1 AMakhosi 10

10 ¹Kwathi indlovukazi yaseSheba isizwile ngodumo lukaSolomoni, oluxhunywe egameni likaBaba wethu, yeza ukuzomvivinya ngemibuzo enzima. ²Yeza eJerusalema ndawonye nabalandeli abaningi kakhulu—amakamela ethwele amakhambi, igolide eliningi kakhulu, namatshe ayigugu. Ifika kuSolomoni, yamtshela konke okwakusenhliziyweni yayo. ³USolomoni wayiphendula yonke imibuzo yayo; akukho lutho olwaluyinkinga kakhulu enkosini ukuba iyichazele lona. ⁴Kwathi indlovukazi yaseSheba isibonile konke ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni nendlu ayakhile, ⁵ukudla okwakusetafuleni lakhe, izikhulu zakhe zihlezi, izinceku zakhe zisebenza zembethe izingubo zazo, nabaphathi bezinkomishi zakhe, neminikelo yokushiswa ayenza endlini kaBaba wethu—kwayiqeda amandla. ⁶Yathi enkosini: “Umbiko engawuzwa ezweni lakithi ngamazwi akho nangokuhlakanipha kwakho ubuyiqiniso. ⁷Angizange ngiyikholwe leyo mibiko ngize ngifike ngibone ngawami amehlo. Angitshelwanga ngisho nohhafu! Ukuhlakanipha kwakho nempumelelo yakho kudlula umbiko engawuzwa. ⁸Yeka inhlanhla yabantu bakho! Yeka inhlanhla yalezi zinceku zakho ezihlezi phambi kwakho njalo, zizwe ukuhlakanipha kwakho! ⁹Makabongwe uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, othokozile ngawe wakubeka esihlalweni sobukhosi sakwa-Israyeli! Ngokuba uSimakade wamthanda u-Israyeli kuze kube phakade, wakwenza inkosi ukuze wenze ubulungiswa nokulunga.” ¹⁰Yanika inkosi igolide elingaba amathani amane, amakhambi amaningi kakhulu, namatshe ayigugu. Awazange aphinde eze amakhambi amaningi kangaka njengalawo indlovukazi yaseSheba eyawanika inkosi uSolomoni.

¹¹Imikhumbi kaHiramu, eyaletha igolide livela e-Ofiri, yaletha nokhuni lwama-almugi oluningi kakhulu namatshe ayigugu kuvela e-Ofiri. ¹²Inkosi yakwenza ukhuni lwama-almugi laba yizinsika zendlu kaBaba wethu nezendlu yenkosi, nemihubhe namahabhu abahlabeleli. Alukho olunjengalolo khuni lwama-almugi oselwake lweza noma lwabonwa kuze kube namuhla.

¹³Inkosi uSolomoni yanika indlovukazi yaseSheba konke eyakufisayo, noma yini eyayikucela, ngaphandle kwalokho eyayikunika ngesandla senkosi. Yabe isibuyela ezweni layo, yona nezinceku zayo.

Inkazimulo kaSolomoni, isipho sikaBaba wethu

¹⁴Isisindo segolide elafika kuSolomoni ngonyaka owodwa kwakungaba amathani angamashumi amabili nanhlanu, ¹⁵ngaphandle kwemali evela kubathengisi, nenzuzo yabahwebi, nawo onke amakhosi ase-Arabiya, nababusi bezwe. ¹⁶Inkosi uSolomoni yenza izihlangu ezinkulu ezingama-200 zegolide elikhandiweyo, igolide elingaba amaphawundi ayishumi nanhlanu kwesisodwa. ¹⁷Yenza izihlangu ezincane ezingama-300 zegolide elikhandiweyo, elingaba amaphawundi amathathu nesithathu kwesisodwa; inkosi yazibeka eNdlini yeHlathi laseLebhanoni. ¹⁸Inkosi yenza futhi isihlalo sobukhosi esikhulu sophondo lwendlovu, yasinameka ngegolide elihle kunalo lonke. ¹⁹Isihlalo sobukhosi sasinezitebhisi eziyisithupha, nesicongo esiyindilinga ngemuva. Izesekamikhono zazisemaceleni omabili esihlalo, kumi izingonyama ezimbili eceleni kwazo. ²⁰Izingonyama eziyishumi nambili zazimi ezitebhisini eziyisithupha, enye emaceleni ngamunye. Akuzange kwenziwe okunjengalokhu kunoma yimuphi umbuso. ²¹Zonke izitsha zokuphuza zenkosi uSolomoni zaziyigolide, nazo zonke eNdlini yeHlathi laseLebhanoni zaziyigolide elicwengekileyo. Akukho okwakuyisiliva; ezinsukwini zikaSolomoni isiliva sasingabalwa njengalutho. ²²Inkosi yayinemikhumbi yokuhweba olwandle kanye nemikhumbi kaHiramu. Njalo eminyakeni emithathu yayibuya iletha igolide, isiliva, uphondo lwendlovu, izimfene, nezinkawu.

²³Ngakho inkosi uSolomoni yadlula onke amakhosi omhlaba ngengcebo nangokuhlakanipha. ²⁴Umhlaba wonke wawufuna ukubona ubuso bukaSolomoni, ukuze uzwe ukuhlakanipha uBaba wethu ayekufake enhliziyweni yakhe. ²⁵Unyaka nonyaka ngamunye wayeletha isipho sakhe: izinto zesiliva nezegolide, izingubo, izikhali, amakhambi, amahhashi, neminyuzi.

²⁶USolomoni waqoqa izinqola namahhashi: izinqola eziyi-1 400 namahhashi ayi-12 000, abekwe emizini yezinqola nasenkosini eJerusalema. ²⁷Inkosi yenza isiliva saba ningi njengamatshe eJerusalema, nemisedari yaba miningi njengemithombe yasemathafeni aphansi. ²⁸Amahhashi kaSolomoni ayevela eGibhithe naseKhuwe; abathengisi benkosi babewathenga eKhuwe ngentengo yasemakethe. ²⁹Inqola yayithengwa eGibhithe ngesiliva elingaba amaphawundi ayishumi nanhlanu, ihhashi ngelingaba amaphawundi amane; ngabo-ke labo bathengisi izinqola namahhashi zaziya kuwo onke amakhosi amaHeti nawase-Aramu.