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 the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon, and he made affinity with Pharao the king of Egypt: for he took his daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Kodwa-ke, abantu babelokhu besanikelela ezindaweni eziphakemeyo ngoba ithempeli lalilokhu lilindele ukwakhiwa lisakhelwa ibizo likaThixo.
But yet the people sacrificed in the high places: far there was no temple built to the name of the Lord until that day.
3 USolomoni watshengisela uthando lwakhe kuThixo ngokuhamba njengokulaya kukayise uDavida, ngaphandle nje kokuthi wanikela iminikelo watshisa impepha ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.
And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the precepts of David his father, only he sacrificed in the high places: and burnt incense.
4 Inkosi yaya eGibhiyoni ukuyanikela iminikelo, ngoba kwakuyiyo indawo eqhamileyo kweziphakemeyo, ngakho-ke uSolomoni wanikela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa eyinkulungwane kulelo-alithare.
He went therefore to Gabaon, to sacrifice there: for that was the great high place: a thousand victims for holocausts did Solomon offer upon that altar in Gabaon.
5 Khonapho eGibhiyoni uThixo waziveza kuSolomoni ebusuku emaphutsheni lapho uNkulunkulu athi, “Cela loba yini ofuna ukuba ngikunike yona.”
And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should 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 hast shewn great mercy to thy servant David my father, even at, he walked before thee in truth, and justice, and an upright heart with thee: and thou hast kept thy great mercy for him, and hast 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 Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and 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 the people which thou hast chosen, an immense people, which 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 therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people which is so numerous?
10 UThixo wathokoziswa yilesisicelo sikaSolomoni.
And the word was pleasing to the Lord that Solomon had asked such a 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: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life or riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom 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 thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, insomuch that there hath been no one like thee before thee, nor shall arise after thee.
13 Phezu kwalokho, ngizakunika ongazange ukucele, kokubili inotho lokuhlonitshwa, kube khona ekuphileni kwakho konke njalo kungabi leyodwa inkosi ezalingana lawe.
Yea and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have given thee: to wit riches and glory, as that no one hath been like thee among the kings in all days heretofore.
14 Kanti njalo nxa uzathatha inyathelo lami ulalele imilayo lemithetho yami njengalokhu okwenziwa nguyihlo uDavida, ngizakunika impilo ende.”
And if thou wilt walk in my ways, and Beep my precepts, and my commandments, as thy father walked, 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 awaked, and perceived that it was a dream: and when he was come to Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered holocausts, and sacrificed victims of peace offerings, and made a great feast for all his servants.
16 Kwasekusiba lezifebe ezimbili ezaya enkosini zafika zema phambi kwayo.
Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him:
17 Esinye sathi, “Nkosi yami, umama lo sihlala ndlunye. Ngikhululeke ngazuza umntwana laye ekhona.
And one of them said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber.
18 Kuthe ngosuku lwesithathu ngikhululekile laye umama lo wakhululeka wazuza umntwana. Besiyithi sodwa sobabili, kungelamuntu endlini ngaphandle kwethu sobabili.
And the third day, after that I was delivered, she also was delivered, and we were together, and no other person with us in the house, only we two.
19 Ebusuku indodana yalumama ifile ngoba usuke walala phezu kwayo.
And this woman’s child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid 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 in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I thy handmaid was asleep, 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 considering him more diligently when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which 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 answered: It is not so as thou sayest, but thy child is dead, and mine is alive. On the contrary she said: Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And in this manner they strove 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: The one saith, My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other answereth: Nay, but thy child is dead, and mine liveth.
24 Inkosi yasisithi, “Lethani inkemba.” Lakanye inkosi bayiqhubela inkemba.
The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. 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.”
Divide, said he, 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!”
But the woman whose child was alive, said to the king, (for her bowels were moved upon her child, ) I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it. But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
27 Inkosi yasiveza ukwahlulela kwayo: “Umntwana ophilayo mupheni umama wakuqala. Lingambulali umntwana, lo nguye unina uqobo.”
The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed, for she is the mother thereof.
28 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebezwile bonke ukwahlulela kwenkosi, bayesaba kakhulu, ngoba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kwayo kokwahlulela ngemfanelo kuvela kuNkulunkulu.
And all Israel heard the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.
