1 Amakhosi 3
1 USolomoni wasehlangana ngomtshado loFaro inkosi yeGibhithe, wathatha indodakazi kaFaro, wayiletha emzini kaDavida waze waqeda ukwakha indlu yakhe lendlu yeNkosi lomduli weJerusalema ozingelezeleyo.
Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to live in the City of David until he finished building his palace, the Lord's Temple, and the walls surrounding Jerusalem.
2 Kube kanti abantu babenikela umhlatshelo endaweni eziphakemeyo, ngoba kwakungakhelwanga ibizo leNkosi indlu kwaze kwaba yilezonsuku.
In those days, however, the people still sacrificed on the high places because a Temple to honor the Lord hadn't yet been built.
3 USolomoni wayithanda-ke iNkosi, ehamba ezimisweni zikaDavida uyise; kube kanti wanikela umhlatshelo watshisa impepha endaweni eziphakemeyo.
Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the instructions of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned offerings on the high places.
4 Inkosi yasisiya eGibeyoni ukuhlaba khona, ngoba leyo yayiyindawo ephakemeyo enkulu. Iminikelo yokutshiswa eyinkulungwane uSolomoni wayinikela phezu kwalelolathi.
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the leading high place. Solomon presented one thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.
5 EGibeyoni iNkosi yabonakala kuSolomoni ephutsheni ebusuku. UNkulunkulu wathi: Cela engingakunika khona.
The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon. God said to him, “Ask what you want me to give you.”
6 USolomoni wasesithi: Wena wenzele inceku yakho uDavida ubaba umusa omkhulu, njengokuhamba kwakhe phambi kwakho eqinisweni lekulungeni lebuqothweni benhliziyo kuwe; wamgcinela lo umusa omkhulu ukuthi wamnika indodana ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi njengalamuhla.
Solomon replied, “You showed your servant David, my father, great trustworthy love because he lived his life before you with faithfulness, doing what was right and committed to principle. You have continued to show this great trustworthy love by giving him a son to sit on his throne to this day.
7 Ngakho-ke, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, wena wenzile inceku yakho yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sikaDavida ubaba; ngingumntwanyana nje, angikwazi ukuphuma lokungena.
Now, Lord God, you have made me king in place of my father David. But I am like an inexperienced young boy who doesn't know what to do.
8 Lenceku yakho iphakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo, abantu abanengi, abangelakubalwa labangelakunaniswa ngobunengi.
I, your servant, am here in among your chosen people, a great people that are so many they cannot be counted.
9 Ngakho nika inceku yakho inhliziyo eqedisisayo ukwahlulela abantu bakho, ukuze ngehlukanise phakathi kokuhle lokubi; ngoba ngubani olamandla ukwahlulela lesisizwe sakho esikhulu?
So please give me a mind that's receptive so I can rule your people well, understanding the difference between right and wrong, for who can rule this difficult people of yours?”
10 Laloludaba lwaba luhle emehlweni eNkosi ukuthi uSolomoni ucele lolulutho.
The Lord considered that what Solomon asked for was good.
11 UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuye: Ngenxa yokuthi ucele lolulutho, ungazicelelanga insuku ezinengi, ungazicelelanga inotho, ungacelanga umphefumulo wezitha zakho, kodwa uzicelele ukuqedisisa ukuzwa ukwahlulela,
So God told him, “Because you asked for this, and you didn't ask for a long life, or wealth, or the death of your enemies, but instead you asked for understanding to know what is right,
12 khangela, sengenze njengamazwi akho. Khangela, ngikunike inhliziyo ehlakaniphileyo leqedisisayo, ukuthi kungabi khona onjengawe ngaphambi kwakho, lemva kwakho kungaveli onjengawe.
I am giving you what you asked for. I am giving you a mind that is wise, with an understanding of what is right, more than anyone else before you or after you.
13 Futhi longakucelanga ngikunikile, ngitsho inotho lodumo, ukuze kungabi khona umuntu onjengawe emakhosini zonke izinsuku zakho.
I am also giving you what you did not ask for, wealth and status—so much so that no king will compare to you for the whole of your life.
14 Njalo uba uzahamba endleleni zami, ukugcina izimiso zami lemilayo yami njengoDavida uyihlo wahamba, ngizakwelula insuku zakho.
And if you follow my ways by keeping my laws and my commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”
15 USolomoni wasephaphama; khangela-ke kwakuliphupho. Wasesiza eJerusalema, wema phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi, wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa, wanikela iminikelo yokuthula, wenzela inceku zakhe zonke idili.
Then Solomon woke up and realized he'd had a dream. He went back to Jerusalem, and stood in front of the Ark of the Lord's Agreement and he presented burnt offerings and friendship offerings, and he held a feast for all his officials.
16 Ngalesosikhathi kwafika abesifazana ababili, amawule, enkosini, bema phambi kwayo.
Later two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him for judgment.
17 Omunye owesifazana wasesithi: Hawu nkosi yami, mina lalumfazi sihlala ndlunye; ngasengibeletha ngilaye endlini.
One of the women spoke up, saying, “If it please Your Majesty: I share a house with this woman. I had a baby while she was living in the house.
18 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesithathu ngibelethile, laye lumfazi wabeletha; njalo sasindawonye, kungekho owemzini kanye lathi endlini, ngaphandle kwethu sobabili endlini.
Three days after the birth of my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were together; there was no one else in the house, just the two of us.
19 Umntwana walumfazi wasesifa ebusuku, ngoba walala phezu kwakhe.
During the night this woman's son died because she rolled over on him.
20 Wasevuka phakathi kobusuku, wathatha indodana yami eceleni kwami, incekukazi yakho isalele, wayilalisa esifubeni sakhe, lomntanakhe ofileyo wamlalisa esifubeni sami.
She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while I was sleeping. She lay him close beside her to cuddle him, and she lay her dead son close beside me.
21 Lapho ngivuka ekuseni ukumunyisa umntanami, khangela-ke wayesefile; sengimkhangelisisa ekuseni, khangela-ke, kwakungeyisuye umntanami engamzalayo.
When I got up in the morning to nurse my son I saw that he was dead. When I looked closely at him in the light I realized it wasn't my son.”
22 Kodwa lowo omunye owesifazana wathi: Hatshi, kodwa indodana yami ngephilayo, lendodana yakho ngefileyo. Lalowo wathi: Hatshi, kodwa indodana yakho ngefileyo, lendodana yami ngephilayo. Batsho njalo phambi kwenkosi.
The other woman argued, “No! My son is the one that's alive. Your son is the one that's dead.” The first woman objected, “No! Your son is the one that's dead. My son is the one that's alive.” They went on quarrelling in front of the king.
23 Inkosi yasisithi: Lo uthi: Le yindodana yami ephilayo, lendodana yakho ngefileyo; lomunye uthi: Hatshi, kodwa indodana yakho ngefileyo, lendodana yami ngephilayo.
The king intervened, saying, “So this woman says ‘My son is the one that's alive. Your son is the one that's dead,’ while the other woman says, ‘No! Your son is the one that's dead. My son is the one that's alive.’”
24 Inkosi yasisithi: Ngithathelani inkemba. Basebeyiletha inkemba phambi kwenkosi.
“Bring me a sword,” the king ordered. So they brought him a sword.
25 Inkosi yasisithi: Dabulani kabili umntwana ophilayo, linike omunye ingxenye, lomunye ingxenye.
“Cut the child that's alive in two, and give half to one woman and half to another,” he commanded.
26 Owesifazana okwakungowakhe umntwana ophilayo wakhuluma enkosini, ngoba imibilini yakhe yavutha ngendodana yakhe, wathi: Hawu nkosi yami, mnikeni yena umntwana ophilayo, lingambulali loba kunjani. Kodwa omunye wathi: Kangabi ngowami kumbe ngowakho, dabulani.
But the woman whose son was alive had so much love for him as a mother that she cried out to the king, “Please, Your Majesty, give her the boy! Don't kill him!” But the other woman said, “He won't be mine or yours—cut him in two!”
27 Inkosi yasiphendula yathi: Nikani yena umntwana ophilayo, lingambulali loba kunjani; nguye unina.
The king gave his verdict. “Give the child that's alive to the first woman,” he ordered. “On no account kill him, for she is his real mother.”
28 UIsrayeli wonke wasesizwa isahlulelo inkosi eyayisahlulele, besaba phambi kwenkosi, ngoba babona ukuthi inhlakanipho kaNkulunkulu yayikuye ukwenza isahlulelo.
When everyone in Israel heard about the verdict the king had delivered, they had great respect for the king, because they recognized the wisdom God had given him to judge rightly.
