1 USolomoni waba lobudlelwano loFaro inkosi yeGibhithe waze wathatha indodakazi yayo. Wayingenisa edolobheni likaDavida inkosikazi yakhe esaqedisa umsebenzi wokwakha ithempeli
4 Inkosi yaya eGibhiyoni ukuyanikela iminikelo, ngoba kwakuyiyo indawo eqhamileyo kweziphakemeyo, ngakho-ke uSolomoni wanikela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa eyinkulungwane kulelo-alithare. 5 Khonapho eGibhiyoni
6 USolomoni waphendula ngokuthi, “Utshengisile 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,
10
16 Kwasekusiba lezifebe ezimbili ezaya enkosini zafika zema phambi kwayo. 17 Esinye sathi, “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 Wasevuka ebusuku wangemuka indodana yami mina ncekukazi yakho ngilele ubuthongo. Uthethe umntanami wayamxhuma ebeleni lakhe, wathatha owakhe ofileyo wamfaka kwelami ibele. 21 Ekuseni ngithe ngivuka ukuba ngimunyise indodana yami, ngathola ukuthi isifile! Kodwa ngithe ngiyayikhangelisisa sokusile ngananzelela ukuthi akusiyo indodana yami engayizalayo.”
22 Omunye owesifazane wathi, “Hayi! Indodana le ephilayo ngeyami, efileyo ngeyakho.”
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 Owesifazane owayelendodana ephilayo wakhulelwa lusizi ngendodana yakhe ngakho wathi enkosini, “Uxolo, ngiyacela nkosi yami, kungcono umqhubele umntwana ephila, umnike nkosi! Ungambulali umntwana.”
27 Inkosi yasiveza ukwahlulela kwayo: “Umntwana ophilayo mupheni umama wakuqala. Lingambulali umntwana, lo nguye unina uqobo.”
28 Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebezwile bonke ukwahlulela kwenkosi, bayesaba kakhulu, ngoba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kwayo kokwahlulela ngemfanelo kuvela kuNkulunkulu.
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