USolomoni utjhada indodakazi kaFaro
1USolomoni waba mkhwenyana kaFaro ikosi yeGibhide. Ngemva kokobana athethe indodakazakhe, waje ayibeke eMzini kaDavida. Yahlala lapho uSolomoni bewaqeda ukwakha isigodlo sakhe nethempeli lakaSomnini kanye nemithangala ezombeleze iJerusalema.
USolomoni ubawa ukuhlakanipha kuSomnini
2Ngesikhatheso abantu bebasaragela phambili ngokwenza imihlabelo eendundumeni ngombana uSomnini bekangakabi ukwakhelwa ithempeli. 3Nanyana uSolomoni akhombisa ukuthanda uSomnini ngokukhamba ngemiyalo kayise uDavida, ubangakalisi ukwenza imihlabelo nokutjhisa itjhwalo eendundumeni.
4Nje-ke ikosi uSolomoni yaya eGibiyoni yayokwenza imihlatjelo ngombana indawo leyo bekuyindunduma eqakatheke khulu. Yanikela iminikelo yokutjhiswa eyikulungwana e-aldarinapho. 5UZimu waziveza kuSolomoni ebusuku ngebhudango eGibiyoni wathi: “Bawa okufunako ngikuphe.”
6USolomoni waphendula wathi: “Uyenzele umusa omkhulu incekwakho ubaba uDavida ngombana gade athembakele kuwe, aqotho begodu anehliziyo ehle. Uragele phambili ngokuba nomusa omkhulu kuye wamupha indodana kobana ihlale esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi namhlanjesi. 7Nje-ke Somnini Zimami, ubeke incekwakho bonyana ibe yikosi esikhundleni sakababa uDavida. Kodwana ngisesemsanyana, abe angazi nokuthi ngizakubambaphi ngilisephi nakunje. 8Incekwakho nasi hlangana nabantu abanengi obakhethileko, banengi babulala inyoka. 9Yeke Somnini yenza incekwakho ibe mgwebi ohlakaniphileko ukuze ikwazi ukubusa abantu bakho nokwazi ukuhlukanisa phakathi kokuhle nokumbi. Ngombana ngubani ongakghona ukubusa isizwe sakho nasisikhulu kangaka?”
10UZimu wakareka ngesibawo sakaSolomoni, 11wathi kuye: “Njengombana ubawe lokhu, wangazibawela ipilo ede nanyana ubunjinga, nanyana ubawe ukubulawa kwezitha zakho, kodwana wabawa kwaphela ukuhlakanipha ukuze ubuse ngokulunga, 12ngizakupha okubawileko: Ngizakunikela ihliziyo ehlakaniphileko nenombono ukuze kungabikhona owakhe wafana nawe begodu nongeze abakhona. 13Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngizakunikela nalokho ongazange ukubawe: Ngizakunikela ubunjinga nokuhlonitjhwa ukuze epilwenakho yoke kungabinakosi elingana nawe. 14Begodu nawukhamba eendleleni zami bewulalele imithetho nemiyalwami njengombana kwenza uyihlo uDavida, ngizakupha ipilo ede.” 15USolomoni waphaphama, walemuka bonyana gade abhudanga.
Wabuyela eJerusalema, wajama ngaphambi komfaji wesivumelwano sakaSomnini wenza iminikelo yokutjhiswa neyetjhebiswano. Wenzela boke abantu abasesigodlweni sakhe umnyanya.
Ukubonakala kokuhlakanipha kwakaSolomoni
16Ngemva kwalokho kweza iingwadla ezimbili zafika zajama phambi kwekosi uSolomoni. 17Enye yazo yathi: “Babethu, bengithi akhe ngikhulume: Mina nomfazi lo sihlala kumba yinye. Ngabeletha nginaye ngekumbenapho. 18Kuthe elangeni lesithathu sele ngibelethile, naye wabeletha. Besisodwa tere ngekumbenapho; bekungekho omunye ngaphandle kwethu; besisobabili kwaphela. 19Kuthe ebusuku, indodana yomfazi lo yahlongakala ngombana ulele phezu kwayo wayiminyazela. 20Nanguya avuka phakathi kobusuku ananabela umsanami, mina ncekukazakho ngisalele. Wathatha umsanakhe osele ahlongakele wamlalisa esifubeni sami. Wathatha wami wamlalisa esifubeni sakhe. 21Ekuseni ngavuka ngathi ngimunyisa umsanami. Baba-ke! Ngafumana bonyana uhlongakele! Kodwana ngithe nangimqalisisa kuhle emkhanyweni, ngabona bonyana akusuye obelethwe ngimi.”
22Umfazi omunye loyo naye wathi: “Afeke! Ophilako lo ngewami; wakho ngohlongakeleko loyo.”
Kodwana wokuthoma waphikelela wathi: “Ngithi ofileko ngewakho, wami ngophilako!” Baphikisana njalo-ke phambi kwekosi.
23Ikosi yathi: “Lo uthi, ‘Wami umsana uyaphila; wakho uhlongakele,’ loya uthi, ‘Umsanakho ngohlongakeleko; ophilako ngowami.’ 24Yeke ngilethelani isabula.” Ngambala kwalethwa isabula ekosini. 25Ikosi yathi: “Sikani umntwana ophilako lo phakathi, ninikele omunye nomunye ihlangothi.”
26Umfazi ongunina lomntwana ophilako warhawuka waba lisizi ngomsanakhe wathi ekosini: “Babethu, ngiyakubawa, kungcono umnikele umntwana ophilako loyo! Ungambulali!”
Kodwana umfazi omunye wathi: “Sukela le! Dumbana simlobe sobabili. Mrharhabuleni phakathi!”
27Yeke ikosi yakhupha isigwebo sayo yathi: “Nikelani umfazi wokuthoma loya umntwana ophilako. Ningambulali; kuyakhanya bonyana nguye unina.”
28Woke u-Israyeli wezwa ngesigwebo ikosi eyasikuphako. Abantu bahlonipha khulu ikosi ngombana balemuka bonyana uZimu uyiphe ukuhlakanipha ekugwebeni ngokulunga.
