Ukuganwa KukaSolomoni Nokwenziwa Kwemihlatshelo
1USolomoni noFaro, inkosi yaseGibhithe, bakha ubuhlobo ngokuganiselana. USolomoni wayithatha indodakazi kaFaro, wayingenisa emzini kaDavide, waze waqeda ukwakha isigodlo sakhe, nendlu kaSimakade, nokwakha ugange oluzungeze iJerusalema nxazonke. 2Abantu babenza imihlatshelo ezindaweni eziphakemeyo, ngoba yayingakabi bikho indlu eyakhelwe igama likaSimakade, kwaze kwaba yilezo zinsuku. 3USolomoni wamthanda uSimakade, wahamba ngokwezimiso zikaDavide, uyise, kodwa naye wayehlaba, eshisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.
Umhlatshelo KaSolomoni EGibheyoni Nokucela Kwakhe Ukuhlakanipha
4Inkosi uSolomoni yaya eGibheyoni ukuyokwenza umhlatshelo khona, ngokuba kwakuyiyona ndawo ephakemeyo, enkulu. USolomoni wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa eyinkulungwane kulelo althare. 5EseGibheyoni uSimakade wabonakala kuye ngephupho ebusuku, uNkulunkulu wathi kuye: “Cela lokho othanda ukuba ngikuphe khona.”
6USolomoni wathi: “Ukhombise umusa omkhulu encekwini yakho uDavide, ubaba, ngoba wahamba phambi kwakho ngokwethembeka, ngokulunga nangobuqotho benhliziyo kuwe, wamgcinela lowo musa omkhulu, wamnika indodana ukuba ihlale esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi njengalokhu kwenzeka namuhla.
7“Manje-ke, Simakade Nkulunkulu wami, uyibekile inceku yakho ukuba ibe yinkosi esikhundleni sikababa uDavide, noma ngisengumntwana nje. Angikakwazi ukungena nokuphuma. 8Inceku yakho uyibeke phakathi kwesizwe sakho osikhethileyo, isizwe esikhulu esingenakubalwa, nobuningi baso obungenakuqondwa. 9Ngakho-ke yiphe inceku yakho inhliziyo elalelayo ukuze ikwazi ukubusa abantu bakho, ikwazi ukwehlukanisa phakathi kokuhle nokubi, ngokuba ngubani ongabusa lesi sizwe sakho esikhulu kangaka na?”
10Lokhu kwaba kuhle emehlweni eNkosi uSimakade, ukuthi uSolomoni acele leyo nto. 11UNkulunkulu wathi kuye: “Ngokuba ucele lokho, awuzange uzicelele impilo ende, noma ingcebo, noma ucele ukuba kufe izitha zakho, kodwa ucele ukuqonda lapho wehlulela; 12uyabona-ke, ngenzile njengokwezwi lakho. Ngikunika inhliziyo enokuhlakanipha nokuqonda; okungazange kube khona namunye owake wafana nawe phambilini, futhi okungayikuba bikho oyovela emva kwakho. 13Ngizokunika nongazange ukucele; ingcebo nodumo. Akukho nayinye phakathi kwamakhosi eyolinganiswa nawe, izinsuku zonke zokuphila kwakho. 14Uma nje uyohamba ngezindlela zami, ugcine izimiso zami nemithetho yami, njengalokhu ahamba uyihlo uDavide, ngiyokwandisa izinsuku zokuphila kwakho.”
15USolomoni wayesephaphama; lokho kwakuyiphupho; wasuka lapho wabuyela eJerusalema. Wafike wema phambi komphongolo wesivumelwano sikaSimakade, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa, nangeminikelo yokuthula, wenzela izinceku zakhe zonke idili.
Ukuhlakanipha KukaSolomoni Ekwehluleleni
16Kwase kufika enkosini abesifazane ababili ababexegelwa yisimilo, bema phambi kwenkosi. 17Omunye wabo wathi: “Bayede, nkosi, mina nalo wesifazane sihlala endlini eyodwa. Ngibelethe nginaye endlini. 18Kuthe ngosuku lwesithathu ngibelethile, lo wesifazane naye wabeletha; besindawonye, kungekho omunye obenathi endlini; bekuyithi nje sobabili kuphela.
19“Umfana walo wesifazane ufe ebusuku, ngokuba ulale phezu kwakhe. 20Uvuke phakathi kwamabili wathatha umfana wami eceleni kwami, incekukazi yakho isalele. Ube esembeka esifubeni sakhe, wabeka umfana wakhe ofileyo esifubeni sami. 21Lapho ngivuka ekuseni ukuze ngincelise umfana wami, ngithole ukuthi ubesefile. Kepha kuthe sekusile lapho sengimbhekisisa ngabona ukuthi akusiye umfana wami engimzeleyo.”
22Omunye wesifazane wayesethi: “Qha, lo mfana ophilayo ngowami, ofileyo ngumfana wakho.”
Kepha yena wathi: “Qhabo bo, ofileyo ngumfana wakho, ophilayo ngumfana wami.”
Baphikisana kanjalo phambi kwenkosi.
23Inkosi yayisithi: “Omunye uthi: ‘Ngowami lo mfana ophilayo, ngowakho umfana ofileyo;’ omunye uthi: ‘Qhabo bo, ngumfana wakho ofileyo, ngumfana wami ophilayo.’ ”
24Yathi-ke inkosi: “Ngiletheleni inkemba.”
Base beyiletha inkemba enkosini. 25Inkosi yayisithi: “Mklayeni phakathi umntwana ophilayo, ninike omunye ingxenye, nomunye ingxenye.”
26Owesifazane okungowakhe umntwana ophilayo wakhuluma enkosini, ngenxa yokuthi kwavuka izinseka ngomntwana wakhe, wathi: “Ngixolele, nkosi yami, mnike yena umntwana ophilayo, ungalokothi umbulale,” kepha lo omunye, wathi: “Makangatholwa muntu phakathi kwami nawe; makaklaywe.”
27Inkosi yayisithatha, ithi: “Umntwana ophilayo mnikeni lona othe ningamklayi, ngokuba nguyena ongunina wakhe.”
28U-Israyeli wonke wezwa ngaleso sehlulelo esasenziwe yinkosi, wayesaba inkosi ngokuba wabona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu kwakunayo ekwehluleleni kwayo.
