1 Inkosikazi yaseSheba isizwile udumo lukaSolomoni ngegama likaJehova yeza ukumvivinya ngezimfumbe.
2 Yeza eJerusalema inehele elikhulu kakhulu, namakamela ethwele amakha, negolide eliningi kakhulu, namatshe ayigugu; isifikile kuSolomoni yakhuluma naye ngakho konke okusenhliziyweni yayo.
3 USolomoni wayiphendula ezindabeni zayo zonke. Kwakungekho nto eyayifihlelwe inkosi, engayitshelanga yona.
4 Inkosikazi yaseSheba isibonile konke ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni, nendlu ayakhileyo,
5 nokudla kwasetafuleni lakhe, nokuhlala kwezinceku zakhe, nokuma kwezikhonzi zakhe, nezambatho zazo, nabaphathizitsha bakhe, nomnikelo wakhe wokushiswa owanikela ngawo endlini kaJehova, akwabe kusabakho moya kuyo.
6 Yathi enkosini: “Yayiqinisile indaba engayizwa ezweni lami ngamazwi akho nangokuhlakanipha kwakho.
7 Kepha angikholwanga ngamazwi ngaze ngafika, kwabona amehlo ami; bheka, angitshelwanga nanxenye; udlula ngokuhlakanipha nenhlanhla udumo engaluzwa.
8 Babusisiwe abantu bakho, zibusisiwe lezi zinceku zakho ezimi njalo phambi kwakho, zizwa ukuhlakanipha kwakho.
9 Makabongwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho owenamele wena ukuba akubeke esihlalweni sobukhosi sakwa-Israyeli; ngokuba uJehova wamthanda u-Israyeli kuze kube phakade, ngalokho wakubeka inkosi ukuba wenze ukwahlulela nokulunga.”
10 Yanika inkosi amatalenta* ayikhulu namashumi amabili egolide, namakha amaningi kakhulu, namatshe ayigugu; akuzange kusafika amakha amaningi kangaka njengalawo inkosi uSolomoni eyaphiwa wona yinkosikazi yaseSheba.
11 Nemikhumbi kaHiramu eyathwala igolide livela e-Ofiri yathutha futhi e-Ofiri imi-alimugi* namatshe ayigugu.
12 Ngemi-alimugi* inkosi yenzela indlu kaJehova nendlu yenkosi izinsika kanye namahabhu* nezingubhu zabahlabeleli; imi-alimugi eminingi kangaka ayizange isafika, kayibonwanga futhi, kuze kube namuhla.
13 Inkosi uSolomoni yanika inkosikazi yaseSheba konke ekufunayo nekucelayo ngaphandle kwalokho uSolomoni ayinika khona ngokuphana kwenkosi. Yayisibuya, yaya ezweni layo, yona nezinceku zayo.
14 Isisindo segolide elalifika kuSolomoni iminyaka yonke sasingamatalenta* angamakhulu ayisithupha namashumi ayisithupha nesithupha egolide
15 ngaphandle kokuvela kubahwebi, nasenzuzweni yabathengisi, nasemakhosini ase-Arabiya, nakubabusi bezwe.
16 Inkosi uSolomoni yenza izihlangu ezingamakhulu amabili zegolide elikhandiweyo, kwaba ngamashekeli* angamakhulu ayisithupha egolide elikhandiweyo kuso isihlangu sisinye,
17 kanjalo namahawu angamakhulu amathathu egolide elikhandiweyo, amamane* amathathu egolide kulo ihawu lilinye; inkosi yawabeka endlini yehlathi laseLebanoni.
18 Inkosi yenza nesihlalo sobukhosi esikhulu sezimpondo zendlovu, yasinameka ngegolide elicwengekileyo.
19 Isihlalo sobukhosi sasinezikhwelo eziyisithupha, isihloko saso sasiyisiyingelezi emuva; kwakukhona imikhono ngalapha nangalapha kwendawo yokuhlala, kumi izingonyama ezimbili ngaseceleni kwemikhono.
20 Kwakumi izingonyama eziyishumi nambili ngalapha nangalapha ezikhwelweni eziyisithupha. Okunjalo akwenziwanga komunye umbuso.
21 Zonke izitsha zokuphuza zenkosi uSolomoni zaziyigolide, nazo zonke izitsha zendlu yehlathi laseLebanoni zaziyigolide elicwengekileyo, kungekho ezesiliva, lona lingento yalutho emihleni kaSolomoni.
22 Ngokuba inkosi yayinemikhumbi yaseTharishishi elwandle kanye nemikhumbi kaHiramu; kanye ngeminyaka emithathu yafika imikhumbi yaseTharishishi iletha igolide, nesiliva, nezimpondo zendlovu, nezimfene, namapikoko.*
23 Inkosi uSolomoni yaba nkulu kunawo onke amakhosi omhlaba ngengcebo nangokuhlakanipha.
24 Wonke umhlaba wafuna ukubona ubuso bukaSolomoni ukuba uzwe ukuhlakanipha kwakhe, uNkulunkulu akubekile enhliziyweni yakhe.
25 Baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo isipho sakhe, izitsha zesiliva, nezitsha zegolide, nezingubo, nezikhali, namakha, namahhashi, neminyuzi,* okwenziwa iminyaka ngeminyaka.
26 USolomoni wabutha izinqola nabamahhashi; wayenezinqola eziyinkulungwane namakhulu amane nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili owakubeka emizini yezinqola nasenkosini eJerusalema.
27 Inkosi yenza isiliva livame eJerusalema njengamatshe, nemisedari* yayenza ibe njengemithombe esigodini ngobuningi.
28 Amahhashi uSolomoni ayenawo ayekhishwe eGibithe naseKuwe; abathengi benkosi bawamukela eKuwe ngemali yawo.
29 Inqola yenyuka yaphuma eGibithe ngamashekeli* angamakhulu ayisithupha esiliva nehhashi ngayikhulu namashumi ayisihlanu; bawakhiphela kanjalo onke amakhosi amaHeti namakhosi ase-Aramu ngezandla zabo.