1 Amakhosi 10
1 Indlovukazi yaseShebha yathi isizwile ngodumo lukaSolomoni lokubambelela kwakhe ebizweni likaThixo, yaya kuye ukuba imlinge ngemibuzo enzima.
The queen [who ruled the] Sheba [area] heard that Yahweh had caused Solomon to become famous, so she traveled to Jerusalem to ask him questions that were difficult [to answer].
2 Ekufikeni kwayo eJerusalema yayiqhuba udwende olukhulu, lamakamela ethwele iziyoliso, igolide elinengi kakhulu lamatshe aligugu, yafika kuSolomoni yakhuluma laye ngakho konke lokho okwakusengqondweni yayo.
She came with a large group of wealthy/influential people, and she brought camels that were loaded with spices, and valuable gems, and a lot of gold. When she met Solomon, she asked him questions about all the topics/things in which she was interested.
3 USolomoni wayiphendula yonke imibuzo yayo, akubanga lalutho olwaba nzima enkosini ukuthi iyichasisele lona.
Solomon answered all her questions. He explained everything that she asked about, even things that were very difficult.
4 Indlovukazi yaseShebha isiyibonile yonke inhlakanipho kaSolomoni lesigodlo ayesakhile,
The queen realized that Solomon was very wise. She saw his palace;
5 ukudla okwakusetafuleni lakhe, ukuhlaliswa kwezikhulu zakhe, izinceku zakhe lezembatho zazo, abaphathi benkezo bakhe, leminikelo yokutshiswa ayenzela uThixo ethempelini, yaphela amandla.
she saw the food that was served on his table [every day]; she saw where his officials lived (OR, how his officials were seated at the table), their uniforms, the servants who served the food and wine, and the sacrifices that he took to the temple to be offered. She was extremely amazed.
6 Yathi enkosini, “Imibiko ebifika ezindlebeni zami elizweni lami ngengqubelaphambili langenhlakanipho yakho iqotho.
She said to King Solomon, “Everything that I heard in my own country about you and about how wise you are is true!
7 Kodwa angizange ngikukholwe lokho ngaze ngafika mina ngokwami njalo ngazibonela ngawami amehlo. Ngempela, bengingatshelwanga ngitsho lengxenye nje; ukuhlakanipha kwakho lokuphumelela kwakho kuyayedlula imibiko engayizwayo.
But I did not believe it was true until I came here and saw it myself. But really, what they told me is only half [of what they could have told me about you]. You are extremely wise and rich, more than what people told me.
8 Yeka intokozo abalayo abantu bakho! Ziyathokoza iziphathamandla zakho, zona ezima phambi kwakho zizwe inhlakanipho yakho!
Your wives are very fortunate! Your officials who are constantly standing in front of you and listening to the wise things that you say are also fortunate!
9 Udumo kalube kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, yena othokoze ngawe wakubeka esihlalweni sobukhosi bako-Israyeli. Ngenxa yothando olunaphakade lukaThixo ku-Israyeli, ukubekile waba yinkosi, ukuze ugcine ukwahlulela ngemfanelo lokulunga.”
Praise Yahweh, your God, who has shown that he is pleased with you by causing you to become the king of Israel! God has always loved the Israeli people, and therefore he has appointed you to be their king, in order that you will rule them fairly and righteously.”
10 Yanika inkosi igolide elingamathalenta alikhulu lamatshumi amabili, lenqwabanqwaba zeziyoliso lamatshe aligugu. Akuzange kulethwe iziyoliso ezinengi kangako futhi njengalezo indlovukazi yaseShebha eyazipha iNkosi uSolomoni.
Then the queen gave to the king [the things that she had brought. She gave him] almost five tons of gold and a large amount of spices and valuable gems. Never again did King Solomon receive more spices than the queen gave him at that time.
11 (Imikhumbi kaHiramu yaletha igolide livela e-Ofiri; njalo yethula lemithwalo emikhulu yamapulanka amahle lamatshe aligugu.
In the ships that belonged to King Hiram, in which they had previously brought gold from Ophir, they also brought a large amount of juniper wood and gems/valuable stones.
12 Inkosi yasebenzisa amapulanka amahle njengezinsika zethempeli likaThixo kanye lesigodlo sobukhosi, lokwenza imihubhe lemiqangala yabahlabeleli. Akuzange kubuye kube lamapulanka amahle amanengi kangako angeniswayo elizweni loba abonwayo selokhu kwaba yilelolanga.)
King Solomon told his workers to use that wood to make railings/supports in the temple of Yahweh and in the king’s palace and also to make harps and lyres for the (musicians/men who played musical instruments). That wood was the largest amount of (OR, the finest) wood that had ever been seen [in Israel]. And no one since then has ever seen so much wood of that kind.
13 INkosi uSolomoni yanika indlovukazi yaseShebha yonke into eyayiyifisa leyayicelayo, ngaphandle kwalokho ayinika khona kuphuma esigodlweni. Yasisuka lodwendwe lwayo yabuyela elizweni lakibo.
King Solomon gave to the queen from Sheba everything that she wanted. He gave her those gifts in addition to the gifts that he always gave [to other rulers who visited him]. Then she and the people who came with her returned to her own land.
14 Isisindo segolide elalizuzwa nguSolomoni minyaka yonke lalingamathalenta angamakhulu ayisithupha lamatshumi ayisithupha lesithupha,
Each year there was brought to Solomon a total of 25 tons of gold.
15 kungabalwa inzuzo eyayivela emithelweni yabathengisayo labathenga bethengisa kanye leyayivela emakhosini wonke ama-Arabhu kanye lababusi belizwe.
That was in addition to [the taxes] paid to him by the merchants and traders, and the annual taxes paid by the kings of Arabia and by the governors of [the regions in] Israel.
16 Inkosi uSolomoni yenza amahawu amakhulu angamakhulu amabili ngegolide elikhandiweyo; lilinye langena amashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha.
King Solomon’s workers [took this] gold and hammered it into thin sheets and covered 200 large shields with those thin sheets of gold; they put (almost 15 pounds/more than 6 kg.) of gold on each shield.
17 Wenza njalo amanye amahawu amancinyane angamakhulu amathathu ngegolide elikhandiweyo, lilinye lilegugu lokuthathu kwegolide. Inkosi yawafaka esigodlweni seHlathi laseLebhanoni.
His workers made 300 smaller shields. They covered each of them with (almost 4 pounds/1.5 kg.) of gold. Then the king put those shields in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon.
18 Inkosi yasisenza isihlalo sobukhosi esikhulu sisekelwa ngempondo zendlovu sihuqwe ngegolide elihle.
His workers also made for him a large throne. [Part of it was] covered with (ivory [decorations made from)] tusks of elephants and [part of it was covered] with very fine gold.
19 Isihlalo sobukhosi sasilezinyathelo eziyisithupha, ngemva kwaso phezulu siyindingilizi. Emaceleni aso womabili sasilezeyamelo zengalo, yileso laleso kumi isilwane eceleni kwaso.
There were six steps in front of the throne. There was a statue of a lion on both sides of each step. So altogether there were twelve statues of lions. The back of the throne was rounded at the top. At each side of the throne there was an armrest, and alongside each armrest there was a small statue of a lion. No throne like that had ever existed in any other kingdom.
20 Izilwane ezilitshumi lambili zazimi ezinyathelweni eziyisithupha, kusithi esisodwa esinyathelweni ngasinye ngapha langapha emaceleni esinyathelo. Akukho okufanana lalokhu okwake kwenziwa lakuwuphi umbuso.
21 Zonke inkezo zenkosi uSolomoni zazingezegolide, lazozonke izitsha zeSigodlweni saseGuswini laseLebhanoni zazingezegolide elicolekileyo. Akukho okwakwenziwe ngesiliva ngoba ngensuku zikaSolomoni igugu lesiliva lalilincinyane kakhulu.
All of Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the various dishes in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon were made of gold. They did not make things from silver, because during the years that Solomon [ruled], silver was not considered to be valuable.
22 Inkosi yayilemikhumbi yokuthengiselana eminengi eyayisolwandle iphathisana lekaHiramu. Yayiphenduka kanye ngemva kweminyaka emithathu ithwele igolide, isiliva kanye lempondo zendlovu, indwangu lenkawu.
The king had a (fleet/large number) of ships that sailed with the ships that King Hiram owned. Every three years the ships returned [from the places to which they had sailed], bringing gold, silver, ivory, monkeys, and baboons (OR, peacocks).
23 INkosi uSolomoni yawedlula wonke amakhosi omhlaba ngenotho langenhlakanipho.
King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king.
24 Umhlaba wonke weza kuSolomoni ukuzokuzwa inhlakanipho uNkulunkulu ayeyifake enhliziyweni yakhe.
People from all over the world wanted to come and listen to the wise things that Solomon said, things that God had put into his mind.
25 Minyaka yonke amlethela izipho zesiliva lezegolide, izembatho, izikhali leziyoliso, lamabhiza kanye lezimbongolo.
All the people who came to him brought presents: They brought things made from silver or gold, or robes, or weapons (OR, myrrh), or spices, or horses, or mules. The people continued to do this every year.
26 USolomoni waqoqa izinqola zokulwa lamabhiza; wayelezinqola zokulwa eziyinkulungwane elamakhulu amane, amabhiza azinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili ayewagcina emadolobheni awezinqola zempi amanye egcinwe kuye eJerusalema.
Solomon acquired 1,400 chariots and 12,000 men who rode [on the horses] (OR, [in the chariots]). Solomon put some of them in Jerusalem and some of them in other cities where he kept his chariots.
27 Inkosi yandisa isiliva kwangani ngamatshe eJerusalema, lezihlahla zomsedari zanda kwangani yizihlahla zomkhiwa wesikhamore emawatheni ezintaba.
During the years that Solomon was king, silver became as common in Jerusalem as stones; and [lumber from] cedar trees in the foothills of Judah was as plentiful as [lumber from] fig trees.
28 Amabhiza kaSolomoni ayethengwe eGibhithe laseKhuwe, abathengi besikhosini babewathenga eKhuwe.
Solomon’s agents bought horses and supervised the men who brought them into Israel from the areas of Musri and Cilicia [that were famous for breeding horses].
29 Bathenga inqola yempi eGibhithe ngamashekeli esiliva angamakhulu ayisithupha kanye lebhiza ngamashekeli alikhulu elilamatshumi amahlanu. Babuya bawedlulisa wonke bayawathengisela amakhosi amaHithi kanye lawama-Aramu.
In Musri they bought chariots and horses; they paid 600 pieces of silver for each chariot and 150 pieces of silver for each horse. They brought them to Israel. Then they sold many of them to the kings of the Heth people-group and the kings of Syria.
