Yokuthoma YamaKhosi
3 USolomoni wakha ubuhlobo bomtjhado noFaro ikosi yeGibhide. Watjhada nendodakazi+ kaFaro, wayiletha eDorobheni lakaDavida+ bekwaba kulapho aqeda ukwakha indlwakhe,+ indlu kaJehova+ neboda elibhode iJerusalema.+ 2 Kodwana abantu bebasolo benza imihlatjelo eendaweni eziphakemeko,+ ngombana bekube sikhatheso beyingakakhiwa+ indlu yegama lakaJehova. 3 USolomoni waragela phambili athanda uJehova ngokukhamba emithethweni kaDavida uyise, ngaphandle kokuthi bekenza imihlatjelo yokutjhiswa eendaweni eziphakemeko.+
4 Ikosi yatjhinga eGibiyoni bona iyokwenza umhlatjelo lapho ngombana indawo leyo bekuyindawo ephakemeko+ edume khulu. USolomoni wenza imihlatjelo yokutjhiswa eyi-1 000 e-aldarenelo.+ 5 NakaseGibiyoni uJehova wabonakala kuSolomoni ngebhudango ebusuku, wathi: “Bawa nanyana yini ofuna ngikuphe yona.”+ 6 USolomoni waphendula wathi: “Uyithande khulu* incekwakho uDavida ubaba njengombana ikhambe phambi kwakho ngokuthembeka, ngokulunga nangehliziyo emsulwa. Uragele phambili wayithanda khulu* bekube kunamhlanjesi ngokuyinikela indodana ezokuhlala esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi.+ 7 Nje-ke Jehova Zimami, wenze incekwakho yaba yikosi esikhundleni sakababa uDavida, ngitjho nanyana ngisesemutjha,* nginganalemuko.+ 8 Incekwakho iphakathi kwabantu obakhethileko,+ abantu abanengi kangangobana akukghoneki nokubabala. 9 Nje-ke ngibawa unikele incekwakho ihliziyo elalelako bona yahlulele abantu bakho,+ ikghone ukuhlukanisa okuhle nokumbi,+ ngombana ngubani ongakghona ukwahlulela abantu bakho abanengi kangaka?”*
10 Samthabisa uJehova isibawo esenziwa nguSolomoni.+ 11 Yeke wathi kuye: “Ngebanga lokuthi ubawe lokhu, akhenge uzibawele ukuphila isikhathi eside namkha ubunjinga namkha ubawele amanabakho bona afe kodwana ubawe ukuhlakanipha kokuzwisisa imilandu yokwahlulela,+ 12 ngizokunikela okubawileko.+ Ngizokunikela ukuhlakanipha nehliziyo ezwisisako,+ njengombana kungakhenge kube nofana nawe, angekhe kusaba nofana nawe godu.+ 13 Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngizokunikela nongakakubawi,+ ubunjinga nephazimulo,+ ukwenzela bona kungabi nekosi enjengawe emihlenakho.+ 14 Nawukhamba eendleleni zami ngokulalela iinqophiso nemiyalwami njengombana kwenza uyihlo uDavida,+ ngizokwenza uphile isikhathi eside.”+
15 USolomoni nakavukako, walemuka ukuthi bekabhudanga. Nje-ke waya eJerusalema, wajama phambi komfaji wesivumelwano kaJehova, wenza imihlatjelo yokutjhiswa neminikelo yetjhebiswano,+ wenzela neensebenzi zakhe zoke umnyanya.
16 Khonokho kwafika iingwadla ezimbili ekosini, zajama phambi kwayo. 17 Umfazi wokuthoma wathi: “Kosami, mina nomfazi lo sihlala endlini yinye begodu ngabeletha akhona ngendlini. 18 Kwathi ngelanga lesithathu ngibelethile, naye wabeletha. Besindawonye, kungithi sobabili kwaphela; bekangekho omunye umuntu ngendlini. 19 Indodana yomfazi lo yahlongakala ebusuku ngombana walala phezu kwayo. 20 Wavuka phakathi kobusuku, wathatha indodanami hlanu kwami isisebenzi sakho sisalele, wayilalisa esifubeni sakhe, wabeka indodanakhe ehlongakeleko esifubeni sami. 21 Nangivukako ekuseni bona ngimunyise indodanami, ngabona ukuthi ihlongakele. Nje-ke ngayiqalisisa ekuseni, ngabona ukuthi akusiyindodanami engiyibelethileko le.” 22 Kodwana umfazi wesibili wathi: “Indodanami ngile ephilako, yakho ngile ehlongakeleko!” Kodwana umfazi wokuthoma wathi: “Awa, indodanakho ngehlongakeleko, yami ngile ephilako.” Basolo baphikisana njalo phambi kwekosi.
23 Emaswapheleni ikosi yathi: “Lo uthi, ‘Indodanami ngephilako, yakho ngehlongakeleko!’ Omunye uthi, ‘Awa, indodanakho ngehlongakeleko, yami ngephilako!’” 24 Ikosi yathi: “Ngilethelani isabula.” Yeke baletha isabula ekosini. 25 Ngemva kwalokho, ikosi yathi: “Sikani umntwana ophilako lo phakathi, ninikele omunye umfazi ihlangothi, omunye elinye.” 26 Khonokho unina lendodana ephilako wancenga ikosi ngombana bekayizwela indodanakhe. Wathi: “Ngiyabawa kosami! Kungcono umnikele umntwana ophilako! Ungambulali!” Kodwana omunye umfazi bekathi: “Kungcono simlobe sobabili! Balise bamsike phakathi!” 27 Ikosi yathi: “Nikelani umfazi wokuthoma umntwana ophilako! Ningambulali ngombana nguye unina lomntwana.”
28 Nje-ke woke ama-Israyeli ezwa ngesahlulelo sekosi, asaba ikosi,+ ngombana abone ukuthi uZimu uyiphe ukuhlakanipha kokwahlulela ngobulungiswa.+