1 USolomon ke wákha ubuhlobo noFaro ukumkani wamaYiputa; wazeka intombi kaFaro, wayizisa emzini kaDavide, wada wayigqiba ukuyakha indlu yakhe, nendlu kaYehova, nodonga lwaseYerusalem ngeenxa zonke.
2 Kodwa ke abantu babebingelela ezigangeni; ngokuba belingekakhelwa ndlu igama likaYehova, kwada kwayiloo mihla.
3 USolomon ubemthanda uYehova, ehamba emimiselweni kaDavide uyise; kodwa ke ubebingelela eqhumisela ezigangeni yena.
4 Ukumkani ubesiya eGibheyon, ukuba abingelele khona; ngokuba ibisiso isigánga esikhulu; uSolomon wenyusa iwaka lamadini anyukayo kweso sibingelelo.
5 UYehova wabonakala kuSolomon eGibheyon apho ngephupha ebusuku, wathi uThixo, Cela into, ndikuphe.
6 Wathi uSolomon, Wena wenza inceba enkulu kumkhonzi wakho uDavide ubawo, njengoko abehamba phambi kwakho enyanisweni, nasebulungiseni, nangokuthi tye kwentliziyo kuwe, wamgcinela le nceba inkulu, wamnika unyana ohleli etroneni yakhe, njengokuba kunjalo namhla.
7 Kaloku, Yehova Thixo wam, wena umenzé umkhonzi wakho lo wangukumkani esikhundleni sikaDavide ubawo; ndingumntwana omncinane; andikwazi ukuphuma nokungena.
8 Umkhonzi wakho lo uphakathi kwabantu bakho obanyulileyo, abantu abaninzi, abangenakubalwa, abangenakuxelwa ukuba baninzi.
9 Mnike umkhonzi wakho intliziyo evayo, yokubalawula abantu bakho, ahlule phakathi kokulungileyo nokungendawo; ngokuba ngubani na onako ukubalawula abantu bakho aba bangaka?
10 Lalunga elo lizwi emehlweni eNkosi ukuba uSolomon acele loo nto.
11 Wathi ke uThixo kuye, Ngenxa enokuba ucelé le nto, akwazicelela imihla emininzi, akwazicelela ubutyebi, akwazicelela ubomi beentshaba zakho, wazicelela ukuqonda ukuba uwathethe amatyala: uya bona, ndenzé ngokwelizwi lakho.
12 Uyabona, ndikunikile intliziyo enobulumko enokuqonda, ekungabangakho unjengawe phambi kwakho, ekungayi kuvela unjengawe emva kwakho.
13 Kananjalo oko ungàkucelanga ndikunikile nako, kwaubutyebi nozuko, ukuba kungabikho mntu unjengawe phakathi kookumkani yonke imihla yakho.
14 Ke ukuba uthe wahamba ngeendlela zam, ngokuyigcina imimiselo yam nemithetho yam, njengoko wahamba ngako uDavide uyihlo, ndoyolula imihla yakho.
15 Wavuka uSolomon, O! liphupha. Waya ke eYerusalem, wema phambi kwetyeya yomnqophiso kaYehova, wenyusa amadini anyukayo, wenza imibingelelo yokubulela, wabenzela isidlo abakhonzi bakhe bonke.
16 Ngelo xesha kweza kukumkani amankazana amabini angamahenyukazi, ema phambi kwakhe.
17 Yathi enye inkazana, Camagu, nkosi yam! Thina nale nkazana sihlala ndlwini-nye; ndazala, ndinayo kuloo ndlu.
18 Kwathi ngosuku lwesithathu ndizele, yazala nayo le nkazana, sindawonye ke; kwaye kungekho mntu wasemzini unathi kuloo ndlu, sisodwa thina sobabini kuloo ndlu.
19 Wafa unyana wale nkazana ebusuku, ngokusuka ilale phezu kwakhe.
20 Yavuka phakathi kobusuku, yamthabatha unyana wam ecaleni lam, elele umkhonzazana wakho lo, yamlalisa esifubeni sayo, yathi unyana wayo ofileyo yamlalisa esifubeni sam.
21 Ndavuka kusasa, ukuba ndimanyise unyana wam, O! ufile; ndaza ndamgqala kusasa, yini le, asingunyana wam endamzalayo.
22 Yathi enye inkazana, Hayi, ngunyana wam lo uhleliyo, unyana wakho ngulowa ufileyo. Yathi le, Hayi; unyana wakho ngulowa ufileyo, unyana wam ngulo uhleliyo. Benjenjalo ukuthetha phambi kokumkani.
23 Wathi ukumkani, Le ithi, Ngunyana wam lo uhleliyo, unyana wakho ngulowa ufileyo; leya ithi, Hayi, unyana wakho ngulowa ufileyo, ngunyana wam lo uhleliyo.
24 Wathi ukumkani, Ndithabatheleni ikrele. Balizisa ke ikrele phambi kokumkani.
25 Wathi ukumkani, Mcandeni kubini lo mntwana uhleliyo, niyinike isahlulo enye, niyinike isahlulo enye.
26 Yathetha le nkazana, ungowayo unyana ohleliyo, kukumkani (ngokuba ibisikwa yimfesane ngonyana wayo), yathi, Camagu, nkosi yam, seniyinika lo mntwana uhleliyo; musani ukumbulala afe. Ke enye le yathi, Makangabi ngowam, makangabi ngowakhe; mcandeni.
27 Waphendula ukumkani, wathi, Mnikeni leya umntwana ohleliyo, ningàmbulali; nguye unina.
28 Asiva onke amaSirayeli isigwebo agwebé ngaso ukumkani; amoyika ukumkani; ngokuba ayebona ukuba ubulumko bukaThixo buphakathi kwakhe, ukuba enze isigwebo.