Eyokuqala YaMakhosi

3 USolomoni wakha ubuhlobo noFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe. Washada* nendodakazi kaFaro + wayiletha eDolobheni LikaDavide, + waze waqeda ukwakha indlu yakhe + nendlu kaJehova + nodonga olubiyele iJerusalema. + 2 Kodwa abantu babesanikela ezindaweni eziphakeme, + ngoba kuze kube yileso sikhathi indlu yegama likaJehova yayingakakhiwa. + 3 USolomoni waqhubeka emthanda uJehova ngokuhamba ngemithetho uDavide uyise ayemyale ngayo, ukuthi nje wayeshisa imihlatshelo ezindaweni eziphakeme. +

4 Inkosi yaya eGibheyoni ukuyokwenza umhlatshelo khona, ngoba leyo kwakuyindawo ephakeme edumile. *+ USolomoni wanikela ngemihlatshelo eshiswayo engu-1 000 kulelo altare. + 5 EGibheyoni uJehova wabonakala kuSolomoni ephusheni ebusuku, uNkulunkulu wathi: “Cela lokho ongathanda ngikuphe kona.” + 6 USolomoni waphendula wathi: “Ubonise uthando oluqotho olukhulu encekwini yakho uDavide ubaba njengoba ahamba phambi kwakho ngokwethembeka nangokulunga nangobuqotho benhliziyo. Ubulokhu uqhubeka umbonisa uthando oluqotho kwaze kwaba namuhla ngokumnika indodana ukuba ihlale esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi. + 7 Manje, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, wena wenze inceku yakho yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sikaDavide ubaba, nakuba isencane* futhi ingenalwazi. *+ 8 Inceku yakho iphakathi kwesizwe sakho osikhethile, + isizwe esinabantu abaningi abangenakubalwa. 9 Ngakho nika inceku yakho inhliziyo elalelayo ukuze yahlulele isizwe sakho, + ihlukanise phakathi kokuhle nokubi, + ngoba ubani okwaziyo ukwahlulela lesi sizwe sakho esikhulu?”*

10 Kwamjabulisa uJehova ukuthi uSolomoni wayecele le nto. + 11 UNkulunkulu wathi kuye: “Ngenxa yokuthi ucele le nto, awuzange uzicelele ukuphila isikhathi eside* noma ingcebo noma ukufa kwezitha zakho, kodwa ucele ukuqonda ukuze wahlulele kahle amacala, + 12 ngizokwenza lokho okucelile. + Ngizokunika inhliziyo enokuhlakanipha nenokuqonda, + ukuze njengoba nje kungakaze kube namuntu onjengawe esikhathini esidlule, kungabi namuntu onjengawe ngemva kwakho. + 13 Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngizokunika nalokho ongakucelanga, + ingcebo nodumo, + kangangokuba ngeke kube nankosi enjengawe zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakho. *+ 14 Uma uzohamba ezindleleni zami ngokugcina iziqondiso zami nemiyalo yami, njengoba nje uDavide uyihlo ahamba kuzo, + ngizozandisa nezinsuku zakho.” +

15 Lapho uSolomoni ephaphama, wabona ukuthi bekuyiphupho. Ngakho waya eJerusalema wafike wama phambi komphongolo wesivumelwano kaJehova, wanikela imihlatshelo eshiswayo neminikelo ehlanganyelwayo, + wenzela zonke izinceku zakhe idili.

16 Ngaleso sikhathi kwangena izifebe ezimbili zama phambi kwenkosi. 17 Owesifazane wokuqala wathi: “Uxolo, nkosi yami, mina nalona wesifazane sihlala endlini eyodwa, ngibelethe ekhona endlini. 18 Kuthe ngosuku lwesithathu ngibelethile, lona wesifazane wabeletha naye. Besindawonye, sisobabili kuphela. Akekho omunye obenathi endlini. 19 Ebusuku indodana yalona wesifazane ifile, ngoba ulale phezu kwayo. 20 Ngakho uvukile phakathi kwamabili wathatha indodana yami eceleni kwami ngesikhathi incekukazi yakho izumekile wayibeka esifubeni sakhe, wabe esethatha indodana yakhe efile wayibeka esifubeni sami. 21 Lapho ngivuka ekuseni ukuze ngincelise indodana yami ngithole ukuthi ifile. Ngakho ngiyihlolisisile ekuseni, ngabona ukuthi akuyona indodana yami engiyizele.” 22 Kodwa lona omunye wesifazane wathi: “Cha, indodana yami yile ephilayo, indodana yakho yile efile!” Kodwa owesifazane wokuqala wayethi: “Cha, indodana yakho yile efile, indodana yami yile ephilayo.” Babephikisana kanjalo phambi kwenkosi.

23 Ekugcineni inkosi yathi: “Lona uthi, ‘Indodana yami yile ephilayo, indodana yakho yile efile!’ nalo uthi, ‘Cha, indodana yakho yile efile, indodana yami yile ephilayo!’ ” 24 Inkosi yathi: “Ngiletheleni inkemba.” Ngakho bayiletha inkemba enkosini. 25 Inkosi yathi: “Hlukanisani le ngane ephilayo kabili, enye ingxenye niyinike omunye wesifazane, nenye ingxenye niyinike omunye.” 26 Ngakho owesifazane okwakungeyakhe indodana ephilayo wancenga inkosi ngoba wezwa ubuhlungu ngendodana yakhe. Wathi: “Nkosi yami! Ngicela umnike ingane ephilayo. Ungalokothi uyibulale.” Kodwa lona omunye wesifazane wathi: “Ngeke siyithole sobabili! Mayihlukaniswe phakathi!” 27 Inkosi yaphendula yathi: “Nikani owesifazane wokuqala ingane ephilayo! Ningalokothi niyibulale, ngoba nguye ongunina.”

28 Ngakho wonke u-Israyeli wezwa ngesinqumo inkosi eyayisikhiphile, futhi wamangala* ngenxa yenkosi, + ngoba wabona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu kwakukuyo ukuze yahlulele ngobulungisa. +