1 Ke kaloku uSolomon walamana nokumkani waseJiputa ngokuthatha intombi yakhe. Ke yona yeza kuhlala naye kwisixeko sikaDavide lada lagqitywa ukwakhiwa ibhotwe lakhe, ngokunjalo nendlu *kaNdikhoyo kunye nodonga olujikeleze iJerusalem.
2 Kambe ke bona abantu amadini babesawenzela ezindulini, kuba belingekakhelwa indlu igama likaNdikhoyo ngelo xesha.
3 USolomon ke wabonakalisa ukumthanda uNdikhoyo, kuba wayehamba ngokwemimiselo kayise uDavide, ngaphandle nje kwento yokuba wayesenza amadini neziqhumiso ezindulini.
4 Ukumkani waya eGibheyon, esiya kwenza amadini, kuba leyo yayiyeyona nduli ibalulekileyo, waza ke uSolomon wenza iwaka lamadini atshiswayo apho eqongeni.
5 Ke kaloku apho eGibheyon uNdikhoyo wabonakala kuSolomon ephupheni ebusuku, wathetha wenjenje: “Cela nantoni na ofuna ndikuphe yona.”
6 USolomon waphendula wathi: “Wena wasenzela ububele obukhulu isicaka sakho ubawo uDavide, ngenxa yokuba wayethembekile kuwe elilungisa, umfo ontliziyo ithe tse. Ezo zibele zakho ke uziqhubele phambili kwada kwanamhlanje, kuba umnike unyana ukuze achophe esihlalweni sakhe.
7 Ngoko ke ngoku, Ndikhoyo Thixo wam, isicaka sakho esi usenze ukumkani, wandibeka endaweni kabawo uDavide. Kambe ke bendingubani na, ndiyimveku engazi nto nje! Ewe, andazi nendlela endingawuqhuba ngayo lo msebenzi wam.
8 Ewe, isicaka sakho esi siphakathi kwabantu obanyulileyo, ihlokondiba labantu abayinyambalala engenakubalwa.
9 Ngoko ke mna sicaka sakho ndiphe intliziyo enobulumko, ukuze ndikwazi ukubalawula abantu bakho, ndiwazi umahluko phakathi kokulungileyo nokubi. Kaloku akakho umntu onganako ukuyilawula le ndimbane yaba bantu bakho.”
10 Ke kaloku iNkosi yakholiswa sesi sicelo sikaSolomon.
11 Ngoko ke uThixo wathi kuye: “Ngenxa yokuba ucele ngolu hlobo, awazicelela ubomi obude okanye ubutyebi, awucelanga nokuba kubulawe iintshaba zakho, koko ucele ubuchule bokuthetha amatyala ngobulungisa,
12 ke mna ke ndiza kukunika ngokwesicelo sakho. Ewe, ndiza kukupha intliziyo enobulumko nengqiqo ukuze ube yimbalasane kubo bonke abantu, kungaze kubekho mntu ufana nawe kwabaphile ngaphambi kwakho nabaya kulandela emva kwakho.
13 Ngaphezulu ke ndiza kukunika nezo zinto ungazicelanga – ubutyebi nesihomo – ukuze ebomini bakho bonke ungabi nantanga kubo bonke ookumkani.
14 Ukuba ke uthe wahamba ngeendlela zam, wayithobela imimiselo nemithetho yam njengoDavide uyihlo, ndokuthi jize ngobomi obude.”
15 Ke kaloku uSolomon wavuka, waqonda ukuba kuthe kanti liphupha. Wabuyela eJerusalem, wema phambi kwetyesi yomnqophiso kaNdikhoyo, waza wenza amadini atshiswayo ngokunjalo nawobudlelwane. Kamva ke wazenzela umbhiyozo zonke izinxiba-mxhaka zakhe.
16 Ke kaloku abafazi ababini abangamahenyukazi beza kuma phambi kokumkani,
17 omnye wabo wathi: “Mhlekazi, mna nalo mfazi sihlala ndlwini-nye. Ngoku ke mna ndiye ndabeleka ndafumana umntwana, ngoko silala sobabini.
18 Ngosuku lwesithathu ndibelekile nalo mfazi ubeleke owakhe umntwana. Ke kaloku ke besisobabini apho endlwini, kungekho mntu wumbi.
19 Ngabusuku buthile lo mfazi wamfuthanisela wafa unyana wakhe.
20 Kwakuba njalo ke uvukile wachwechwa ezinzulwini zobusuku, weza kûba unyana wam ecaleni lam, mna ke sicakazana sakho ndilele thwii. Suka ke wathatha lo nyana wakhe ungasekhoyo wambeka esifubeni sam, lo wam wamncancisa kuye.
21 Ndithe ke ndakuvuka ngentsasa elandelayo, ndizama ukuncancisa usana lwam, lwaye lungasekho! Kuthe ke kwakukhanya ndamqwalasela, ndafumanisa ukuba lo asinguye unyana wam endimzeleyo.”
22 Omnye lo ke umfazi wathi: “Hayi bo! Lo mntwana uphilayo ngowam; owakho ngulo ufileyo.”Lo wokuqala ke umfazi wathi: “Unotshe! Owakho ngulo ufileyo; ngowam lo uphilayo!” Yaba yiloo mpikiswano ke apho phambi kokumkani.
23 Ukumkani ke wathi: “Oo! Lo uthi: ‘Ngunyana wam lo uphilayo, ngunyana wakho lo ufileyo;’ abe omnye esithi: ‘Hayi khona, ngunyana wakho lo ufileyo, owam ngulo uphilayo!’ ”
24 Suka ke ukumkani wathi: “Ndiziseleni ikrele.” Walinikwa ke ukumkani ikrele elo.
25 Wayalela wathi: “Mahluleni kubini lo mntwana uphilayo, icala nilinike omnye waba bafazi, omnye ke nimnike icala.”
26 Ke kaloku lo mfazi yayingowakhe umntwana ophilayo wasikwa yinimba, wathi kukumkani: “Ndincede, mhlekazi, musa ukumbulala! Ndaweni yaloo nto mnike lo mfazi lo mntwana uphilayo!”Ke yena omnye lo umfazi wathi: “Ewe, kungcono singamfumani sobabini; mahlule kubini!”
27 Waza ke ukumkani wawisa isigwebo wathi: “Sukuba sambulala umntwana, koko mnike lo mfazi wokuqala, kuba ngenene ngowakhe.”
28 Athe ke amaSirayeli akusiva eso sigwebo sikakumkani, atsho amhlonela, kuba eqonda ukuba kuthe kanti uThixo ukumkani umphe ubulumko bokuthetha amatyala ngobulungisa.