2 Imilando 9
1 Indlovukazi yeShebha isizwile udumo lukaSolomoni yeza eJerusalema ukuhlola uSolomoni ngemibuzo enzima, ilexuku elikhulu kakhulu, lamakamela ethwele amakha legolide ngobunengi lamatshe aligugu; isifikile kuSolomoni yakhuluma laye konke okwakusenhliziyweni yayo.
The queen who ruled [the] Sheba [area in Arabia] heard that Solomon had become famous, so she traveled to Jerusalem to ask him questions that were difficult [to answer]. She came with a large group of servants, and she brought camels that were loaded with spices, and valuable gems, and a lot of gold. When she met Solomon, she asked him questions about all the things/topics in which she was interested.
2 USolomoni wayichasisela zonke indaba zayo, njalo kwakungekho lutho olwamcatshelayo uSolomoni angaluchasisanga kuyo.
Solomon answered all her questions. He explained everything that she asked about, even things that were very difficult.
3 Indlovukazi yeShebha isibonile inhlakanipho kaSolomoni, lendlu ayeyakhile,
The queen realized that Solomon was very wise. She saw his palace,
4 lokudla kwetafula lakhe, lokuhlala kwenceku zakhe, lokuma kwezikhonzi zakhe, lezigqoko zazo, labaphathinkezo bakhe, lezigqoko zabo, lokwenyuka kwakhe enyuka ngakho endlini yeNkosi, kakusabanga lamoya kuyo.
she saw the food that was served on his table [every day]; she saw how his officials were seated at the table, their uniforms, the servants who served the food and wine, and the sacrifices that he took to the temple to be completely burned on the altar. She was extremely amazed.
5 Yasisithi enkosini: Wawuliqiniso umbiko engawuzwa elizweni lami ngendaba zakho langenhlakanipho yakho.
She said to the king, “Everything that I heard in my own country about you and about how wise you are is true!
6 Kodwa kangiwakholwanga amazwi abo ngaze ngeza lamehlo ami akubona. Khangela-ke, bengingatshelwanga ingxenye yobukhulu benhlakanipho yakho; uyedlula umbiko engawuzwayo.
But I did not believe it was true until I came here and saw it myself. You are [extremely wise and rich, ] more than what people told me.
7 Ayajabula amadoda akho, njalo ziyajabula lezizinceku zakho ezimi phambi kwakho njalonjalo zisizwa inhlakanipho yakho.
The men who work for you are very fortunate! Your officials who are constantly standing in front of you and listening to the wise things that you say are also fortunate!
8 Kabusiswe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho othokoze ngawe ukukubeka esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi ukuthi ube yinkosi kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho. Ngoba uNkulunkulu wakho wamthanda uIsrayeli ukumqinisa kuze kube nininini, ngakho ukubekile waba yinkosi phezu kwabo ukuze wenze isahlulelo lokulunga.
Praise Yahweh your God, who has shown that he is pleased with you by appointing you to be the king of Israel for him. God has always loved the Israeli people, and desires to assist them forever, and therefore he has appointed you to be their king, in order that you will rule them fairly and righteously.”
9 Yasinika inkosi igolide elingamathalenta alikhulu lamatshumi amabili, lamakha ngobunengi obukhulu, lamatshe aligugu. Kakuzanga kube khona anjengalawo amakha indlovukazi yeShebha eyawanika inkosi uSolomoni.
Then the queen gave to Solomon about 4-1/2 tons of gold and a large amount of spices and gems. Never had King Solomon received more spices than the queen gave him at that time.
10 Futhi izinceku zikaHuramu lenceku zikaSolomoni ezaziletha igolide livela eOfiri, zaseziletha izigodo zama-aligumi lamatshe aligugu.
King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba everything that she wanted. He gave her more than she had given to him. Then she and those who came with her returned to her own land. [In the ships that belonged to King Hiram, ] Hiram’s workers and Solomon’s workers brought gold from Ophir. They also brought a large amount of juniper wood and gems. King Solomon [told his workers] to use that wood to make railings in the temple and in his palace and also to make harps and lyres for the musicians. That wood was the the finest wood that had ever been seen in Israel.
11 Inkosi yasisenza ngezigodo zama-aligumi izikhwelo zendlu kaJehova lezendlu yenkosi, lamachacho lezigubhu zezintambo kwabahlabeleli. Kakuzanga kubonwe futhi okunjengalokho mandulo elizweni lakoJuda.
12 Inkosi uSolomoni yasinika indlovukazi yeShebha sonke isifiso sayo eyasicelayo, ngaphandle kwalokho ayekulethe enkosini. Yasiphenduka yaya elizweni layo yona lenceku zayo.
13 Isisindo segolide elalifika-ke kuSolomoni ngomnyaka owodwa sasingamathalenta egolide angamakhulu ayisithupha lamatshumi ayisithupha lesithupha,
Each year there was brought to Solomon a total of 25 tons of gold.
14 ngaphandle kwalokho abakuletha kuvela kubathengisi labathengi; lawo wonke amakhosi eArabhiya lababusi belizwe baletha igolide lesiliva kuSolomoni.
That was in addition to the [taxes] paid to him by the merchants and traders. Also, the kings of Arabia and the governors of [the districts in] Israel brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 Inkosi uSolomoni yasisenza izihlangu ezinkulu ezingamakhulu amabili ngegolide elikhandiweyo; yasebenzisa amashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha egolide elikhandiweyo esihlangwini esisodwa esikhulu.
King Solomon’s [workers took this] gold [and] hammered [it] into thin sheets and covered 200 large shields with those thin sheets of gold; they put almost 7-1/2 pounds of gold on each shield.
16 Lamahawu angamakhulu amathathu egolide elikhandiweyo; yasebenzisela ihawu elilodwa amashekeli angamakhulu amathathu. Inkosi yakubeka endlini yegusu leLebhanoni.
His [workers] made 300 [smaller] shields. They covered each of them with almost 4 pounds of gold. Then the king put those shields in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 Inkosi yasisenza isihlalo sobukhosi esikhulu ngempondo zendlovu, yasinameka ngegolide elicwengekileyo.
His [workers] also made for him a large throne. [Part of] it was covered with [decorations made from] ivory and [part of it was covered] with very fine gold.
18 Njalo isihlalo sobukhosi sasilezikhwelo eziyisithupha zesihlalo lesenabelo segolide sasixhunywe esihlalweni sobukhosi, lezeyamelo zengalo ngapha langapha endaweni yokuhlala, lezilwane ezimbili zimi eceleni kwezeyamelo zengalo.
There were six steps in front of the throne. There was a gold footstool that was attached to the throne. At each side of the throne there was an armrest, and alongside each armrest there was a [small statue of a] lion.
19 Njalo kwakumi izilwane ezilitshumi lambili khona ngapha langapha ezikhwelweni eziyisithupha. Kakuzanga kwenziwe okunjalo lakuwuphi umbuso.
On the six steps there were twelve statues of lions, one on each side. No throne like that had ever existed in any other kingdom.
20 Lazo zonke izitsha zokunatha zenkosi uSolomoni zazingezegolide, lezitsha zonke zendlu yegusu leLebhanoni zazingezegolide elicwengekileyo; isiliva sasingabalwa njengolutho ensukwini zikaSolomoni.
All of Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the various dishes in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon were made of gold. [They did not make things from silver], because during the years that Solomon [ruled], silver was not considered to be valuable.
21 Ngoba imikhumbi yenkosi yaya eTarshishi lezinceku zikaHuramu; kanye ngeminyaka emithathu imikhumbi yeTarshishi yeza ithwele igolide, lesiliva, impondo zezindlovu, lezindwangu, lamaphigaga.
The king had a fleet of ships that sailed with the ships that King Hiram owned. Every three years the ships returned [from the places to which they had sailed], bringing gold, silver, ivory, monkeys, and baboons (OR, peacocks).
22 Inkosi uSolomoni yaba nkulu kulawo wonke amakhosi omhlaba ngenotho langenhlakanipho.
King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on the earth.
23 Lawo wonke amakhosi omhlaba adinga ubuso bukaSolomoni ukuzwa inhlakanipho yakhe uNkulunkulu ayeyifake enhliziyweni yakhe.
Kings from all over the world wanted to come and listen to the wise things that Solomon said, things that God had enabled him to know.
24 Aseletha, ngulowo lalowo isipho sakhe, izitsha zesiliva, lezitsha zegolide, lezembatho, izikhali, lamakha, amabhiza, lezimbongolo; into yomnyaka ngomnyaka wayo.
All the people who came to him brought presents: They brought things made from silver or gold, or robes, or weapons, or spices, or horses, or mules. The people continued to do this every year.
25 Njalo uSolomoni wayelezindlwana zamabhiza lezinqola ezizinkulungwane ezine, labagadi bamabhiza abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili; wasekubeka emizini yezinqola, njalo lenkosini eJerusalema.
Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his horses and chariots, and 12,000 horses. Solomon put some of them in Jerusalem and some of them in other cities where he kept his chariots.
26 Wasebusa phezu kwawo wonke amakhosi kusukela eMfuleni kuze kube selizweni lamaFilisti, njalo kuze kube semngceleni weGibhithe.
Solomon ruled over all the kings in the area from the [Euphrates] River [in the northeast] to the Philistia area [in the west] to the border of Egypt [in the south].
27 Inkosi yasisenza isiliva eJerusalema laba njengamatshe, lemisedari wayenza yaba njengemikhiwa yesikhamore esesihotsheni, ngobunengi.
[During the years that Solomon was] king, [he] caused silver to become as common in Jerusalem as stones; and he caused cedar trees in the foothills of Judah to become as plentiful as fig trees.
28 Basebekhuphela uSolomoni amabhiza eGibhithe lemazweni wonke.
Solomon’s agents brought horses from [the] Musri [area] and other places.
29 Ezinye-ke zezindaba zikaSolomoni, ezokuqala lezokucina, kazibhalwanga yini emazwini kaNathani umprofethi, lakusiprofetho sikaAhiya umShilo, lemibonweni kaYedi umboni mayelana loJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati?
Lists of all the other things that Solomon did are recorded in the scrolls written by the prophet Nathan and by the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh [city], and in [the scroll in which were written] the visions that the prophet Iddo saw concerning [King] Jeroboam.
30 USolomoni wasebusa eJerusalema phezu kukaIsrayeli wonke iminyaka engamatshumi amane.
Solomon ruled from Jerusalem all of Israel for 40 years.
31 USolomoni waselala laboyise, basebemngcwaba emzini kaDavida uyise. URehobhowamu indodana yakhe wasesiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
Then Solomon died and was buried in [the part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’. And his son Rehoboam became the king.
