1Ki 3 | NdeIBE | STEP | USolomoni waba lobudlelwano loFaro inkosi yeGibhithe waze wathatha indodakazi yakhe. Wayingenisa edolobheni likaDavida inkosikazi yakhe esaqedisa umsebenzi wokwakha ithempeli likaJehova, lomduli ohonqolozele iJerusalema.

1 Kings 3

USolomoni Ucela Inhlakanipho

1 USolomoni waba lobudlelwano loFaro inkosi yeGibhithe waze wathatha indodakazi yakhe. Wayingenisa edolobheni likaDavida inkosikazi yakhe esaqedisa umsebenzi wokwakha ithempeli likaJehova, lomduli ohonqolozele iJerusalema. 2 Kodwa-ke, abantu babelokhu besanikelela ezindaweni eziphakemeyo ngoba ithempeli lalilokhu lilindele ukwakhiwa lisakhelwa iBizo leNkosi.

3 USolomoni watshengisela uthando lwakhe kuJehova ngokuhamba ngezindlela njengokulaya kukayise uDavida, ngaphandle nje kokuthi wanikela iminekelo watshisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.

4 Inkosi yaya eGibheyoni ukuyanikela iminikelo, ngoba kwakuyiyo indawo eqhamileyo kweziphakemeyo, kunjalonje uSolomoni wanikela ngemihlatshelo eyinkulungwane kulelo-alithare. 5 Khonapho eGibheyoni uJehova waziveza kuSolomoni ebusuku emaphutsheni lapho uNkulunkulu athi, “Cela loba yini ofuna ukuba ngikunike yona.”

6 USolomoni waphendula ngokuthi, “Utshengisele umusa omkhulu encekwini yakho, ubaba uDavida, ngenxa yokuthi wathembeka njalo elungile ngokuqonda enhliziyweni yakhe. Uqhubekele phambili ngomusa omkhulu kangaka wamnika indodana ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi lamuhla lokhu.

7 “Khathesi, O Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, uyibekile inceku yakho yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sikababa uDavida. Kodwa ngivele ngingubani njengoba ngingumntwana ongakwaziyo ukuthwala enze umsebenzi awuphiweyo. 8 Inceku yakho ilapha phakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo, abantu abaqakathekileyo, abanengi okungabalwayo noma ukulandisa ngenani labo. 9 Phana inceku yakho inhliziyo elobubelo ukuze ibuse abantu bakho lokuthi yahlukanise phakathi kokuhle lokubi. Ngoba ngubani olamandla okubusa abantu bakho abaqakatheke kangaka?”

10 UJehova wathokoziswa yilesisicelo sikaSolomoni. 11 Ngakho uNkulunkulu wathi kuye, “Njengoba ucele lokho kodwa ungacelanga impilo ende loba inotho, njalo awucelanga ukuthi ngabe izitha zakho ziyafa kodwa ucele inhliziyo elobubelo ekubuseni ngemfanelo, 12 ngizakwenza lokho okucelileyo. Ngizakunika inhliziyo yenhlakanipho kanye lobubelo, kube yikuthi akukaze kube khona ofanana lawe, njalo kungelakuthi uzake abekhona. 13 Phezu kwalokho, ngizakunika ongazange ukucele – kokubili inotho lokuhlonitshwa – kuze ekuphileni kwakho konke kungabi leyodwa inkosi ezalingana lawe.

14 Kanti njalo nxa uzathatha inyathelo lami ulalele imilayo lemithetho yami njengalokhu okwenziwa nguyihlo uDavida, ngizakunika impilo ende.” 15 Kunjalonje uSolomoni wasephaphama – wananzelela ukuthi kwakuliphupho. Wabuyela eJerusalema, wayakuma phambi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova wanikela ngomhlatshelo wokutshiswa. Wenzela izinceku zakhe zonke zasendlini idili.

Ukwahlulela Okulenhlakanipho

16 Kwaba khona abesifazane ababengaziphethe abeza enkosini bafika bema phambi kwayo. 17 Omunye wabo wathi, “Nkosi yami, umama lo sihlala ndlunye. Ngikhululeke ngazuza umntwana laye ekhona. 18 Kuthe ngosuku lwesithathu ngikhululekile laye umama lo wakhululeka wazuza umntwana. Besiyithi sodwa sobabili, kungelamuntu endlini ngaphandle kwethu sobabili.

19 “Ebusuku indodana yalumama ifile ngoba usuke walala phezu kwayo. 20 Ngenxa yalokho usuke wavuka ebusuku wangemuka indodana yami mina ncekukazi yakho ngilele ubuthongo. Uthethe umntanami wayamxhuma ebeleni lakhe wathatha owakhe umntwana ofileyo wamfaka kwelami ibele. 21 Ekuseni ngithe ngivuka ukuba ngimunyise indodana yami – ngafumana ukuthi isifile! Kodwa ngithe ngiyayikhangelisisa sekusile ngananzelela ukuthi akusiyo indodana yami engayizalayo.”

22 Omunye owesifazana wathi, “Hayi! Indodana le ephilayo ngeyami, efileyo ngeyakho.” Kodwa umama wokususa indaba waphikelela, “Hayi bo! Ofileyo ngowakho, ophilayo ngowami.” Kanjalo-ke baphikisana phambi kwenkosi.

23 Inkosi yathi, “Lo uthi, ‘Hayi bo! Indodana yami iyaphila kodwa eyakho ifile’ kanti belo loyana uthi, ‘Hayi bo! Eyakho indodana yiyo efileyo kodwa eyami ngephilayo.’ ”

24 Inkosi yasisithi, “Lethani inkemba.” Lakanye inkosi bayiqhubela inkemba. 25 Inkosi yapha isiqondiso yathi, “Dabulani umntwana ophilayo phakathi laphakathi kuthi ingxenye liyiqhubele omunye umama kuthi lomunye laye limnike enye ingxenye.”

26 Umama owayelendodana ephilayo wakhulelwa lusizi ngendodana yakhe ngakho wathi enkosini, “Uxolo, ngiyacela nkosi yami, kungcono umqhubele umntwana ephila, umnike nkosi! Ungambulali umntwana.” Kodwa omunye umama wathi, “Kakho phakathi kwethu ofanele ukumzuza lumntwana, mqume iziqa ezimbili!”

27 Inkosi yasiveza ukwahlulela kwayo: “Umntwana ophilayo mupheni umama wakuqala. Lingambulali umntwana, lo nguye unina uqobo.”

28 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebezwile bonke ukwahlulela kwenkosi, bayihlonipha kakhulu, ngoba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kwayo kokwahlulela ngemfanelo kuvela kuNkulunkulu.