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.
And Solomon intermarried with Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and took the daughter of Pharaoh, and brought her into the city of David, until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Kube kanti abantu babenikela umhlatshelo endaweni eziphakemeyo, ngoba kwakungakhelwanga ibizo leNkosi indlu kwaze kwaba yilezonsuku.
But the people sacrificed still on the high-places; because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days.
3 USolomoni wayithanda-ke iNkosi, ehamba ezimisweni zikaDavida uyise; kube kanti wanikela umhlatshelo watshisa impepha endaweni eziphakemeyo.
And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only that he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high-places.
4 Inkosi yasisiya eGibeyoni ukuhlaba khona, ngoba leyo yayiyindawo ephakemeyo enkulu. Iminikelo yokutshiswa eyinkulungwane uSolomoni wayinikela phezu kwalelolathi.
And the king went to Gib'on to sacrifice there; for that was the great high-place: one thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
5 EGibeyoni iNkosi yabonakala kuSolomoni ephutsheni ebusuku. UNkulunkulu wathi: Cela engingakunika khona.
In Gib'on the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream of the night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
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.
And Solomon said, Thou hast shown unto thy servant David my father great kindness, just as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, and thou hast given him a son who sitteth on his throne, as it is this day.
7 Ngakho-ke, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, wena wenzile inceku yakho yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sikaDavida ubaba; ngingumntwanyana nje, angikwazi ukuphuma lokungena.
And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king in the place of David my father: and I am but a young lad; I know not how to go out or come in.
8 Lenceku yakho iphakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo, abantu abanengi, abangelakubalwa labangelakunaniswa ngobunengi.
And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot he numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Ngakho nika inceku yakho inhliziyo eqedisisayo ukwahlulela abantu bakho, ukuze ngehlukanise phakathi kokuhle lokubi; ngoba ngubani olamandla ukwahlulela lesisizwe sakho esikhulu?
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad; for who would [otherwise] be able to judge this thy great people?
10 Laloludaba lwaba luhle emehlweni eNkosi ukuthi uSolomoni ucele lolulutho.
And the speech was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuye: Ngenxa yokuthi ucele lolulutho, ungazicelelanga insuku ezinengi, ungazicelelanga inotho, ungacelanga umphefumulo wezitha zakho, kodwa uzicelele ukuqedisisa ukuzwa ukwahlulela,
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; and hast not asked for thyself riches, nor hast asked the life of thy enemies; but hast asked for thyself discernment to understand [how to give] judgment:
12 khangela, sengenze njengamazwi akho. Khangela, ngikunike inhliziyo ehlakaniphileyo leqedisisayo, ukuthi kungabi khona onjengawe ngaphambi kwakho, lemva kwakho kungaveli onjengawe.
Behold, I have done according to thy word; lo, I have given thee a wise and a discerning heart; so that like unto thee there was none before thee, nor after thee shall any one arise like unto thee.
13 Futhi longakucelanga ngikunikile, ngitsho inotho lodumo, ukuze kungabi khona umuntu onjengawe emakhosini zonke izinsuku zakho.
And also what thou hast not asked have I given thee, both riches and honor: so that like unto thee there shall not have been any one among the kings all thy days.
14 Njalo uba uzahamba endleleni zami, ukugcina izimiso zami lemilayo yami njengoDavida uyihlo wahamba, ngizakwelula insuku zakho.
And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then will I lengthen thy days.
15 USolomoni wasephaphama; khangela-ke kwakuliphupho. Wasesiza eJerusalema, wema phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi, wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa, wanikela iminikelo yokuthula, wenzela inceku zakhe zonke idili.
And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream; and he went to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt-offerings, and prepared peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16 Ngalesosikhathi kwafika abesifazana ababili, amawule, enkosini, bema phambi kwayo.
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and placed themselves before him.
17 Omunye owesifazana wasesithi: Hawu nkosi yami, mina lalumfazi sihlala ndlunye; ngasengibeletha ngilaye endlini.
And the one woman said, Pardon, my Lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesithathu ngibelethile, laye lumfazi wabeletha; njalo sasindawonye, kungekho owemzini kanye lathi endlini, ngaphandle kwethu sobabili endlini.
And it came to pass on the third day after I was delivered, that also this woman was delivered: and we were together, there was no stranger with us in the house, only we two were in the house.
19 Umntwana walumfazi wasesifa ebusuku, ngoba walala phezu kwakhe.
And this woman's son died in the night; because she had overlaid him.
20 Wasevuka phakathi kobusuku, wathatha indodana yami eceleni kwami, incekukazi yakho isalele, wayilalisa esifubeni sakhe, lomntanakhe ofileyo wamlalisa esifubeni sami.
And she arose in the midst of the night, and took my son from beside me, while thy hand-maid slept, and laid him in her bosom, and her dead son she laid in my bosom.
21 Lapho ngivuka ekuseni ukumunyisa umntanami, khangela-ke wayesefile; sengimkhangelisisa ekuseni, khangela-ke, kwakungeyisuye umntanami engamzalayo.
And when I rose in the morning to give my son suck, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I had born.
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.
And the other woman said, It is not so; my son is the living one, and thy son is the dead; and this one said, It is not so; thy son is the dead, and my son is the living: thus they spoke before the king.
23 Inkosi yasisithi: Lo uthi: Le yindodana yami ephilayo, lendodana yakho ngefileyo; lomunye uthi: Hatshi, kodwa indodana yakho ngefileyo, lendodana yami ngephilayo.
Then said the king, This one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is dead: and the other saith, It is not so; thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24 Inkosi yasisithi: Ngithathelani inkemba. Basebeyiletha inkemba phambi kwenkosi.
And the king said, Fetch me a sword: and they brought the sword before the king.
25 Inkosi yasisithi: Dabulani kabili umntwana ophilayo, linike omunye ingxenye, lomunye ingxenye.
And the king said, Hew the living child in two, and give the one half to one, and the other half to the other.
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.
Then spoke the woman whose son was the living unto the king, for her love had become enkindled for her son, and she said, O pardon, my Lord, give her the living child, and only do not slay it; but the other said, Neither mine nor thine shall it be, hew it asunder.
27 Inkosi yasiphendula yathi: Nikani yena umntwana ophilayo, lingambulali loba kunjani; nguye unina.
The king then answered and said, Give her the living child, and do not slay it: she is its mother.
28 UIsrayeli wonke wasesizwa isahlulelo inkosi eyayisahlulele, besaba phambi kwenkosi, ngoba babona ukuthi inhlakanipho kaNkulunkulu yayikuye ukwenza isahlulelo.
And when all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had given, they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to exercise justice.
