1 AmaKhosi 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 yilezo zinsuku. 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 e-altare 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 lowo musa omkhulu, wamnika indodana ukuba ihlale esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, njengokuba kunjalo namuhla.

₇“Manje, 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 laba bantu bakho abakhulu kangaka na?”

₁₀Leyo nkulumo yaba nhle emehlweni eNkosi ukuba uSolomoni wayecele leyo nto. ₁₁Wathi uNkulunkulu kuye: “Ngokuba ucele leyo nto, 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 kube khona 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 nalo wesifazane sihlala ndlininye; ngabeletha nginaye endlini. ₁₈Kwathi ngosuku lwesithathu sengibelethile, lo wesifazane wabeletha naye; sasindawonye, kwakungekho mfokazi nathi endlini, kuyithina sobabili kuphela.

₁₉“Umfana walo wesifazane 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 lo mfana 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.”

₂₈U-Israyeli wonke wezwa leso sahlulelo esenziwe yinkosi; bayesaba inkosi, ngokuba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu kwakukuyo ekwahluleleni kwayo.