< 2 Chronicles 9 >
1 The queen of Sheba heard how famous Solomon was, so she came to Jerusalem to test him with tough questions. She brought with her a very large entourage, with camels loaded with spices, large amounts of gold, and precious gemstones. She came to Solomon and asked him about everything she had on her mind.
Indlovukazi yaseShebha isizwile ngodumo lukaSolomoni, yaya eJerusalema ukuba iyemlinga ngemibuzo enzima. Yayiphelekezelwa ludwende olukhulu, amakamela ayethwele iziyoliso, igolide elinengi kakhulu lamatshe aligugu, yafika kuSolomoni yaxoxa laye ngakho konke eyayikumumethe.
2 Solomon answered all her questions. There was nothing he couldn't explain to her.
USolomoni wayiphendula yonke imibuzo yayo, akubanga lalutho olwaba nzima ukuthi aluchasisele yona.
3 When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom, and the palace he had built,
Inkosikazi yaseShebha isibonile konke ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni, lesigodlo ayesakhile,
4 the food on the table, how his officials lived, how his servants operated and how they were dressed, the clothes of the waiters, and the burnt offerings he presented at the Lord's Temple, she was so astonished she could hardly breathe.
lokudla kwakhe, lokuhlaliswa kwezinduna zakhe, lokuhlelwa kwezinceku zakhe lezigqoko zazo, labaphathi benkezo lezigqoko zabo, leminikelo yokutshiswa ayeyinikela ethempelini likaThixo, kwayiqeda amandla.
5 She told the king, “It's true what I heard in my own country about your proverbs and your wisdom!
Yathi enkosini, “Imibiko ebifika ezindlebeni zami elizweni lami ngengqubelaphambili langenhlakanipho yakho iqotho.
6 But I didn't believe what they told me until I came and saw with my own eyes. In fact, I wasn't told the half of it—the extent of your wisdom far exceeds what I heard!
Ngibe ngingayikholwa leyo mbiko ngaze ngazibonela ngawami amehlo. Ngeqiniso, akufiki engxenyeni engikuzwileyo ngokujula kwenhlakanipho yakho; engikubonileyo kwedlula engakuzwayo ngawe ngokuphindwe kanengi.
7 How happy your people must be! How happy those who work for you, who stand here every day listening to your wisdom!
Yeka ukujabula kwabantu bakho! Yeka ziyadela izikhulu zakho, ezihlezi zimi phambi kwakho zizizwela inhlakanipho yakho!
8 Praise the Lord your God who is so pleased with you, who placed you on his throne as king to rule on his behalf. Because of the love of your God for Israel he has made them secure forever, and he has made you king over them to do what is fair and right.”
Udumo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, obe lokuthokoza ngawe wakufaka esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi ukuba ube yinkosi ubusele uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho. Ngenxa yothando lukaNkulunkulu wakho ngo-Israyeli, lokuzimisela ukubamela kuze kube nininini, ukubekile waba yinkosi phezu kwabo, ukuze ulondoloze ukwahlulela ngemfanelo langokulunga.”
9 She presented the king with one hundred and twenty talents of gold, huge amounts of spices and precious stones. Never before had there been spices like those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
Indlovukazi yasinika uSolomoni amathalenta egolide alikhulu elilamatshumi amabili, iziyoliso ezinengi, lamatshe aligugu. Kwakungakaze kube leziyoliso ezinjengalezo ezaphiwa inkosi uSolomoni yindlovukazi yaseShebha.
10 (Hiram and of Solomon's men, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum wood and precious stones.
(Izinceku zikaHiramu lezikaSolomoni zaletha igolide livela e-Ofiri; zaletha lezigodo zomʼaligumu lamatshe aligugu.
11 The king used the algum wood to make steps for the Temple and for the royal palace, and into lyres and harps for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in the land of Judah.)
Inkosi yasebenzisa izigodo zomʼaligumu ukwakha inyathelo lethempeli likaThixo lenyathelo lesigodlo sesikhosini, kanye lokwenza imihubhe lemiqangala yabahlabeleli. Kwakungakaze kubonakale okunjengalokhu kwelakoJuda).
12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all wanted, whatever she asked for. This was far more than she had brought the king. Then she and her attendants returned home to her own country.
Inkosi uSolomoni yapha inkosikazi yaseShebha okwedlula lokho eyayikucelile, kwakukunengi kugabhela lokho ayekuphathelwe yinkosikazi. Yavalelisa-ke inkosikazi yabuyela elizweni layo lobhobo lwezindwendwe zayo.
13 The weight of gold that Solomon received each year was 666 talents,
Isisindo segolide elalifika kuSolomoni minyaka yonke lalingamathalenta angamakhulu ayisithupha lamatshumi ayisithupha lasithupha,
14 not including that received from traders and merchants. All the kings of Arabia and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
kungabalwa inzuzo eyayivela emithelweni yabathengisi labathengi. Kunjalo-nje amakhosi ase-Arabhiya leziphathamandla zelizwe zaletha igolide lesiliva kuSolomoni.
15 King Solomon made two hundred shields of hammered gold. Each shield required six hundred shekels of hammered gold.
Inkosi uSolomoni yenza amahawu amakhulu angamakhulu amabili ngegolide elikhandiweyo; lilinye langena amashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha.
16 He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold. Each of these shields required three hundred gold coins. The king placed them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
Inkosi yasisenza ezinye ezincinyane ezingamakhulu amathathu ngegolide elikhandiweyo, sisinye sithatha amashekeli egolide elikhandiweyo angamakhulu amathathu. Inkosi yazibeka eSigodlweni saseGuswini laseLebhanoni.
17 The king also made a great throne of ivory, and covered it with pure gold.
Ngakho inkosi yasisenza isihlalo esikhulu sinanyekwe ngempondo zendlovu ngaphakathi kodwa ngaphandle kuligolide elihle.
18 The throne had six steps, with a golden footstool attached. There were armrests on both sides of the seat, with lions standing beside the armrests.
Isihlalo sobukhosi sasilezinyathelo eziyisithupha njalo kulesenabelo segolide esasixhunywe kuso. Emaceleni esihlalo kwakulezeyamelo zengalo, yileso laleso kumi isilwane eceleni kwaso.
19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one on opposite ends of each step. Nothing like this had ever been made for any kingdom.
Izilwane ezilitshumi lambili zazimi kulawomakhwelelo ayisithupha, sisinye simi nganxanye kwekhwelelo ngalinye. Kakukho okunjalo okwakuke kwenzekala loba kuwuphi umbuso.
20 All of King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. No silver was used, because it was not valued in the days of Solomon.
Zonke inkezo zenkosi uSolomoni zazingezegolide, lazozonke izitsha zeSigodlweni saseGuswini laseLebhanoni zazingezegolide elicolekileyo. Akukho okwakwenziwe ngesiliva ngoba ngensuku zikaSolomoni igugu lesiliva lalilincinyane kakhulu.
21 The king had a fleet of ships from Tarshish crewed by Hiram's sailors. Once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive with a cargo of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
Inkosi yayilodibi lwemikhumbi yezokuthengiselana eyayigwedlwa ngabantu bakaHiramu. Yayiphenduka kanye ngemva kohambo lweminyaka emithathu, iphenduka ithwele igolide, isiliva lempondo zendlovu, inkawu lendwangu.
22 King Solomon was greater than any other king on earth in wealth and wisdom.
Inkosi uSolomoni yawedlula wonke amakhosi omhlaba ngenotho langenhlakanipho.
23 All the kings of the earth wanted to meet Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had placed in his mind.
Amakhosi wonke omhlaba eza kuSolomoni ukuzokuzwa inhlakanipho uNkulunkulu ayeyifake enhliziyweni yakhe.
24 Year after year, every visitor would bring gifts—articles of silver and gold, clothes, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.
Minyaka yonke amlethela izipho zesiliva lezegolide, izembatho, izikhali leziyoliso, lamabhiza kanye lezimbongolo.
25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. He kept them in the chariot towns, and also with him in Jerusalem.
USolomoni wayelezibaya zamabhiza lezezinqola zokulwa ezizinkulungwane ezine, kanye lamabhiza azinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili, ayekugcina emizini yezinqola zokulwa okunye njalo kukuye khonapho eJerusalema.
26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border with Egypt.
Wabusa wonke amakhosi kusukela emfuleni iYufrathe kusiya elizweni lamaFilistiya, lasemngceleni weGibhithe.
27 The king made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar wood as plentiful as sycamore-figs in the foothills.
Inkosi yandisa isiliva kwangani ngamatshe eJerusalema, lezihlahla zomsedari zanda kwangani yizihlahla zomkhiwa wesikhamore emawatheni ezintaba.
28 Solomon's horses were imported from Egypt and from many other lands.
USolomoni wayezuza amabhiza ayevela eGibhithe lakuwo wonke amanye amazwe.
29 The rest of the acts of Solomon, from start to finish, are written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer about Jeroboam, son of Nebat.
Ezinye izehlakalo ezenzakala ekubuseni kukaSolomoni kazilotshwanga yini kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekucineni, ezindabeni zomlandu kaNathani umphrofethi, lasesiphrofethini sika-Ahija waseShilo, lasemibonweni ka-Ido umboni emayelana loJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi?
30 Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all of Israel for forty years.
USolomoni wabusa u-Israyeli wonke eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amane.
31 Then Solomon died and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam took over as king.
Waya kwabaphansi, wangcwatshwa emzini kaDavida uyise. URehobhowami indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.