The Queen of Sheba

¹Inkosikazi yaseSheba isizwile udumo lukaSolomoni ngegama likaJehova yeza ukumvivinya ngezimfumbe.

²Yeza eJerusalema inehele elikhulu kakhulu, namakamela ethwele amakha, negolide eliningi kakhulu, namatshe ayigugu; isifikile kuSolomoni yakhuluma naye ngakho konke okusenhliziyweni yayo.

³USolomoni wayiphendula ezindabeni zayo zonke. Kwakungekho nto eyayifihlelwe inkosi, engayitshelanga yona.

⁴Inkosikazi yaseSheba isibonile konke ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni, nendlu ayakhileyo,

⁵nokudla kwasetafuleni lakhe, nokuhlala kwezinceku zakhe, nokuma kwezikhonzi zakhe, nezambatho zazo, nabaphathizitsha bakhe, nomnikelo wakhe wokushiswa owanikela ngawo endlini kaJehova, akwabe kusabakho moya kuyo.

⁶Yathi enkosini: “Yayiqinisile indaba engayizwa ezweni lami ngamazwi akho nangokuhlakanipha kwakho.

⁷Kepha angikholwanga ngamazwi ngaze ngafika, kwabona amehlo ami; bheka, angitshelwanga nanxenye; udlula ngokuhlakanipha nenhlanhla udumo engaluzwa.

⁸Babusisiwe abantu bakho, zibusisiwe lezi zinceku zakho ezimi njalo phambi kwakho, zizwa ukuhlakanipha kwakho.

⁹Makabongwe 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.”

¹⁰Yanika inkosi amatalenta ayikhulu namashumi amabili egolide, namakha amaningi kakhulu, namatshe ayigugu; akuzange kusafika amakha amaningi kangaka njengalawo inkosi uSolomoni eyaphiwa wona yinkosikazi yaseSheba.

¹¹Nemikhumbi kaHiramu eyathwala igolide livela e-Ofiri yathutha futhi e-Ofiri imi-alimugi namatshe ayigugu.

¹²Ngemi-alimugi inkosi yenzela indlu kaJehova nendlu yenkosi izinsika kanye namahabhu nezingubhu zabahlabeleli; imi-alimugi eminingi kangaka ayizange isafika, kayibonwanga futhi, kuze kube namuhla.

¹³Inkosi uSolomoni yanika inkosikazi yaseSheba konke ekufunayo nekucelayo ngaphandle kwalokho uSolomoni ayinika khona ngokuphana kwenkosi. Yayisibuya, yaya ezweni layo, yona nezinceku zayo.

¹⁴Isisindo segolide elalifika kuSolomoni iminyaka yonke sasingamatalenta angamakhulu ayisithupha namashumi ayisithupha nesithupha egolide

¹⁵ngaphandle kokuvela kubahwebi, nasenzuzweni yabathengisi, nasemakhosini ase-Arabiya, nakubabusi bezwe.

¹⁶Inkosi uSolomoni yenza izihlangu ezingamakhulu amabili zegolide elikhandiweyo, kwaba ngamashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha egolide elikhandiweyo kuso isihlangu sisinye,

¹⁷kanjalo namahawu angamakhulu amathathu egolide elikhandiweyo, amamane amathathu egolide kulo ihawu lilinye; inkosi yawabeka endlini yehlathi laseLebanoni.

¹⁸Inkosi yenza nesihlalo sobukhosi esikhulu sezimpondo zendlovu, yasinameka ngegolide elicwengekileyo.

¹⁹Isihlalo sobukhosi sasinezikhwelo eziyisithupha, isihloko saso sasiyisiyingelezi emuva; kwakukhona imikhono ngalapha nangalapha kwendawo yokuhlala, kumi izingonyama ezimbili ngaseceleni kwemikhono.

²⁰Kwakumi izingonyama eziyishumi nambili ngalapha nangalapha ezikhwelweni eziyisithupha. Okunjalo akwenziwanga komunye umbuso.

²¹Zonke izitsha zokuphuza zenkosi uSolomoni zaziyigolide, nazo zonke izitsha zendlu yehlathi laseLebanoni zaziyigolide elicwengekileyo, kungekho ezesiliva, lona lingento yalutho emihleni kaSolomoni.

²²Ngokuba inkosi yayinemikhumbi yaseTharishishi elwandle kanye nemikhumbi kaHiramu; kanye ngeminyaka emithathu yafika imikhumbi yaseTharishishi iletha igolide, nesiliva, nezimpondo zendlovu, nezimfene, namapikoko.

²³Inkosi uSolomoni yaba nkulu kunawo onke amakhosi omhlaba ngengcebo nangokuhlakanipha.

²⁴Wonke umhlaba wafuna ukubona ubuso bukaSolomoni ukuba uzwe ukuhlakanipha kwakhe, uNkulunkulu akubekile enhliziyweni yakhe.

²⁵Baletha, kwaba yilowo nalowo isipho sakhe, izitsha zesiliva, nezitsha zegolide, nezingubo, nezikhali, namakha, namahhashi, neminyuzi, okwenziwa iminyaka ngeminyaka.

²⁶USolomoni wabutha izinqola nabamahhashi; wayenezinqola eziyinkulungwane namakhulu amane nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nambili owakubeka emizini yezinqola nasenkosini eJerusalema.

²⁷Inkosi yenza isiliva livame eJerusalema njengamatshe, nemisedari yayenza ibe njengemithombe esigodini ngobuningi.

²⁸Amahhashi uSolomoni ayenawo ayekhishwe eGibithe naseKuwe; abathengi benkosi bawamukela eKuwe ngemali yawo.

²⁹Inqola yenyuka yaphuma eGibithe ngamashekeli angamakhulu ayisithupha esiliva nehhashi ngayikhulu namashumi ayisihlanu; bawakhiphela kanjalo onke amakhosi amaHeti namakhosi ase-Aramu ngezandla zabo.