1 Amakhosi 10:1-29

Indlovukazi yaseSheba isizwile umbiko kaSolomoni ngeGama likaJehova, yeza ukumvivinya ngemibuzo enzima. Yafika eJerusalema inesixuku esikhulu kakhulu, namakamela athwele izinongo, negolide eliningi namatshe ayigugu; lapho ifika kuSolomoni, yakhuluma kuye ngakho konke okwakusenhliziyweni yayo. USolomoni wayiphendula yonke imibuzo yayo; kwakungekho lutho olufihlekile enkosini engayitshelanga yona. Lapho indlovukazi yaseSheba ibona konke ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni nendlu ayakhileyo, nokudla kwetafula lakhe, nokuhlala kwezinceku zakhe, nenkonzo yezinceku zakhe, nezingubo zazo, nabaphathizitsha bakhe, nezintaba zakhe akhuphukela ngakho endlini kaJehova; kwakungasekho umoya kuye. Wathi enkosini: “Yindaba eyiqiniso engayizwa ezweni lami ngezenzo zakho nokuhlakanipha kwakho.” Kodwa angizange ngikholwe amazwi ngaze ngafika, futhi amehlo ami akubona; bheka, angitshelwanga nenxenye; ukuhlakanipha kwakho nenhlanhla yakho kudlula udumo engiluzwile. Babusisiwe abantu bakho, zibusisiwe lezi zinceku zakho ezimi phambi kwakho njalo, zizwe ukuhlakanipha kwakho. Makabongwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho owathanda ukukubeka esihlalweni sobukhosi sika-Israyeli, ngokuba uJehova wamthanda u-Israyeli kuze kube phakade, ngalokho wakubeka inkosi ukwenza ukwahlulela nokulunga. Yanika inkosi amathalenta egolide ayikhulu namashumi amabili namakha amatshe amakhulu kakhulu; akuphindanga kufike amakha amaningi njengalawo inkosi uSolomoni eyaphiwa yinkosikazi yaseSheba. Iviyo likaHiramu, elaletha igolide livela e-Ofiri, laletha kuvela e-Ofiri izihlahla zom-alimondi eziningi namatshe ayigugu. Ngezihlahla zom-alimondi inkosi yenza izinsika zendlu kaJehova nezendlu yenkosi, nezigubhu namahabhu abahlabeleli; Inkosi uSolomoni yanika indlovukazi yaseSheba konke ekufunayo ekucelayo, ngaphandle kwalokho uSolomoni ayinika khona ngokuphana kobukhosi. Khona-ke waphenduka waya ezweni lakubo, yena nezinceku zakhe. Isisindo segolide uSolomoni alizuza ngomnyaka owodwa sasingamatalenta angamakhulu ayisithupha namashumi ayisithupha nesithupha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, wayenabathengi nabathengisi beziqholo neyawo wonke amakhosi ase-Arabiya nakubabusi bezwe. Inkosi uSolomoni yenza amashekeli angamakhulu amabili egolide elikhandiweyo; Wenza nezihlangu ezingamakhulu amathathu zegolide elikhandiweyo; amamane amathathu egolide ngesihlangu esisodwa, inkosi yasibeka endlini yehlathi laseLebanoni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, inkosi yenza isihlalo sobukhosi esikhulu sezinyo lendlovu yasinameka ngegolide elihle kakhulu. Isihlalo sobukhosi sasinezitebhisi eziyisithupha, isihloko sesihlalo sobukhosi sasiyisiyingelezi ngemuva, kukhona izisekelo ngapha nangapha endaweni yokuhlala, kumi izingonyama ezimbili ngasezisekelo. Kwakumi izingonyama eziyishumi nambili ngalapha nangalapha ezikhwelweni eziyisithupha; ayenziwanga into enjalo kunoma yimuphi umbuso. Zonke izitsha zokuphuza zenkosi uSolomoni zazingezegolide, nazo zonke izitsha zendlu yehlathi laseLebanoni zazingezegolide elicwengekileyo; kwakungekho okwesiliva; kakubalelwa lutho ngakho ezinsukwini zikaSolomoni. Ngokuba inkosi yayinemikhumbi yaseTharishishi olwandle kanye nemikhumbi kaHiramu; kanye ngeminyaka emithathu imikhumbi yaseTharishishi yafika iletha igolide, nesiliva, nezimpondo zendlovu, nezinkawu, namapigogo. Kanjalo inkosi uSolomoni yaba ngaphezu kwawo wonke amakhosi omhlaba ngengcebo nokuhlakanipha. Wonke umhlaba wamfuna uSolomoni ukuze uzwe ukuhlakanipha kwakhe uNkulunkulu ayekunikile enhliziyweni yakhe. Baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo isipho sakhe: izitsha zesiliva, nezitsha zegolide, nezingubo, nezikhali, namakha, namahhashi, neminyuzi, iminyaka ngeminyaka. USolomoni wabutha izinqola nabamahhashi, waba nezinqola eziyinkulungwane namakhulu amane nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili, wakunika imizi yezinqola nenkosi yaseJerusalema. Inkosi yenza isiliva eJerusalema libe njengamatshe, nemisedari yayenza yaba njengemikhiwane esesigodini ngobuningi. Amahhashi uSolomoni ayenawo aphuma eGibithe nezindwangu zelineni; abathengisi benkosi bamukela ilineni ngentengo. Inqola yakhuphuka yaphuma eGibithe ngamashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha esiliva nehhashi ngekhulu namashumi ayisihlanu; bawakhiphela kuwo onke amakhosi amaHeti nasemakhosini ase-Aramu ngesandla sabo.