Solomoni ucela kuhlakanipha
1Solomoni wakha buhlobo naFaro, inkhosi yaseGibhithe, washada nendvodzakati yakhe. Wayitsatsa wayibeka eDolobheni laDavide, waze wacedza kwakha sigodlo sakhe, nelithempeli laSimakadze kanye netibondza letatitungelete iJerusalema. 2Bantfu noko babesolomane basanikela ngemihlatjelo etindzaweni letiphakeme, ngobe lithempeli lalisolomane lingakapheli kwakhiwa, lakhelwe Libito laSimakadze. 3Solomoni walukhombisa lutsandvo lwakhe kuSimakadze ngekutsi ahambe ngetimiso teyise Davide, ngaphandle kwekutsi yena Solomoni abenikela ngemihlatjelo nangemphepho letfunciswa etindzaweni letiphakeme.
4Inkhosi yahamba yaya eGibeyoni yayawunikela ngemihlatjelo, ngobe leyo bekunguyona ndzawo lephakeme lemcoka. Solomoni-ke wanikela ngenkhulungwane yeminikelo yekushiswa kulelo lati. 5Simakadze watibonakalisa kuSolomoni ebusuku ngesimo seliphupho, ngesikhatsi aseGibeyoni. Nkulunkulu wakhuluma kuye, watsi: “Cela nome ngabe yini lofuna kutsi ngikuphe yona.”
6Solomoni waphendvula watsi: “Wentela inceku yakho, Davide babe wami, umusa lomkhulu, ngobe yena abetsembekile kuwe futsi alungile anenhlitiyo lecotfo. Wena uchubeke nawo lomusa wakho kuye, waze wamupha nendvodzana yakhe letawuhlala esihlalweni sakhe sebukhosi lamuhla nje.
7“Manje-ke, Simakadze Nkulunkulu wami, sewubeke inceku yakho kutsi ibe yinkhosi endzaweni yababe Davide. Kodvwa mine ngisengumfanyana nje, ngimncane, angati nekwati kutsi ngitawenta kanjani umsebenti wami. 8Inceku yakho ilapha nje emkhatsini wesive sakho losikhetsile, sive lesikhulu, sive lesingenawubalwa ngumuntfu ngebunyenti. 9Ngako-ke nika inceku yakho inhlitiyo lehlakaniphile nengcondvo lehlutekile lekwati kwehlukanisa lokuhle nalokubi, kuze yehlulele kahle lesive sakho. Ngobe ngubani nje longakhona kubusa lesive sakho lesikhulu kangaka?”
10Simakadze kwamjabulisa kutsi Solomoni acele loko. 11Ngako Nkulunkulu watsi kuye: “Njengobe ucele loku, ungakaticeleli imphilo lendze nome bunjinga, ungakaceli nekubhujiswa kwetitsa takho, kodvwa ucele inhlitiyo lehlakaniphile nengcondo lehlutekile, uze uhole ngekulunga, 12ngitakunika loko lokucelile. Ngitakunika inhlitiyo lehlakaniphile nengcondvo lehlutekile kanye nelwati loluphelele, kangangekutsi akusayikuphindze kube khona lonjengawe, futsi akazange asabekhona kucala kunawe. 13Ngetulu kwaloko ngitakupha naloku longakakuceli, yebo, bunjinga, nekuhlonishwa, neludvumo, kuze kutsi ngetikhatsi takho kubete nayinye inkhosi emhlabeni lefanana nawe. 14Nawutawuhamba etindleleni tami, uhloniphe netimiso tami nemiyalo yami njengeyihlo Davide, ngiyakukunika nemphilo lendze.” 15Solomoni wase uyaphaphama. Wabona kutsi abebhudza.
Wancandzeka wabuyela eJerusalema, wafike wema embikwelibhokisi lesivumelwane saSimakadze wenta imihlatjelo yekushiswa neyekuthula. Emvakwaloko wase wenta lidzili labo bonkhe bantfu basesigodlweni sakhe.
Kwehlulela kwaSolomoni ngekuhlakanipha
16Tingwadla letimbili teta enkhosini, tefike tema embikwayo. 17Lenye yeta yatsi: “Nkhosi yami, lomfati lona sihlala naye endlini yinye. Bengibeleke umntfwana, naye akhona, sihlala naye. 18Kuphele emalanga lamatsatfu lowami ngimbelekile, naye wase uyabeleka. Besisobabili lapha endlini, kute lomunye labekhona, bekungitsi sobabili kuphela.
19“Kutsite ebusuku lendvodzana yalomfati yafa, ngobe usuke walala etikwayo. 20Ubese-ke uyavuka ekhatsi nebusuku watsatsa leyami indvodzana lapha eceleni kwami ngesikhatsi mine, ncekukati yakho, ngisatumekile, wambeka esifubeni sakhe, watsatsa lowakhe lofile wambeka esifubeni sami. 21Ngitsite ngiyavuka ekuseni ngifuna kumunyisa umntfwanami, ngakhandza afile! Kodvwa ngitsite ngiyambukisisa nase kusile sekukhanya, ngabona kutsi akusiye lowami lengimbelekile.”
22Lona lomunye umfati watsi: “Cha! Lena lephilako yindvodzana yami; lena lefile yakho.”
Kodvwa lomfati wekucala wacinisa watsi: “Cha! Lena lefile yakho; lena lephilako yami.” Ngako baphindzilitana kanjalo-ke embikwenkhosi.
23Inkhosi yatsi: “Lona utsi: ‘Indvodzana yami ngulena lephilako; yakho lena lefile,’ kanjalo nalona lomunye naye utsi: ‘Cha! indvodzana yakho ifile, lena lephilako yami.’ ”
24Ngako-ke inkhosi yatsi: “Letsani inkemba.” Nembala baletsa inkemba enkhosini. 25Yase ikhipha umyalo yatsi: “Cheketani lomntfwana lophilako ekhatsi, ninike lona lomunye lucetu lwanganhlanye, nalona lomunye nimnike lucetu lwanganhlanye.”
26Lomfati longumnikati walomntfwana wafikelwa ngimihelo ngenca yalomntfwanakhe, wakhuluma enkhosini watsi: “Ngiyacela, nkhosi yami, mane sale umnika yena lomntfwana lophilako! Ungambulali!”
Kodvwa lona lomunye watsi: “Akubete lomtsatsako kitsi sobabili. Mhlahleleni ekhatsi!”
27Ngako inkhosi yase ikhipha sigwebo sayo, yatsi: “Tsatsani lomntfwana lophilako nimnike lomfati wekucala, ningambulali, ngobe nguye unina walomfanyana.”
28Sonkhe sive sema-Israyeli satsi nasiva lesigwebo lesikhishwe yinkhosi, sacalela phansi kuyihlonipha inkhosi, ngobe sabona kahle kutsi inekuhlakanipha kwaNkulunkulu kwekuhola nekwehlulela ngekulunga.
