1WAZA u‐Solomone watshatiselana no‐Faro ukumkani we‐Jipete, wayizeka intombi ka‐Faro, wayizisa esixekweni sika‐Davide, wada wagqiba ukwaka indlu yake, nendlu kayehova, nodonga lwe‐Yerusaleme ngento engqongayo.
2Kodwa abantu babingela ezindaweni ezipakamileyo, ngokuba bekungeko indlu eyakelwa igama likayehova, kwada kwayimihla leyo. 3Waye u‐Solomone emtanda uyehova, ehamba emimisweni ka‐Davide uyise: kodwa wabinga waqumisa ezindaweni ezipakamileyo.
4Waza ukumkani waya e‐Gibeyone ukubingela kona; ngokuba leyo ibiyindawo epakamileyo enkulu: iwaka lamadini okutshiswa walinikela u‐Solomone pezu kwesibingelo eso, 5e‐Gibeyone wabonakala uyehova ku‐Solomone ngepupa ebusuku; waza utixo wati: Cela into endiya kuyinika kuwe. 6Wayesiti u‐Solomone: Usenzele isicaka sako u‐Davide ubawo ububele obukulu, njengokuba ebehamba pambi kwako ngenyaniso, nangobulungisa, nangolungelelwano lwentliziyo kunye nawe; kanjalo umgcinele obububele bukulu, bokuba umnikile unyana ohleli pezu kweterone yake, njengokuba kunjalo namhla nje. 7Nakaloku, Yehova, Tixo wam! usenzile isicaka sako ukumkani esikundleni sika‐Davide ubawo; kanti mna ndingumntwana omncinane, andikwazi ukupuma nokungena. 8Kanjako isicaka sako sipakati kwabantu bako obanyulileyo, abantu abakulu, abangenako ukulinganiswa nokubalwa ngokuba baninzi. 9Ngako sinike isicaka sako intliziyo eqondayo, ukuba ndigwebe abantu bako, ukuba ndiqiqe pakati kwokulungileyo nokukohlakeleyo; ngokuba engubanina ongagwebayo aba abantu bako bakulu?
10Kekaloku elozwi belilungile emehlweni kayehova, lokuba u‐Solomone ebecelile lento. 11Waza utixo wati kuye: Ngenxa yokuba ucelile lento, ungazicelelanga imihla emininzi, ungazicelelanga nobutyebi, ungacelanga nobomi bentshaba zako, koko uzicelele ingqiqo ukuba uqonde ukugweba; 12bona ke, ndenzile njengamazwi ako; bona ke, ndikupile intliziyo enobulumko nobuqiqo, ekungabangako onjengawe pambili kuwe, nasemva kwako akuyi kuvuka onjengawe. 13Nakanjako oko ubungakuceli ndikupile kuwe, kwa ubutyebi nobungcwalisa; ekungayi kubako namnye pakati kwabo okumkani onjengawe yonke imihla yako. 14Nanxa uya kuhamba ezindleleni zam, ngokugcina imimiso yam nemiyalelo yam, njengokuba ebehamba u‐Davide uyihlo wako, ndiya kwandula ndolule imihla yako. 15Waza wavuka u‐Solomone; kekaloku bona ke, lipupa. Wasuka weza e‐Yerusaleme, wema pambi kwetyeya yocebano lukayehova, wanikela amadini okutshiswa, wenza iminikelo yoxolo, wazenzela zonke izicaka zake isidlo.
16OKUYA beza abafazi babini abangamadikazi kukumkani, bema ebusweni bake. 17Wati ke omnye umfazi: Ke, nkosi yam! mna nomfazi lo sihleli endlwini nye; ndaza ndazala ndinaye endlwini. 18Kwaye kute ngolwesitatu usuku emva kwokuzala kwam, wandula wazala nalomfazi; sabesindawonye tina, kungeko owasemzini nati endlwini, kupela siti sobabini abebesendlwini. 19Waza unyana walomfazi wafa ebusuku, ngokuba ebelele pezu kwake. 20Wesuka ke pakati kwobusuku, watabata unyana wam engakum, nxa isicakakazi sako sibe silele ubutongo, wamlalisa esifubeni sake, nonyana wake ofileyo wamlalisa esifubeni sam. 21Kekaloku ndakuvuka kusasa, ukuba ndanyise unyana wam, nanku efile; kodwa ndakumnakana kusasa, bona ke, ebengenguye unyana wam, lowo ndamzalayo. 22Waza wati omnye umfazi: Hai: ohleliyo ngunyana wam, nofileyo ngunyana wako. Wati nalowo: Hai; ofileyo ngunyana wako, nohleliyo ngunyana wam. Bateta njalo ke ebusweni bokumkani. 23Wandula wati ukumkani: Omnye uti: Lo ngunyana wam ohleliyo, nonyana wako ngofileyo; kanjalo omnye nti: Hai; ofileyo ngunyana wako, nohleliyo ngunyana wam. 24Walekela wati ukumkani: Ndizekele iṙele. Baza bazisa iṙele ebusweni bokumkani. 25Wayesiti ukumkani: Nqumlani umntwana ohleliyo kubini, ninike esinye isiqingata kwomnye, nesinye isiqingata kwomnye. 26Waza wateta umfazi, abengowake umntwana ohleliyo, kukumkani, ngokuba umbilini wake ubuvuta pezu kwonyana wake, wayesiti: Ke, nkosi yam! mnikeni yena umntwana ohleliyo, nize ningake nimbulale. Kodwa omnye wati: Makangabi ngowam, makangabi ngowako kanjalo; nqumlani. 27Wandula wapendula ukumkani, wati: Mnikeni lowo umntwana ohleliyo, nize ningake nimbulale; nguye unina wake.
28Baye o‐Sirayeli bonke beva umgwebo abegwebile ngawo ukumkani; baza bamoyika ukumkani: ngokuba bebebona ukuba ubulumko bukatixo bukuye, ukwenza ukugweba.
