2 Nyakati 9
1 Malkia wa Sheba aliposikia habari za umaarufu wa Solomoni, huyo malkia akaja Yerusalemu kumjaribu kwa maswali magumu. Alifika akiwa na msafara mkubwa sana, pamoja na ngamia waliobeba vikolezi, kiasi kikubwa cha dhahabu na vito vya thamani, alikuja kwa Solomoni na kuzungumza naye kuhusu yote ambayo alikuwa nayo moyoni mwake.
Also, when the queen of Sheba had heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem, with great riches and with camels which were carrying aromatics, and very much gold, and precious gems, so that she might test him with enigmas. And when she had approached Solomon, she spoke to him all that was in her heart.
2 Solomoni akamjibu maswali yake yote, wala hakukuwa na jambo lolote lililokuwa gumu kwake asiweze kumwelezea.
And Solomon explained for her all that she had proposed. And there was nothing that he did not make clear to her.
3 Malkia wa Sheba alipoona hekima yote ya Solomoni na jumba la kifalme alilokuwa amejenga,
And after she saw these things, specifically, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,
4 chakula kilichokuwa mezani pake, jinsi maafisa wake walivyokaa, wahudumu katika majoho yao, wanyweshaji wake na sadaka za kuteketezwa alizotoa katika Hekalu la Bwana alipatwa na mshangao.
indeed also the foods of his table, and the habitations of the servants, and the duties of his ministers, and their apparel, and also his cupbearers and their garments, and the victims which he was immolating in the house of the Lord, there was no longer any spirit in her, due to astonishment.
5 Akamwambia mfalme, “Taarifa niliyosikia kwenye nchi yangu mwenyewe kuhusu mafanikio na hekima yako ni kweli.
And she said to the king: “The word is true, which I had heard in my own land, about your virtues and wisdom.
6 Lakini sikuamini yaliyosemwa hadi nilipokuja na kuona kwa macho yangu mwenyewe. Naam, sikuambiwa hata nusu yake; katika hekima na mali umezidi sana kuliko ile taarifa niliyoisikia.
I did not believe those who described it, until I had arrived and my eyes had seen, and I had proven that not even half of your wisdom had been described to me. You have exceeded your fame with your virtue.
7 Heri watu wako! Heri hawa maafisa wako wasimamao mbele yako daima na kusikia hekima yako!
Blessed are your men, and blessed are your servants, who stand before you at all times and listen to your wisdom.
8 Ahimidiwe Bwana Mungu wako, ambaye amependezwa sana nawe, na akakuweka juu ya kiti chake cha ufalme utawale kwa niaba ya Bwana Mungu wako. Kwa sababu ya upendo wa Mungu wako kwa Israeli na shauku yake ya kuwadhibitisha milele, amekufanya wewe mfalme juu yao, ili kudumisha haki na uadilifu.”
Blessed is the Lord your God, who willed to set you upon his throne as a king for the Lord your God. Since God loves Israel, he wishes to preserve them unto eternity. For this reason, he appointed you as king over them, so that you may accomplish judgment and justice.”
9 Naye akampa mfalme talanta 120 za dhahabu, kiasi kikubwa cha vikolezi na vito vya thamani. Haikuwahi kamwe kuletwa vikolezi vizuri kama vile Malkia wa Sheba alivyompa Mfalme Solomoni.
Then she gave to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and an exceedingly great abundance of aromatics, and very precious gems. Never were there such aromatics as those that the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
10 (Watumishi wa Hiramu na wa Solomoni wakaleta dhahabu kutoka Ofiri, tena wakaleta shehena kubwa ya miti ya msandali na vito vya thamani.
Then too, the servants of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and wood from thyine trees, and very precious gems.
11 Mfalme akatumia hiyo miti ya msandali kuwa ngazi kwa ajili ya Hekalu la Bwana na kwa jumba la kifalme, pia kwa kutengeneza vinubi na zeze kwa ajili ya waimbaji. Kiasi hicho kingi cha msandali hakijawahi kuingizwa Yuda tangu siku ile.)
And the king made, from this particular thyine wood, steps in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king, and also harps and psalteries for the singing men. Never was there seen such wood in the land of Judah.
12 Mfalme Solomoni akampa Malkia wa Sheba kila kitu alichotamani na kukiomba, zaidi ya vile alivyokuwa amemletea mfalme. Kisha malkia akaondoka na kurudi katika nchi yake, yeye na watumishi wake.
Then king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, and all that she requested, and much more than what she had brought to him. And returning, she went away to her own land with her servants.
13 Uzito wa dhahabu ambayo Solomoni alipokea kwa mwaka ulikuwa talanta 666,
Now the weight of the gold, which was being brought to Solomon throughout each year, was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,
14 mbali na mapato yaliyoletwa na wafanyabiashara na wachuuzi. Wafalme wote wa Arabuni na watawala wa nchi wakamletea Solomoni dhahabu na fedha.
apart from the sum that the legates of various nations and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and apart from the gold and silver that all the kings of Arabia, and the princes of the lands, were bringing together for Solomon.
15 Mfalme Solomoni akatengeneza ngao kubwa 200 kwa dhahabu iliyofuliwa. Kila ngao ilikuwa na dhahabu yenye uzito wa shekeli 600
And so, king Solomon made two hundred gold spears, from six hundred gold pieces, the amount used for each spear,
16 Akatengeneza pia ngao ndogo 300 za dhahabu iliyofuliwa, kila ngao ikiwa na uzito wa mane tatu za dhahabu. Mfalme akaziweka katika Jumba la Kifalme la Msitu wa Lebanoni.
and also three hundred gold shields, from three hundred gold pieces, which covered each shield. And the king placed them in the armory, which was situated in a forest.
17 Kisha mfalme akatengeneza kiti kikubwa cha kifalme kwa kutumia pembe za ndovu na kukifunika kwa dhahabu safi.
Also, the king made a great ivory throne, and he clothed it with the purest gold.
18 Kiti hicho kilikuwa na ngazi sita na mahali pa kuwekea miguu vyote vya dhahabu. Pande zote za kiti kulikuwa na mahali pa kuegemeza mikono, na simba wawili wakisimama kando ya hiyo mikono.
And there were six steps, by which he would ascend to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms, one on each side, and two lions standing beside the arms.
19 Simba kumi na wawili walisimama kwenye ngazi sita, mmoja katika kila upande wa kila ngazi. Hakuna kitu kama hicho kilichokuwa kimefanyika kwenye ufalme mwingine wowote.
Moreover, there were twelve additional little lions standing upon the six steps on both sides. There was no similar throne in all the kingdoms.
20 Vikombe vyote vya Mfalme Solomoni vya kunywea vilikuwa vya dhahabu na vyombo vyote vya nyumbani katika Jumba la Kifalme la Msitu wa Lebanoni vilikuwa vya dhahabu safi. Hakukuwa na kitu kilichotengenezwa kwa fedha, kwa sababu fedha ilionekana ya thamani ndogo wakati wa Solomoni.
Also, all the vessels for the feasts of the king were of gold, and the vessels of the forest house of Lebanon were from the purest gold. For silver in those days was considered as nothing.
21 Mfalme alikuwa na meli nyingi za biashara baharini zilizoendeshwa na watu wa Hiramu. Kwa mara moja kila miaka mitatu zilirudi, zikiwa zimebeba dhahabu, fedha, pembe za ndovu na nyani wakubwa na wadogo.
For indeed, the ships of the king went to Tarshish, with the servants of Hiram, once every three years. And they brought from there gold, and silver, and ivory, and primates, and peacocks.
22 Mfalme Solomoni alikuwa mkuu zaidi kwa utajiri na hekima kuliko wafalme wote wa dunia.
And so, Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth in wealth and glory.
23 Wafalme wote wa dunia wakatafuta kukutana na Solomoni ili kusikia hekima ambayo Mungu alikuwa ameiweka katika moyo wake.
And all the kings of the lands were desiring to see the face of Solomon, so that they might hear the wisdom that God had granted to his heart.
24 Mwaka baada ya mwaka, kila mmoja ambaye alikuja, alileta zawadi, vyombo vya fedha na dhahabu, majoho, silaha na vikolezi, farasi na nyumbu.
And they were bringing to him gifts, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armor, and aromatics, and horses, and mules, throughout each year.
25 Solomoni alikuwa na mabanda 4,000 kwa ajili ya farasi na magari ya vita, farasi 12,000 ambao aliwaweka katika miji ya magari ya vita na katika Yerusalemu pamoja naye.
Also, Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots and horsemen, and he appointed them to the cities of the chariots, and where the king was in Jerusalem.
26 Solomoni akatawala juu ya wafalme wote kuanzia Mto Frati mpaka kwenye nchi ya Wafilisti na kuendelea hadi mpaka wa Misri.
Now he also exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates as far as the land of the Philistines, and as far as the borders of Egypt.
27 Mfalme akafanya fedha kuwa kitu cha kawaida kama mawe huko Yerusalemu, mierezi akaifanya kuwa mingi kama mikuyu vilimani.
And he brought forth so much silver that it was as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones. And cedar trees were as great in number as the sycamores that spring up in the plains.
28 Farasi wa Solomoni waliletwa kutoka Misri na kutoka nchi nyingine zote.
And horses were brought to him from Egypt and from every region.
29 Kwa habari za matukio mengine ya utawala wa Solomoni, kuanzia mwanzo hadi mwisho, je, hayakuandikwa katika kumbukumbu za nabii Nathani, katika unabii wa Ahiya Mshiloni na katika maono ya Ido mwonaji kuhusu Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati?
Now the rest of the works of Solomon, the first and the last, have been written in the words of Nathan, the prophet, and in the books of Ahijah, the Shilonite, as well as in the vision of Iddo, the seer, against Jeroboam, the son of Nabat.
30 Solomoni alitawala Israeli yote miaka arobaini, akiwa Yerusalemu.
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all of Israel, for forty years.
31 Kisha Solomoni akalala pamoja na baba zake, naye akazikwa katika mji wa Daudi baba yake. Naye Rehoboamu mwanawe akawa mfalme baada yake.
And he slept with his fathers. And they buried him in the City of David. And his son, Rehoboam, reigned in his place.
