1 Amakhosi 3
1 USolomoni waba lobudlelwano loFaro inkosi yeGibhithe waze wathatha indodakazi yayo. Wayingenisa edolobheni likaDavida inkosikazi yakhe esaqedisa umsebenzi wokwakha ithempeli likaThixo, lomduli ohonqolozele iJerusalema.
And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Kodwa-ke, abantu babelokhu besanikelela ezindaweni eziphakemeyo ngoba ithempeli lalilokhu lilindele ukwakhiwa lisakhelwa ibizo likaThixo.
Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Jehovah until those days.
3 USolomoni watshengisela uthando lwakhe kuThixo ngokuhamba njengokulaya kukayise uDavida, ngaphandle nje kokuthi wanikela iminikelo watshisa impepha ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.
And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of David his father. Only he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
4 Inkosi yaya eGibhiyoni ukuyanikela iminikelo, ngoba kwakuyiyo indawo eqhamileyo kweziphakemeyo, ngakho-ke uSolomoni wanikela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa eyinkulungwane kulelo-alithare.
And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings upon that altar.
5 Khonapho eGibhiyoni uThixo waziveza kuSolomoni ebusuku emaphutsheni lapho uNkulunkulu athi, “Cela loba yini ofuna ukuba ngikunike yona.”
In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6 USolomoni waphendula ngokuthi, “Utshengisile umusa omkhulu encekwini yakho, ubaba uDavida, ngenxa yokuthi wathembeka njalo elungile ngokuqonda enhliziyweni yakhe. Uqhubekele phambili ngomusa omkhulu kangaka wamnika indodana ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi lamuhla lokhu.
And Solomon said, Thou have shown to thy servant David my father great loving kindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee. And thou have kept for him this great loving kindness, that thou have given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day.
7 Khathesi, Thixo Nkulunkulu wami, uyibekile inceku yakho yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sikababa uDavida. Kodwa ngingumntwana nje ongakwaziyo ukwenza umsebenzi okumele awenze.
And now, O Jehovah my God, thou have made thy servant king instead of David my father. And I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.
8 Inceku yakho ilapha phakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo, abantu abaqakathekileyo, abanengi okungabalwayo noma ukulandisa ngenani labo.
And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou have chosen, a great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Phana inceku yakho inhliziyo elobubelo ukuze ibuse abantu bakho lokuthi yahlukanise phakathi kokuhle lokubi. Ngoba ngubani olamandla okubusa abantu bakho abakhulu kangaka?”
Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to judge this thy great people?
10 UThixo wathokoziswa yilesisicelo sikaSolomoni.
And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wathi kuye, “Njengoba ucele lokho kodwa ungacelanga impilo ende loba inotho, njalo awucelanga ukuthi ngabe izitha zakho ziyafa kodwa ucele inhliziyo elobubele ekubuseni ngemfanelo,
And God said to him, Because thou have asked this thing, and have not asked for thyself long life, neither have asked riches for thyself, nor have asked the life of thine enemies, but have asked for thyself understanding to discern justice,
12 ngizakwenza lokho okucelileyo. Ngizakunika inhliziyo yenhlakanipho kanye lobubele, kube yikuthi akukaze kube khona ofanana lawe, njalo kungelakuthi uzake abekhona.
behold, I have done according to thy word. Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there has been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like thee.
13 Phezu kwalokho, ngizakunika ongazange ukucele, kokubili inotho lokuhlonitshwa, kube khona ekuphileni kwakho konke njalo kungabi leyodwa inkosi ezalingana lawe.
And I have also given thee that which thou have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like thee all thy days.
14 Kanti njalo nxa uzathatha inyathelo lami ulalele imilayo lemithetho yami njengalokhu okwenziwa nguyihlo uDavida, ngizakunika impilo ende.”
And if thou will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David walked, then I will lengthen thy days.
15 Ngakho uSolomoni wasephaphama, wananzelela ukuthi kwakuliphupho. Wabuyela eJerusalema, wayakuma phambi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo wanikela ngomnikelo wokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula. Wenzela izinceku zakhe zonke zasendlini idili.
And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16 Kwasekusiba lezifebe ezimbili ezaya enkosini zafika zema phambi kwayo.
Then two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him.
17 Esinye sathi, “Nkosi yami, umama lo sihlala ndlunye. Ngikhululeke ngazuza umntwana laye ekhona.
And the one woman said, Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. And I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18 Kuthe ngosuku lwesithathu ngikhululekile laye umama lo wakhululeka wazuza umntwana. Besiyithi sodwa sobabili, kungelamuntu endlini ngaphandle kwethu sobabili.
And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also. And we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, except we two in the house.
19 Ebusuku indodana yalumama ifile ngoba usuke walala phezu kwayo.
And this woman's child died in the night, because she lay upon it.
20 Wasevuka ebusuku wangemuka indodana yami mina ncekukazi yakho ngilele ubuthongo. Uthethe umntanami wayamxhuma ebeleni lakhe, wathatha owakhe ofileyo wamfaka kwelami ibele.
And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 Ekuseni ngithe ngivuka ukuba ngimunyise indodana yami, ngathola ukuthi isifile! Kodwa ngithe ngiyayikhangelisisa sokusile ngananzelela ukuthi akusiyo indodana yami engayizalayo.”
And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead. But when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I bore.
22 Omunye owesifazane wathi, “Hayi! Indodana le ephilayo ngeyami, efileyo ngeyakho.” Kodwa umama wokususa indaba waphikelela esithi, “Hayi bo! Ofileyo ngowakho, ophilayo ngowami.” Ngakho-ke baphikisana phambi kwenkosi.
And the other woman said, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And the other woman said, No, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.
23 Inkosi yathi, “Lo uthi, ‘Hayi bo! Indodana yami iyaphila kodwa eyakho ifile’ kanti belo loyana uthi, ‘Hayi bo! Eyakho indodana yiyo efileyo kodwa eyami ngephilayo.’”
Then the king said, The one says, This is my son that lives, and thy son is the dead. And the other says, No, but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24 Inkosi yasisithi, “Lethani inkemba.” Lakanye inkosi bayiqhubela inkemba.
And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 Inkosi yapha isiqondiso yathi, “Dabulani umntwana ophilayo phakathi laphakathi kuthi ingxenye liyiqhubele omunye umama kuthi lomunye laye limnike enye ingxenye.”
And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26 Owesifazane owayelendodana ephilayo wakhulelwa lusizi ngendodana yakhe ngakho wathi enkosini, “Uxolo, ngiyacela nkosi yami, kungcono umqhubele umntwana ephila, umnike nkosi! Ungambulali umntwana.” Kodwa omunye wathi, “Kakho phakathi kwethu ofanele ukumzuza lumntwana, mqume iziqa ezimbili!”
Then the woman whose the living child was spoke to the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine. Divide it.
27 Inkosi yasiveza ukwahlulela kwayo: “Umntwana ophilayo mupheni umama wakuqala. Lingambulali umntwana, lo nguye unina uqobo.”
Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and by no means kill it; she is the mother of it.
28 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebezwile bonke ukwahlulela kwenkosi, bayesaba kakhulu, ngoba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kwayo kokwahlulela ngemfanelo kuvela kuNkulunkulu.
And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged. And they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.
