sought an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart.
Dunia yote ilitafuta uwepo wa Sulemani ili kusikia hekima yake, ambayo Mungu alikuwa ameweka katika moyo wake.
25 Year after year, each visitor would bring his tribute: articles of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
Na wote waliomtembelea walilipa Kodi, vyombo vya fedha na vya dhahabu, na nguo na manukato na silaha na farasi na nyumbu, mwaka baada ya mwaka.
26 Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
Sulemani alikusanya pamoja magari n a wapanda farasi. Alikuwa na magari 1, 400 na wapanda farasi elfu kumi na mbili ambao alikuwa amewaweka kwenye miji ya magari pamoja naye Yerusalemu.
27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as abundant as sycamore in the foothills.
Mfalme alikuwa na fedha kule Yerusalemu, pamoja na mawe ardhini. Alitengeneza miti ya mierezi kuwa mingi kama mikuyu iliyo katika nyanda za chini.
28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue; the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.
Sulemani alimiliiki farasi waliokuwa wamenunuliwa kutoka Misri na Kilikia. Wachuuzi wa mfalme waliwanunua kwa makundi, kila kundi kwa bei yake.
29 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. Likewise, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram.
Magari yalinunuliwa kutoka Misri kwa shekeli mia sita za fedha kila moja, na farasi kwa shekeli 150 kila moja. Vitu vingi katika hivi baadaye viliuzwa kwa wafalme wote wa Wahiti na Aramu.