Incwadzi Yekucala YemaKhosi
3 Solomoni wenta sivumelwane semshado naFaro inkhosi yaseGibhithe. Washada* nendvodzakati+ yaFaro futsi wayiletsa eDolobheni laDavide+ yahlala khona waze wacedza kwakha indlu yakhe,+ nendlu yaJehova+ kanye nelubondza lolutungelete iJerusalema.+ 2 Kodvwa bantfu bebasolo benta imihlatjelo etindzaweni letiphakeme,+ ngobe ngaleso sikhatsi beyisengakakhiwa indlu lebitwa ngelibito laJehova.+ 3 Solomoni wachubeka atsandza Jehova ngekuhamba ngetimiso tababe wakhe Davide, kodvwa bekenta imihlatjelo neminikelo yekushiswa etindzaweni letiphakeme.+
4 Inkhosi yaya eGibeyoni yayokwenta imihlatjelo lapho, ngobe leyo bekuyindzawo lephakeme+ ledvume kakhulu.* Solomoni wanikela imihlatjelo yekushiswa lengu-1 000 kulelo-al’thare.+ 5 EGibeyoni Jehova wabonakala kuSolomoni ngeliphupho ebusuku, watsi: “Cela nome ngabe yini longatsandza ngikunike yona.”+ 6 Solomoni waphendvula watsi: “Uyitsandze kakhulu inceku yakho Davide, babe wami, njengobe ihambe embikwakho ngekukholwa nangekulunga nangenhlitiyo lelungile. Uchubekile uyikhombisa lutsandvo lolucotfo kwaze kwaba ngulamuhla, ngekumnika indvodzana kutsi ihlale esihlalweni sayo sebukhosi.+ 7 Nyalo, wena Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, wente inceku yakho yaba yinkhosi esikhundleni saDavide babe wami, nome ngisengumfanyana nje futsi ngite lwati+ lwekubusa bantfu. 8 Inceku yakho ikanye nebantfu lobakhetsile,+ bantfu labanyenti kakhulu labangeke babalwe. 9 Ngako nika inceku yakho inhlitiyo lelalelako letawukhona kwehlulela bantfu bakho,+ kuze yehlukanise lokuhle nalokubi,+ ngobe ngubani nje longakhona kwehlulela labantfu bakho labanyenti* kangaka?”
10 Kwamjabulisa Jehova loko Solomoni lakucela.+ 11 Nkulunkulu wase utsi kuye: “Ngobe ucele loku futsi awukaceli imphilo lendze* nobe umcebo nobe kufa* kwetitsa takho, kodvwa ucele kutsi ube nelikhono lekwehlulela emacala,+ 12 ngitakwenta loko lokucelile.+ Ngitakunika inhlitiyo lehlakaniphile nalenekucondza+ njengobe kungakaze kube nemuntfu lonjengawe, ngeke aphindze abe khona lotawuba njengawe.+ 13 Ngetulu kwaloko, ngitakunika+ naloko longakakuceli, umcebo kanye neludvumo,+ kuze kungabi nalenye inkhosi letawuba njengawe nawusaphila.*+ 14 Nangabe uhamba ngetindlela tami ngekutsi ugcine imitsetfo nemiyalo yami njengobe babe wakho Davide ahamba ngayo,+ nawe ngitakunika imphilo lendze.”*+
15 Watsi Solomoni nakavuka, wabona kutsi leli bekuliphupho. Wabese uya eJerusalema wafike wema embikwelibhokisi lesivumelwane saJehova, wanikela imihlatjelo yekushiswa neminikelo yekuthula+ waphindze wentela tonkhe tinceku takhe lidzili.
16 Ngaleso sikhatsi kwefika tingwadla letimbili enkhosini tefike tema embikwayo. 17 Umfati wekucala watsi: “Nkhosi yami, lomfati lona sihlala naye endlini yinye, futsi ngibeleke umntfwana naye akhona. 18 Ngemuva kwemalanga lamatsatfu ngibelekile, naye ubese uyabeleka. Besikanye kanye, sisobabili nje kuphela; kute lomunye lebesinaye kulendlu. 19 Ebusuku, indvodzana yakhe ibese iyafa ngoba ulele etikwayo. 20 Ngako uvuke ekhatsi nebusuku watsatsa indvodzana yami eceleni kwami ngesikhatsi ngiselele, wayibeka emikhonweni yakhe,* wabese utsatsa lendvodzana yakhe lefile wayibeka emikhonweni yami. 21 Nangivuka ekuseni kuze ngimunyise indvodzana yami, ngabona kutsi ifile. Ngako ngiyibukisisile ekuseni ngabona kutsi akusiyo lendvodzana lebelekwe ngimi.” 22 Lona lomunye umfati watsi: “Akusilo liciniso lelo, indvodzana yami ngulena lephilako, kantsi indvodzana yakho ngulena lefile!” Kodvwa lomfati wekucala watsi: “Hhayi, indvodzana yakho ngulena lefile, kantsi yami ngulena lephilako.” Bebaphikisana kanjalo-ke embikwenkhosi.
23 Ekugcineni inkhosi yatsi: “Lona utsi ‘Indvodzana yami ngulena lephilako, kantsi indvodzana yakho ngulena lefile,’ bese kutsi lolomunye utsi, ‘Hhayi, indvodzana yakho ngulena lefile, yami ngulena lephilako!’” 24 Inkhosi yatsi: “Letsani inkemba.” Ngako baletsa inkemba enkhosini. 25 Inkhosi yabese itsi: “Jubani lomntfwana lophilako emkhatsini, ninike lona lomunye incenye yakhe, bese ninika nalona lomunye incenye yakakhe.” 26 Ngekushesha, lomfati lobekangumake walendvodzana lephilako watincengela enkhosini ngobe weva kuhela ngenca yendvodzana yakhe. Watsi: “Ngiyacela nkhosi yami! Mnikete lomntfwana lophilako, ngicela ungambulali!” Kodvwa lona lomunye umfati bekatsi: “Ngeke abe wami futsi angeke abe wakho! Abamjube emkhatsini!” 27 Nayiva loko inkhosi yatsi: “Lomntfwana lophilako mniketeni lomfati wekucala! Ningambulali, ngobe nguye make wakhe.”
28 Ngako onkhe ema-Israyeli eva ngendlela inkhosi leyayehlulela ngayo lendzaba futsi amangala*+ ngobe abona kutsi Nkulunkulu abeyinikete kuhlakanipha kute yehlulele kahle.+