1 Inkosikazi yaseSheba isizwile udumo lukaSolomoni yeza ukumvivinya uSolomoni eJerusalema ngezimfumbe, inehele elikhulu kakhulu, namakamela ethwele amakha, negolide eliningi, namatshe ayigugu; isifikile kuSolomoni yakhuluma naye ngakho konke okusenhliziyweni yayo.
2 USolomoni wayiphendula ezindabeni zayo zonke; kwakungekho nto eyayifihlelwe uSolomoni angayitshelanga yona.
3 Inkosikazi yaseSheba isibonile ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni, nendlu ayakhileyo,
4 nokudla kwasetafuleni lakhe, nokuhlala kwezinceku zakhe, nokuma kwezikhonzi zakhe, nezambatho zazo, kanye nabaphathizitsha nezambatho zabo, nesikhwelo sakhe akhuphukela ngaso endlini kaJehova, akwabe kusabakho moya kuyo.
5 Yathi enkosini: “Yayiqinisile indaba engayizwa ezweni lami ngamazwi akho nangokuhlakanipha kwakho.
6 Kepha angikholwanga ngamazwi abo, ngaze ngafika, kwabona amehlo ami; bheka, angitshelwanga nanxenye yobukhulu bokuhlakanipha kwakho; uyadlula udumo engaluzwayo.
7 Babusiswe abantu bakho, zibusisiwe lezi zinceku zakho ezimi njalo phambi kwakho, zizwa ukuhlakanipha kwakho.
8 Makabongwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho owenamele wena ukuba akubeke esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi ukuba ube yinkosi kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho; ngokuba uNkulunkulu wakho wamthanda u-Israyeli waze wammisa kuze kube phakade, ngalokho wakubeka inkosi phezu kwabo ukuba wenze ukwahlulela nokulunga.”
9 Yanika inkosi amatalenta* ayikhulu namashumi amabili egolide, namakha amaningi kakhulu, namatshe ayigugu; awazange abe khona amakha anjengalawo inkosi uSolomoni eyaphiwa wona yinkosikazi yaseSheba.
10 Izinceku zikaHiramu nezinceku zikaSolomoni ezabuya negolide e-Ofiri zaletha imi-alimugi* namatshe ayigugu.
11 Ngemi-alimugi* inkosi yenzela indlu kaJehova nendlu yenkosi izikhwelo, kanye namahabhu,* nezingubhu zabahlabeleli; akuzange kubonwe phambili okunjengakho ezweni lakwaJuda.
12 Inkosi uSolomoni yanika inkosikazi yaseSheba konke ekufunayo nekucelayo ngaphandle kwalokho ebikulethele inkosi. Yayisibuya, yaya ezweni layo, yona nezinceku zayo.
13 Isisindo segolide elafika kuSolomoni iminyaka yonke sasingamatalenta* angamakhulu ayisithupha namashumi ayisithupha nesithupha egolide
14 ngaphandle kokuvela kubahwebi nabathengisi; onke amakhosi ase-Arabiya nababusi bezwe baletha igolide nesiliva kuSolomoni.
15 Inkosi uSolomoni yenza izihlangu ezingamakhulu amabili zegolide elikhandiweyo, kwaba ngamashekeli* angamakhulu ayisithupha egolide elikhandiweyo kuso isihlangu sinye,
16 kanjalo nezihlangu ezingamakhulu amathathu egolide elikhandiweyo, amashekeli angamakhulu amathathu egolide kuso isihlangu sinye; inkosi yazibeka endlini yehlathi laseLebanoni.
17 Inkosi yenza nesihlalo sobukhosi esikhulu sezimpondo zendlovu, yasinameka ngegolide elicwengekileyo.
18 Isihlalo sobukhosi sasinezikhwelo eziyisithupha, sinesenabelo segolide esasinamathelisiwe esihlalweni sobukhosi, nemikhono ngalapha nangalapha kwendawo yokuhlala, kumi izingonyama ezimbili ngaseceleni kwemikhono.
19 Kwakumi izingonyama eziyishumi nambili ngalapha nangalapha ezikhwelweni eziyisithupha. Okunjalo akwenziwanga komunye umbuso.
20 Zonke izitsha zokuphuza zenkosi uSolomoni zaziyigolide, nazo zonke izitsha zendlu yehlathi laseLebanoni zaziyigolide elicwengekileyo, isiliva lingento yalutho emihleni kaSolomoni.
21 Ngokuba inkosi yayinemikhumbi eyaya eTharishishi kanye nezinceku zikaHiramu; kanye ngeminyaka emithathu yafika imikhumbi yaseTharishishi iletha igolide, nesiliva, nezimpondo zendlovu, nezimfene, namapikoko.*
22 Inkosi uSolomoni yaba nkulu kunawo onke amakhosi omhlaba ngengcebo nangokuhlakanipha.
23 Onke amakhosi omhlaba afuna ubuso bukaSolomoni ukuba ezwe ukuhlakanipha kwakhe, uNkulunkulu akubekile enhliziyweni yakhe.
24 Baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo isipho sakhe, izitsha zesiliva, nezitsha zegolide, nezingubo, nezikhali, namakha, namahhashi, neminyuzi,* okwenziwa iminyaka ngeminyaka.
25 USolomoni wayenezipani* eziyizinkulungwane ezine zamahhashi nezinqola, nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, owababeka emizini yezinqola nasenkosini eJerusalema.
26 Wabusa phezu kwawo onke amakhosi kusukela emfuleni kuze kube sezweni lamaFilisti nasemkhawulweni waseGibithe.
27 Inkosi yenza isiliva livame eJerusalema njengamatshe, nemisedari* yayenza ibe njengemithombe ehlanzeni ngobuningi.
28 Bamlethela uSolomoni amahhashi evela eGibithe nasemazweni onke.
29 Ezinye izindaba zikaSolomoni, ezokuqala nezokugcina, angithi zilotshiwe ezindabeni zikaNathani umprofethi, nasesiprofethweni sika-Ahiya waseShilo, nasemibonweni ka-Ido umboni ngoJerobowamu indodana kaNebati na?
30 USolomoni wabusa eJerusalema phezu kuka-Israyeli wonke iminyaka engamashumi amane.
31 USolomoni wayeselala koyise, wembelwa emzini kaDavide uyise; uRehobowamu indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.