1 AmaKhosi 3:1-28

USolomoni wahlangana ngobuhlobo noFaro inkosi yaseGibithe, wathatha indodakazi kaFaro, wayingenisa emzini kaDavide, waze waqeda ukwakha indlu yakhe, nendlu kaJehova, nogange lwaseJerusalema nxazonke. Nokho abantu babehlaba ezindaweni eziphakemeyo, ngokuba kwakungakhelwanga igama likaJehova indlu kwaze kwaba yilezo zinsuku. USolomoni wamthanda uJehova, wahamba ngezimiso zikaDavide uyise; kepha wahlaba, washisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo. Inkosi yaya eGibeyoni ukuhlabela khona, ngokuba kwakuyindawo ephakemeyo enkulu; uSolomoni wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa eyinkulungwane e-altare lelo. EGibeyoni uJehova wabonakala kuSolomoni ngephupho ebusuku; uNkulunkulu wathi: “Cela lokhu othanda ukuba ngikunike khona.” USolomoni wathi: “Wenzele inceku yakho uDavide ubaba umusa omkhulu njengokuhamba kwakhe phambi kwakho ngeqiniso, nangokulunga, nangobuqotho benhliziyo kuwe, wamgcinela futhi lowo musa omkhulu, wamnika indodana ukuba ihlale esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, njengokuba kunjalo namuhla. “Manje, Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, ubekile inceku yakho inkosi esikhundleni sikaDavide ubaba; ngingumntwana omncane nje, angikwazi nokungena nokuphuma. Inceku yakho iphakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo, isizwe esikhulu, esingenakubalwa, esingenakuthathwa umumo waso ngobuningi. Ngalokho yiphe inceku yakho inhliziyo elalelayo ukwahlulela abantu bakho ukuba ngahlukanise okuhle nokubi, ngokuba ngubani ongahlulela laba bantu bakho abakhulu kangaka na?” Leyo nkulumo yaba nhle emehlweni eNkosi ukuba uSolomoni wayecele leyo nto. Wathi uNkulunkulu kuye: “Ngokuba ucele leyo nto, ungazicelelanga izinsuku eziningi, ungazicelelanga namfuyo, ungacelanga futhi ukufa kwezitha zakho, uzicelele ukwahlukanisa lokho okuzwayo ekwahluleleni, bheka, ngenzile njengezwi lakho: nakhu, ngikunika inhliziyo enokuhlakanipha nokuqonda, okungazange kube khona okunjengakho ngaphambi kwakho nokungayikuvela futhi okunjengakho nangasemva kwakho. Ngikunika futhi nalokho ongakucelanga, imfuyo nodumo, ngangokuba kungayikubakho onjengawe phakathi kwamakhosi zonke izinsuku zakho. Uma uhamba ngezindlela zami, ugcine izimiso zami nemiyalo yami, njengalokho uyihlo uDavide wahamba, ngiyakwandisa izinsuku zakho.” USolomoni wayesephaphama; bheka, kwakuyiphupho; waya eJerusalema, wema phambi komphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova, wanikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa, wanikela ngeminikelo yokuthula, wazenzela izinceku zakhe zonke idili. Khona kwafika enkosini abesifazane ababili abayizifebe, bema phambi kwayo. Omunye owesifazane wathi: “E nkosi, mina nalo wesifazane sihlala ndlininye; ngabeletha nginaye endlini. Kwathi ngosuku lwesithathu sengibelethile, lo wesifazane wabeletha naye; sasindawonye, kwakungekho mfokazi nathi endlini, kuyithina sobabili kuphela. “Umfana walo wesifazane wafa ebusuku, ngokuba walala phezu kwakhe. Wavuka phakathi kwamabili, wathatha umfana wami eceleni kwami, incekukazi yakho ilele ubuthongo, wambeka esifubeni sakhe, wabeka umfana wakhe ofileyo esifubeni sami. Lapho sengivuka ekuseni ukuba ngimncelise umfana wami, bheka, wayesefile; kepha sengimbhekisisa ekuseni, bheka, kwakungesiye umfana wami engimzeleyo.” Wayesethi omunye owesifazane: “Qha, ophilayo ungumfana wami, ofileyo ngumfana wakho.” Kepha yena wathi: “Qhabo, ofileyo ungumfana wakho, ophilayo ngumfana wami.” Bakhuluma kanjalo phambi kwenkosi. Yayisithi inkosi: “Omunye uthi: ‘Ngowami lo mfana ophilayo, ngumfana wakho ofileyo;’ omunye uthi: ‘Qha, ngumfana wakho ofileyo, ngumfana wami ophilayo.’ ” Yathi inkosi: “Ngiletheleni inkemba.” Baletha inkemba enkosini. Yathi-ke inkosi: “Mdabuleni kabili umntwana ophilayo, ninike omunye inxenye nomunye inxenye.” Wayesekhuluma enkosini owesifazane ongowakhe umntwana ophilayo, ngokuba izibilini zakhe zavutha ngomntanakhe, wathi: “E nkosi, mnike yena umntwana ophilayo, ungambulali nakanye,” kepha omunye wathi: “Makangabi ngowami nangowakho; mdabuleni.” Yayisithatha inkosi, yathi: “Mnikeni lowo umntwana ophilayo, ningamdabuli nakanye; nguye ongunina.” U-Israyeli wonke wezwa leso sahlulelo esenziwe yinkosi; bayesaba inkosi, ngokuba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu kwakukuyo ekwahluleleni kwayo.