Solomoni unokumbila butjenjedu
(2 Zwiyitikalo 1:3-12)1 Solomoni kashingidzana na Faro mambo we Egipiti ngo lobola nkololokadzi uwe. Wakan'gadza mu nzi nkulu wa Dafite kudzina epedza baka ng'umba iye ne ng'umba ya Yahwe ne luswingo gwakabakilila Jerusalema. 2 Bathu bakabe bepisila zwibhayilo mu magalo akatuthumala, ngobe kwakabe kusathu kukabakwa ng'umba kukudza zina la Yahwe. 3 Solomoni wakabe eda Yahwe, etobela milayo ya tate babe Dafite, koga naiyebo wakabe episila zwibhayilo ne motsha unonuhwa zwinozipa mu magalo akatuthumala.
4 Mambo kayenda ku Gibiyoni kanopisila zwibhayilo ko, ngobe gwakabe guli igo bugalo gwakatuthumala gwakabe gutolegwa pezhugwi kwazo. Solomoni wakabe egala edusila Yahwe zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa zwili tjiwulu (1 000) mu tjibeso itjetjo. 5 Kukati Solomoni ali ku Gibiyoni Yahwe bakazwilakidza kunli nge mawoloto kuli busiku, ngono Ndzimu ukandwa ukati, “Kumbila tjaunoda kuti ndikupe itjo.”
6 Ngono Solomoni kadabila eti, “Makalakidza ludo bukulu kakale gusingazunguzike muna tate bangu nlanda wenyu Dafite, ngobe bakabe begalikabgwe mu muli nge ndulamo, nenge moyo wakadzikama mu muli. Ngono makabalondolodzela ludo igogu bukulu kakale gusingazunguzike, mukabapa nkololo kubagala thaka nasi mu tjigalo tjabo tje bushe. 7 Ngono ngwenu, imwi Yahwe Ndzimu wangu, makathama imi nlanda wenyu abe mambo agala thaka tate bangu Dafite, nenguba ndili ntjetjana, ndili mwana ntukununu, ndisathu aziba kunodwiwa ne kunoyendiwa. 8 Nlanda wenyu upakati kwe bathu benyu bamakashalula, itjaba tjikulu, tjina bathu banjinji basingabalike. 9 Ndizo ngwenu ipani nlanda wenyu nkumbulo unohwisisa kubusa bathu benyu, kuti ndithubukanye ndulamo ne mbipo, kusakajalo ndiani ungatubula kubusa itjaba itjetji tjenyu tjikulu zwingapa kene?”
10 Tetshi bakashathila tjakumbigwa ndi Solomoni. 11 Ngono Ndzimu ukadwa Solomoni ukati, “Ngobe wakumbila itjetji, auzozwikumbilila kupaphidzigwa mazhuba e bupenyu kene fumwa, kene lufu gwe zwita zwizo, koga wazwikumbilila hwisiso ne kusumikilisa nge ndulamo, 12 bona, ngwenu ndowothama kuyendidzana ne dama lilo. Ndowokupa butjenjedu ne kuhwisisa, kusina mmwe nthu wakatongofanana nawe kene unowozwagwa unonga iwe. 13 Kakale ndowokupa tjimwe tjausakumbila. Ndowokupa fumwa ne gudzo mu butjilo gugo gose kupinda bomambo bamwe. 14 Ngono ha ungatobela zila dzangu, ukalondolodza milayo yangu, sekwakabe kuyenda tate babo, ndowokupaphidzila mazhuba e bupenyu.”
15 Ngono Solomoni kamuka mu hwope kawana abe ewolota. Ipapo kazha mu Jerusalema, kama mbeli kwe Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe, kayisa zwibhayilo zwinopisiwa ne zwipo zwe mbakisano. Kudwa ipapo kathamila balanda babe bose nzano.
Butjenjedu gwa Solomoni
16 Ndizo kukazha fukula mbili kuna mambo, dzikama mbeli kukwe, 17 ngono mmwe wabo kati kunli, “Tetshi wangu, togala mu ng'umba ing'ompela imi ne nkadzi iwoyu, ngono ndakatshibama ndinaye mu ng'umba. 18 Kukati mu zhuba le butatu shule kwe ndisinowana mwana, nkadzi iwoyu na iyebo katshibama, ngono takabe tili babili koga, kusina mmwe watakabe tinaye mu ng'umba. 19 Ngono busiku mwana we nkadzi iwoyu kafa ngobe mmeyabe bakaizela pezhugwi kukwe. 20 Kukati pakati kwe busiku she wangu, nlandakadzi wenyu akayizela, nkadzi iwoyu kamuka, katola mwanangu pawunde nami, kabe enkushika panli, etola mwana uwe wakafa enkushika pa ifuba tjangu. 21 Kukati ndimuka mangwanana nditi ndomwisa mwana, awana akafa. Koga ndakati ndinlingisisa awana asi iye mwanangu wandakazwala.” 22 Koga iwoyu nkadzi mmwe kati, “Akuzojalo! Mwana mpenyu nge wangu, wakafa nge uwo!” Nkadzi watanga bika ndebo kabe eti, “Akuzojalo! Mwana wakafa nge uwo, mpenyu nge wangu!” Ndizo bakakangazhana mbeli kwa mambo.
23 Ipapo Mambo Solomoni kabe eti, “Mmwe unoti, ‘Mwana unotjila nge wangu, wakafa nge uwo,’ ngono mmwe unoti, ‘Akuzojalo, mwana wakafa nge uwo, unotjila nge wangu.’ ”
24 Ndizo mambo kabe eti, “Mundipe bukanu.” Bukanu gukazhisiwa kuna mambo. 25 Mambo kabe eti, “Palulani mwana iwoyo mpenyu na pakati, ngono mupe mmwe nkadzi limwe gwamu, mmwe mumpe limwe gwamu.” 26 Ipapo nkadzi we mwana wakabe etjila, nge moyo we ludo mu mwana uwe kadwa mambo kati, “Tetshi wangu, musibulaye mwana, mumpe iye ali mpenyu.” Koga uwoyu mmwe kabe eti, “Aatowobe wangu kene uwo, ngaapalugwe na pakati.”
27 Ipapo Mambo Solomoni kashandula eti, “Musibulaye mwana, ipani nkadzi wabika ndebo kutanga, mwana ali mpenyu. Ndiye mme be mwana.”
28 Ngono kukati Baiziraela bose behwa mambo sekwa apedza ndebo ndiko, bakantolela pezhugwi, ngobe babona kuti butjenjedu gwe Ndzimu gwakabe guli munli, kuthama ndulamo.
The Lord Makes Solomon Wise
(2 Chronicles 1.1-13)1 Solomon signed a treaty with the king of Egypt and married his daughter. She lived in the older part of Jerusalem until the palace, the Lord's temple, and the wall around Jerusalem were completed.
2 At that time, there was no temple for worshiping the Lord, and everyone offered sacrifices at the local shrines. 3 Solomon loved the Lord and followed his father David's instructions, but Solomon also offered sacrifices and burned incense at the shrines.
4 The most important shrine was in Gibeon, and Solomon had offered more than 1,000 sacrifices on that altar.
5 One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.”
6 Solomon answered:
My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. 7 Lord God, I'm your servant, and you've made me king in my father's place. But I'm very young and know so little about being a leader. 8 And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count.
9 Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don't, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.
10-11 God said:
Solomon, I'm pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. 12 So I'll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live.
13 I'll also give you what you didn't ask for. You'll be rich and respected as long as you live, and you'll be greater than any other king. 14 If you obey me and follow my commands, as your father David did, I'll let you live a long time.
15 Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. He went back to Jerusalem and stood in front of the sacred chest, where he offered sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing. Then Solomon gave a feast for his officials.
Solomon Makes a Difficult Decision
16 One day two women came to King Solomon, 17 and one of them said:
Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. Not long ago my baby was born at home, 18 and three days later her baby was born. Nobody else was there with us.
19 One night while we were all asleep, she rolled over on her baby, and he died. 20 Then while I was still asleep, she got up and took my son out of my bed. She put him in her bed, then she put her dead baby next to me.
21 In the morning when I got up to feed my son, I saw that he was dead. But when I looked at him in the light, I knew he wasn't my son.
22 “No!” the other woman shouted. “He was your son. My baby is alive!”
“The dead baby is yours,” the first woman yelled. “Mine is alive!”
They argued back and forth in front of Solomon, 23 until finally he said, “Both of you say this live baby is yours. 24 Someone bring me a sword.”
A sword was brought, and Solomon ordered, 25 “Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him.”
26 “Please don't kill my son,” the baby's mother screamed. “Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don't kill him.”
The other woman shouted, “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”
27 Solomon said, “Don't kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”
28 Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.