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 became the son-in-law of 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 all around.
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.
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.
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on 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 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.
Solomon said, "You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you. You have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you 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.
Now, Jehovah my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father. I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
8 Inceku yakho ilapha phakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo, abantu abaqakathekileyo, abanengi okungabalwayo noma ukulandisa ngenani labo.
Your servant is in the midst of your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can't 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 your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this your great people?"
10 UThixo wathokoziswa yilesisicelo sikaSolomoni.
The speech pleased Jehovah, 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,
God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;
12 ngizakwenza lokho okucelileyo. Ngizakunika inhliziyo yenhlakanipho kanye lobubele, kube yikuthi akukaze kube khona ofanana lawe, njalo kungelakuthi uzake abekhona.
look, I have done according to your word. Look, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there has been none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like you.
13 Phezu kwalokho, ngizakunika ongazange ukucele, kokubili inotho lokuhlonitshwa, kube khona ekuphileni kwakho konke njalo kungabi leyodwa inkosi ezalingana lawe.
I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like you, all your days.
14 Kanti njalo nxa uzathatha inyathelo lami ulalele imilayo lemithetho yami njengalokhu okwenziwa nguyihlo uDavida, ngizakunika impilo ende.”
If you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then 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.
Solomon awoke; and look, it was a dream. Then he arose and came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Kwasekusiba lezifebe ezimbili ezaya enkosini zafika zema phambi kwayo.
Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.
17 Esinye sathi, “Nkosi yami, umama lo sihlala ndlunye. Ngikhululeke ngazuza umntwana laye ekhona.
The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. I delivered 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.
It happened the third day after I delivered, that this woman delivered also. We were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, just us two in the house.
19 Ebusuku indodana yalumama ifile ngoba usuke walala phezu kwayo.
This woman's child died in the night, because she lay on it.
20 Wasevuka ebusuku wangemuka indodana yami mina ncekukazi yakho ngilele ubuthongo. Uthethe umntanami wayamxhuma ebeleni lakhe, wathatha owakhe ofileyo wamfaka kwelami ibele.
She arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your 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.”
When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, look, it was dead; but when I had looked at it in the morning, look, 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.
The other woman said, "No; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son." This said, "No; but the dead is your 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 who lives, and your son is the dead;' and the other says, 'No; but your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'"
24 Inkosi yasisithi, “Lethani inkemba.” Lakanye inkosi bayiqhubela inkemba.
The king said, "Get me a sword." 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.”
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 in no way kill it." But the other said, "It shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide it."
27 Inkosi yasiveza ukwahlulela kwayo: “Umntwana ophilayo mupheni umama wakuqala. Lingambulali umntwana, lo nguye unina uqobo.”
Then the king answered, "Give her the living child, and in no way kill it. She is its mother."
28 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebezwile bonke ukwahlulela kwenkosi, bayesaba kakhulu, ngoba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kwayo kokwahlulela ngemfanelo kuvela kuNkulunkulu.
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.
