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 so the kingdom was confirmed in the hand of Solomon, and he was joined with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, by affinity. For he took his daughter, and he led her into the city of David, until he completed building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem all around.
2 Kodwa-ke, abantu babelokhu besanikelela ezindaweni eziphakemeyo ngoba ithempeli lalilokhu lilindele ukwakhiwa lisakhelwa ibizo likaThixo.
But still the people immolated in the high places. For no temple had been built to the name of the Lord, even to that day.
3 USolomoni watshengisela uthando lwakhe kuThixo ngokuhamba njengokulaya kukayise uDavida, ngaphandle nje kokuthi wanikela iminikelo watshisa impepha ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.
Now Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the precepts of David, his father, except that he immolated in the high places, and he burned incense.
4 Inkosi yaya eGibhiyoni ukuyanikela iminikelo, ngoba kwakuyiyo indawo eqhamileyo kweziphakemeyo, ngakho-ke uSolomoni wanikela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa eyinkulungwane kulelo-alithare.
And so, he went away to Gibeon, so that he might immolate there; for that was the greatest high place. Solomon offered upon that altar, at Gibeon, one thousand victims as holocausts.
5 Khonapho eGibhiyoni uThixo waziveza kuSolomoni ebusuku emaphutsheni lapho uNkulunkulu athi, “Cela loba yini ofuna ukuba ngikunike yona.”
Then the Lord appeared to Solomon, through a dream in the night, saying, “Request whatever you wish, so that I may give it to you.”
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: “You have shown great mercy to your servant David, my father, because he walked in your sight in truth and justice, and with an upright heart before you. And you have kept your great mercy for him, and you have given him a son sitting upon his throne, just 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 Lord God, you have caused your servant to reign in place of David, my father. But I am a small child, and I am ignorant of my entrance and departure.
8 Inceku yakho ilapha phakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo, abantu abaqakathekileyo, abanengi okungabalwayo noma ukulandisa ngenani labo.
And your servant is in the midst of the people that you have chosen, an immense people, who are not able to be numbered or counted because of their multitude.
9 Phana inceku yakho inhliziyo elobubelo ukuze ibuse abantu bakho lokuthi yahlukanise phakathi kokuhle lokubi. Ngoba ngubani olamandla okubusa abantu bakho abakhulu kangaka?”
Therefore, give to your servant a teachable heart, so that he may be able to judge your people, and to discern between good and evil. For who will be able to judge this people, your people, who are so many?”
10 UThixo wathokoziswa yilesisicelo sikaSolomoni.
And the word was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon had requested this kind of 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 the Lord said to Solomon: “Since you have requested this word, and you have not asked for many days or for wealth for yourself, nor for the lives of your enemies, but instead you have requested for yourself wisdom in order to discern judgment:
12 ngizakwenza lokho okucelileyo. Ngizakunika inhliziyo yenhlakanipho kanye lobubele, kube yikuthi akukaze kube khona ofanana lawe, njalo kungelakuthi uzake abekhona.
behold, I have done for you according to your words, and I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so much so that there has been no one like you before you, nor anyone who will rise up after you.
13 Phezu kwalokho, ngizakunika ongazange ukucele, kokubili inotho lokuhlonitshwa, kube khona ekuphileni kwakho konke njalo kungabi leyodwa inkosi ezalingana lawe.
But also the things for which you did not ask, I have given to you, namely wealth and glory, so that no one has been like you among the kings in the all days before.
14 Kanti njalo nxa uzathatha inyathelo lami ulalele imilayo lemithetho yami njengalokhu okwenziwa nguyihlo uDavida, ngizakunika impilo ende.”
And if you will walk in my ways, and keep my precepts and my commandments, just as your father walked, I will lengthen your 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.
Then Solomon awakened, and he understood that it was a dream. And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and he offered holocausts and made victims of peace offerings, and he held a great feast for all his servants.
16 Kwasekusiba lezifebe ezimbili ezaya enkosini zafika zema phambi kwayo.
Then two women harlots went to the king, and they stood before him.
17 Esinye sathi, “Nkosi yami, umama lo sihlala ndlunye. Ngikhululeke ngazuza umntwana laye ekhona.
And one of them said: “I beg you, my lord, I and this woman were living in one house, and I gave birth, with her in the room.
18 Kuthe ngosuku lwesithathu ngikhululekile laye umama lo wakhululeka wazuza umntwana. Besiyithi sodwa sobabili, kungelamuntu endlini ngaphandle kwethu sobabili.
Then, on the third day after I gave birth, she also gave birth. And we were together, with no other person with us in the house, only the two of us.
19 Ebusuku indodana yalumama ifile ngoba usuke walala phezu kwayo.
Then this woman’s son died in the night. For while sleeping, she smothered him.
20 Wasevuka ebusuku wangemuka indodana yami mina ncekukazi yakho ngilele ubuthongo. Uthethe umntanami wayamxhuma ebeleni lakhe, wathatha owakhe ofileyo wamfaka kwelami ibele.
And rising up in the silent depths of the night, she took my son from my side, while I, your handmaid, was sleeping, and she set him in her bosom. Then she placed her dead son 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 had arisen in the morning, so that I might give milk to my son, he appeared to be dead. But gazing upon him more diligently in the light of day, I realized that he was not mine, whom I had born.”
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 responded: “It is not such as you say. Instead, your son is dead, but mine is alive.” To the contrary, she said: “You are lying. For my son lives, and your son is dead.” And in this manner, they were contending 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 said the king: “This one says, ‘My son is alive, and your son is dead.’ And the other responds, ‘No, instead your son is dead, but mine lives.’”
24 Inkosi yasisithi, “Lethani inkemba.” Lakanye inkosi bayiqhubela inkemba.
Therefore the king said, “Bring a sword to me.” And when they had 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.”
he said, “Divide the living infant in two parts, and give a half part to the one and a half part 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!”
But the woman, whose son was alive, said to the king, for her heart was moved concerning her son, “I beg you, my lord, give the living infant to her, and do not kill him.” To the contrary, the other said, “Let it be neither for me, nor for you, instead divide it.”
27 Inkosi yasiveza ukwahlulela kwayo: “Umntwana ophilayo mupheni umama wakuqala. Lingambulali umntwana, lo nguye unina uqobo.”
The king responded and said: “Give the living infant to this woman, and do not kill it. For she is his mother.”
28 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebezwile bonke ukwahlulela kwenkosi, bayesaba kakhulu, ngoba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kwayo kokwahlulela ngemfanelo kuvela kuNkulunkulu.
Then all of Israel heard about the judgment that the king had judged, and they feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to accomplish judgment.
