AMAKHOSI I 3

₁USolomoni wahlangana ngobuhlobo noFaro inkosi yaseGibithe, wathatha indodakazi kaFaro, wayingenisa emzini kaDavide, waze waqeda ukwakha indlu yakhe, nendlu kaJehova, nogange lwaseJerusalema nxazonke.

₂Nokho abantu babehlaba ezindaweni eziphakemeyo, ngokuba kwakungakhelwanga igama likaJehova indlu kwaze kwaba-yilezozinsuku.

₃USolomoni wamthanda uJehova, wahamba ngezimiso zikaDavide uyise; kepha wahlaba, washisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.

₄Inkosi yaya eGibeyoni ukuhlabela khona, ngokuba kwakuyindawo ephakemeyo enkulu; uSolomoni wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa eyinkulungwane ealtare lelo.

₅EGibeyoni uJehova wabonakala kuSolomoni ngephupho ebusuku; uNkulunkulu wathi: Cela lokhu othanda ukuba ngikunike khona.

₆USolomoni wathi: Wenzele inceku yakho uDavide ubaba umusa omkhulu njengokuhamba kwakhe phambi kwakho ngeqiniso, nangokulunga, nangobuqotho benhliziyo kuwe, wamgcinela futhi lowomusa omkhulu, wamnika indodana ukuba ihlale esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, njengokuba kunjalo namuhla.

₇Manje, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, ubekile inceku yakho inkosi esikhundleni sikaDavide ubaba; ngingumntwana omncane nje, angikwazi nokungena nokuphuma.

₈Inceku yakho iphakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo, isizwe esikhulu, esingenakubalwa, esingenakuthathwa umumo waso ngobuningi.

₉Ngalokho yiphe inceku yakho inhliziyo elalelayo ukwahlulela abantu bakho ukuba ngahlukanise okuhle nokubi, ngokuba ngubani ongahlulela lababantu bakho abakhulu kangaka na?

₁₀Leyonkulumo yabanhle emehlweni eNkosi ukuba uSolomoni wayecelé leyonto.

₁₁Wathi uNkulunkulu kuye: Ngokuba ucelé leyonto, ungazicelelanga izinsuku eziningi, ungazicelelanga namfuyo, ungacelanga futhi ukufa kwezitha zakho, uzicelele ukwahlukanisa lokho okuzwayo ekwahluleleni,

₁₂bheka, ngenzile njengezwi lakho: nakhu, ngikunika inhliziyo enokuhlakanipha nokuqonda, okungazange kubekhona okunjengakho ngaphambi kwakho nokungayikuvela futhi okunjengakho nangasemva kwakho.

₁₃Ngikunika futhi nalokho ongakucelanga, imfuyo nodumo, ngangokuba kungayikubakho onjengawe phakathi kwamakhosi zonke izinsuku zakho.

₁₄Uma uhamba ngezindlela zami, ugcine izimiso zami nemiyalo yami, njengalokho uyihlo uDavide wahamba, ngiyakwandisa izinsuku zakho.

₁₅USolomoni wayesephaphama; bheka, kwakuyiphupho; waya eJerusalema, wema phambi komphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa, wanikela ngeminikelo yokuthula, wazenzela izinceku zakhe zonke idili.

₁₆Khona kwafika enkosini abesifazane ababili abayizifebe, bema phambi kwayo.

₁₇Omunye owesifazane wathi: E nkosi, mina nalowesifazane sihlala-ndlininye; ngabeletha nginaye endlini.

₁₈Kwathi ngosuku lwesithathu sengibelethile, lowesifazane wabeletha naye; sasindawonye, kwakungekho-mfokazi nathi endlini, kuyithina sobabili kuphela.

₁₉Umfana walowesifazane wafa ebusuku, ngokuba walala phezu kwakhe.

₂₀Wavuka phakathi kwamabili, wathatha umfana wami eceleni kwami, incekukazi yakho ilele ubuthongo, wambeka esifubeni sakhe, wabeka umfana wakhe ofileyo esifubeni sami.

₂₁Lapho sengivuka ekuseni ukuba ngimncelise umfana wami, bheka, wayesefile; kepha sengimbhekisisa ekuseni, bheka, kwakungesiye umfana wami engimzeleyo.

₂₂Wayesethi omunye owesifazane: Qha, ophilayo ungumfana wami, ofileyo ngumfana wakho. Kepha yena wathi: Qhabo, ofileyo ungumfana wakho, ophilayo ngumfana wami. Bakhuluma kanjalo phambi kwenkosi.

₂₃Yayisithi inkosi: Omunye uthi: Ngowami lomfana ophilayo, ngumfana wakho ofileyo; omunye uthi: Qha, ngumfana wakho ofileyo, ngumfana wami ophilayo.

₂₄Yathi inkosi: Ngiletheleni inkemba. Baletha inkemba enkosini.

₂₅Yathi-ke inkosi: Mdabuleni kabili umntwana ophilayo, ninike omunye inxenye nomunye inxenye.

₂₆Wayesekhuluma enkosini owesifazane ongowakhe umntwana ophilayo, ngokuba izibilini zakhe zavutha ngomntanakhe, wathi: E nkosi, mnike yena umntwana ophilayo, ungambulali nakanye, kepha omunye wathi: Makangabi-ngowami nangowakho; mdabuleni.

₂₇Yayisithatha inkosi, yathi: Mnikeni lowo umntwana ophilayo, ningamdabuli nakanye; nguye ongunina.

₂₈UIsrayeli wonke wezwa lesosahlulelo esenziwe yinkosi; bayesaba inkosi, ngokuba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu kwakukuyo ekwahluleleni kwayo.