1 Wafalme 3
1 Solomoni akafanya urafiki na Mfalme Farao wa Misri na kumwoa binti yake. Akamleta huyo binti katika Mji wa Daudi mpaka alipomaliza kujenga jumba lake la kifalme na Hekalu la Bwana, pamoja na ukuta kuzunguka Yerusalemu.
And Solomon contracted an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, —and took the daughter of Pharaoh, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Yahweh, and the wall of Jerusalem, round about.
2 Hata hivyo, watu bado walikuwa wakitoa dhabihu huko kwenye vilima, kwa sababu Hekalu lilikuwa bado halijajengwa kwa ajili ya Jina la Bwana.
Save only, that the people were sacrificing in the high places, —because there had not been built a house unto the Name of Yahweh, until those days,
3 Solomoni akaonyesha upendo wake kwa Bwana kwa kuenenda sawasawa na amri za Daudi baba yake, ila yeye alitoa dhabihu na kufukiza uvumba huko mahali pa juu.
Solomon loved Yahweh, by walking in the statutes of David his father, —save only, that, in the high places, he himself, was sacrificing and offering incense.
4 Mfalme akaenda Gibeoni kutoa dhabihu, kwa maana ndipo palipokuwa mahali pa juu pa kuabudia, naye Solomoni akatoa sadaka elfu moja za kuteketezwa juu ya hayo madhabahu.
So then the king went to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for, that, was the great high place, —a thousand ascending-sacrifices, did Solomon offer up on that altar.
5 Bwana akamtokea Solomoni huko Gibeoni wakati wa usiku katika ndoto, naye Mungu akasema, “Omba lolote utakalo nikupe.”
In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared unto Solomon, in a dream by night, —and God said, Ask, what I shall give thee.
6 Solomoni akajibu, “Umemfanyia mtumishi wako, baba yangu Daudi, fadhili nyingi, kwa kuwa alikuwa mwaminifu kwako na mwenye haki, tena mnyofu wa moyo. Nawe umemzidishia fadhili hii kuu kwani umempa mwana wa kuketi kwenye kiti chake cha ufalme, kama ilivyo leo.
Then said Solomon—Thou, didst deal, with thy servant David my father, in great lovingkindness, according 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 lovingkindness, that thou hast given unto him a son, to sit upon his throne, as it is this day.
7 “Sasa, Ee Bwana Mungu wangu, umemfanya mtumishi wako mfalme badala ya baba yangu Daudi. Lakini mimi ni mtoto mdogo tu, wala sijui jinsi ya kutekeleza wajibu wangu.
Now, therefore, O Yahweh my God, thou, hast made thy servant king, instead of David my father, —and, I, am but a little child, I know not how to go out and come in.
8 Mtumishi wako yuko hapa miongoni mwa watu uliowachagua: taifa kubwa, watu wengi wasioweza kuhesabika wala kutoa idadi yao.
And, thy servant, is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, —a numerous people, that cannot be numbered or summed up, for multitude.
9 Hivyo mpe mtumishi wako moyo wa ufahamu ili kutawala watu wako na kupambanua kati ya mema na mabaya. Kwa maana, ni nani awezaye kutawala watu wako hawa walio wengi hivi?”
Wilt thou, then, give unto thy servant, a heart that hearkeneth, to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad, —for who is able to judge this thine honoured people?
10 Bwana akapendezwa kwamba Solomoni ameliomba jambo hili.
And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, —that Solomon had asked this thing;
11 Basi Mungu akamwambia, “Kwa kuwa umeomba neno hili na hukuomba maisha marefu au upate utajiri kwa nafsi yako, wala adui zako wafe, bali umeomba ufahamu katika kutoa haki,
And God said unto him—Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself many days, nor asked for thyself riches, nor asked the lives of thine enemies, —but hast asked for thyself discernment, in hearing a cause,
12 nitafanya lile uliloomba. Nitakupa moyo wa hekima na wa ufahamu, kiasi kwamba hajakuwepo mtu mwingine kama wewe, wala kamwe hatakuwepo baada yako.
lo! I have done according to thy word, —lo! I have given unto thee a wise and discerning heart, so that, like thee, hath been none, before thee, and, after thee, shall rise up none, like thee.
13 Zaidi ya hayo, nitakupa yale ambayo hukuomba, yaani utajiri na heshima, ili kwamba maisha yako yote hapatakuwa na mtu kama wewe miongoni mwa wafalme.
Moreover also, what thou hast not asked, have I given unto thee, both riches and honour, —so that there hath been none, like thee, among the kings, all thy days.
14 Nawe kama ukienenda katika njia zangu na kutii sheria na amri zangu kama baba yako Daudi alivyofanya, nitakupa maisha marefu.”
And, if thou wilt walk in my ways, by keeping my statutes, and my commandments, as, David thy father, walked, then will I lengthen out thy days.
15 Ndipo Solomoni akaamka, akatambua kuwa ilikuwa ndoto. Akarudi Yerusalemu, akasimama mbele ya Sanduku la Agano la Bwana, naye akatoa dhabihu za kuteketezwa na sadaka za amani. Kisha akawafanyia watumishi wake wote karamu.
And Solomon awoke, and lo! it was a dream. So he entered into Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and caused to go up ascending-sacrifices and offered peace-offerings, and made a banquet for all his servants.
16 Basi wanawake wawili makahaba walikuja kwa mfalme na kusimama mbele yake.
Then, came there in two unchaste women, unto the king, —and stood before him.
17 Mmojawapo akasema, “Bwana wangu, mimi na mwanamke huyu tunaishi kwenye nyumba moja. Nilikuwa nimezaa alipokuwa pamoja nami.
And the one woman said—Pardon, my lord! I and this woman, dwell in one house, —and I gave birth to a child near her, in the house.
18 Siku ya tatu baada ya mtoto wangu kuzaliwa, mwanamke huyu pia naye akazaa mtoto. Tulikuwa peke yetu, hapakuwa na mtu mwingine yeyote katika nyumba isipokuwa sisi wawili.
And it came to pass, the third day after I bare, that, this woman also, gave birth to a child, —we two, being together, there was no stranger with us in the house, none but we two in the house.
19 “Wakati wa usiku mwana wa huyu mwanamke akafa kwa sababu alimlalia.
And this woman’s son died in the night, —because she overlaid it.
20 Hivyo akaondoka katikati ya usiku na kumchukua mwanangu kutoka ubavuni pangu wakati mimi mtumishi wako nilipokuwa nimelala. Akamweka kifuani mwake na kumweka mwanawe aliyekufa kifuani mwangu.
Then arose she, in the middle of the night, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid was sleeping, and laid it in her own besom, —but, her dead son, laid she in, my, bosom.
21 Asubuhi yake, nikaamka ili kumnyonyesha mwanangu, naye alikuwa amekufa! Lakini nilipomwangalia sana katika nuru ya asubuhi, niliona kuwa hakuwa yule mwana niliyekuwa nimemzaa.”
And, when I arose in the morning, to give suck unto my child, lo! it was dead! but, when I looked at it narrowly in the morning, lo! it was not, my son that I had borne.
22 Huyo mwanamke mwingine akasema, “Hapana! Mwana aliye hai ndiye wangu, aliyekufa ni wako.” Lakini yule wa kwanza akasisitiza, “Hapana! Mwana aliyekufa ni wako, aliye hai ni wangu.” Hivi ndivyo walivyobishana mbele ya mfalme.
Then said the other woman—Nay! but, my son, is the, living, and, thy son, the, dead. But, this, one kept on saying—Nay, verily! but, thy son, is the, dead, and, my son, the, living. Thus spake they before the king.
23 Mfalme akasema, “Huyu anasema, ‘Mwanangu ndiye aliye hai, na aliyekufa ndiye mwanao,’ maadamu yule anasema, ‘Hapana! Aliyekufa ni wako, na aliye hai ni wangu.’”
Then said the king, The one woman, is saying, This, is, my son, the one that liveth, and, thy son, is, the one that is dead, —and, the other, is saying, Nay! but, thy son, is, the dead one, and, my son, the, living.
24 Kisha mfalme akasema, “Nileteeni upanga.” Basi wakamletea mfalme upanga.
And the king said—Bring me a sword! So they brought a sword before the king.
25 Ndipo mfalme akatoa amri: “Mkate mtoto aliye hai vipande viwili; mpe huyu nusu na mwingine nusu.”
Then said the king, Divide the living child, in twain, —and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26 Mwanamke ambaye mwanawe alikuwa hai akajawa na huruma kwa ajili ya mwanawe na kumwambia mfalme, “Tafadhali, bwana wangu, mpe yeye mtoto aliye hai! Usimuue!” Lakini yule mwanamke mwingine akasema, “Mkate vipande viwili. Asiwe wangu au wake!”
Then spake the woman, whose was the living child, unto the king—for tender became her compassions over her son—so she said—Pardon, my lord! Give, her, the living child, and do not, kill, it. But the other kept on saying—Neither mine, nor thine, shall it be, divide it.
27 Kisha mfalme akatoa uamuzi wake: “Mpeni mama wa kwanza mtoto aliye hai. Msimuue; ndiye mama yake.”
Then responded the king, and said—Give, her, the living child, ye shall not, kill, it, —she, is its mother.
28 Wakati Israeli yote iliposikia hukumu aliyotoa mfalme, wakamwogopa mfalme, kwa sababu waliona kuwa alikuwa na hekima kutoka kwa Mungu kwa kutoa haki.
And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had delivered, and they stood in awe before the king, —for they saw, that, the wisdom of God, was in him, to execute justice.
