2 Nyakati 9
1 Malkia wa Sheba aliposikia habari za umaarufu wa Solomoni, huyo malkia akaja Yerusalemu kumjaribu kwa maswali magumu. Alifika akiwa na msafara mkubwa sana, pamoja na ngamia waliobeba vikolezi, kiasi kikubwa cha dhahabu na vito vya thamani, alikuja kwa Solomoni na kuzungumza naye kuhusu yote ambayo alikuwa nayo moyoni mwake.
When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon's fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She came with a very long caravan, with camels loaded with spices, much gold, and many precious gemstones. When she had come to Solomon, she told him all that was in her heart.
2 Solomoni akamjibu maswali yake yote, wala hakukuwa na jambo lolote lililokuwa gumu kwake asiweze kumwelezea.
Solomon answered her all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon; there was no question that he did not answer.
3 Malkia wa Sheba alipoona hekima yote ya Solomoni na jumba la kifalme alilokuwa amejenga,
When the queen of Sheba saw Solomon's wisdom and the palace that he had built,
4 chakula kilichokuwa mezani pake, jinsi maafisa wake walivyokaa, wahudumu katika majoho yao, wanyweshaji wake na sadaka za kuteketezwa alizotoa katika Hekalu la Bwana alipatwa na mshangao.
the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the work of his servants and their clothing, also his cupbearers and their clothing, and the burnt offerings he made at the house of Yahweh, and there was no more breath in her.
5 Akamwambia mfalme, “Taarifa niliyosikia kwenye nchi yangu mwenyewe kuhusu mafanikio na hekima yako ni kweli.
She said to the king, “It is true, the report that I heard in my own land of your words and your wisdom.
6 Lakini sikuamini yaliyosemwa hadi nilipokuja na kuona kwa macho yangu mwenyewe. Naam, sikuambiwa hata nusu yake; katika hekima na mali umezidi sana kuliko ile taarifa niliyoisikia.
I did not believe what I heard until I came here, and now my eyes have seen it. Not half was told me about your wisdom and wealth! You have exceeded the fame that I heard about.
7 Heri watu wako! Heri hawa maafisa wako wasimamao mbele yako daima na kusikia hekima yako!
How blessed are your people, and how blessed are your servants who constantly stand before you, because they hear your wisdom.
8 Ahimidiwe Bwana Mungu wako, ambaye amependezwa sana nawe, na akakuweka juu ya kiti chake cha ufalme utawale kwa niaba ya Bwana Mungu wako. Kwa sababu ya upendo wa Mungu wako kwa Israeli na shauku yake ya kuwadhibitisha milele, amekufanya wewe mfalme juu yao, ili kudumisha haki na uadilifu.”
Blessed be Yahweh your God, who has taken pleasure in you, who placed you on his throne, to be king for Yahweh your God. Because your God loved Israel, in order to establish them forever, he had made you king over them, for you to do justice and righteousness!”
9 Naye akampa mfalme talanta 120 za dhahabu, kiasi kikubwa cha vikolezi na vito vya thamani. Haikuwahi kamwe kuletwa vikolezi vizuri kama vile Malkia wa Sheba alivyompa Mfalme Solomoni.
She gave the king 120 talents of gold and a large amount of spices and precious stones. No greater amount of spices as these that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon was ever given to him again.
10 (Watumishi wa Hiramu na wa Solomoni wakaleta dhahabu kutoka Ofiri, tena wakaleta shehena kubwa ya miti ya msandali na vito vya thamani.
The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum wood and precious stones.
11 Mfalme akatumia hiyo miti ya msandali kuwa ngazi kwa ajili ya Hekalu la Bwana na kwa jumba la kifalme, pia kwa kutengeneza vinubi na zeze kwa ajili ya waimbaji. Kiasi hicho kingi cha msandali hakijawahi kuingizwa Yuda tangu siku ile.)
With the algum wood, the king made steps for the house of Yahweh and for his house, as well as harps and lyres for the musicians. No wood like this had been seen before in the land of Judah.
12 Mfalme Solomoni akampa Malkia wa Sheba kila kitu alichotamani na kukiomba, zaidi ya vile alivyokuwa amemletea mfalme. Kisha malkia akaondoka na kurudi katika nchi yake, yeye na watumishi wake.
King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba everything she desired and whatever she asked for; he gave her more than what she had brought to the king. So she left and went back to her own land, she and her servants.
13 Uzito wa dhahabu ambayo Solomoni alipokea kwa mwaka ulikuwa talanta 666,
Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,
14 mbali na mapato yaliyoletwa na wafanyabiashara na wachuuzi. Wafalme wote wa Arabuni na watawala wa nchi wakamletea Solomoni dhahabu na fedha.
besides the gold that the traders and merchants brought. All the kings of Arabia and the governors in the country also brought gold and silver to Solomon.
15 Mfalme Solomoni akatengeneza ngao kubwa 200 kwa dhahabu iliyofuliwa. Kila ngao ilikuwa na dhahabu yenye uzito wa shekeli 600
King Solomon made two hundred large shields of beaten gold. Six hundred shekels of gold went into each one.
16 Akatengeneza pia ngao ndogo 300 za dhahabu iliyofuliwa, kila ngao ikiwa na uzito wa mane tatu za dhahabu. Mfalme akaziweka katika Jumba la Kifalme la Msitu wa Lebanoni.
He also made three hundred shields of beaten gold. Three minas of gold went into each shield; the king put them into the House of the Forest of Lebanon.
17 Kisha mfalme akatengeneza kiti kikubwa cha kifalme kwa kutumia pembe za ndovu na kukifunika kwa dhahabu safi.
Then the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with the finest gold.
18 Kiti hicho kilikuwa na ngazi sita na mahali pa kuwekea miguu vyote vya dhahabu. Pande zote za kiti kulikuwa na mahali pa kuegemeza mikono, na simba wawili wakisimama kando ya hiyo mikono.
There were six steps to the throne, and a footstool was attached to the throne. On each side of the throne there were armrests with two lions standing beside each of them.
19 Simba kumi na wawili walisimama kwenye ngazi sita, mmoja katika kila upande wa kila ngazi. Hakuna kitu kama hicho kilichokuwa kimefanyika kwenye ufalme mwingine wowote.
Twelve lions stood on the steps, one on each side of each of the six steps. There was no throne like it in any other kingdom.
20 Vikombe vyote vya Mfalme Solomoni vya kunywea vilikuwa vya dhahabu na vyombo vyote vya nyumbani katika Jumba la Kifalme la Msitu wa Lebanoni vilikuwa vya dhahabu safi. Hakukuwa na kitu kilichotengenezwa kwa fedha, kwa sababu fedha ilionekana ya thamani ndogo wakati wa Solomoni.
All King Solomon's drinking cups were gold, and all the drinking cups in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were silver because silver was not considered valuable in Solomon's days.
21 Mfalme alikuwa na meli nyingi za biashara baharini zilizoendeshwa na watu wa Hiramu. Kwa mara moja kila miaka mitatu zilirudi, zikiwa zimebeba dhahabu, fedha, pembe za ndovu na nyani wakubwa na wadogo.
The king had at sea a fleet of oceangoing ships, along with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet brought gold, silver, and ivory, as well as apes and baboons.
22 Mfalme Solomoni alikuwa mkuu zaidi kwa utajiri na hekima kuliko wafalme wote wa dunia.
So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom.
23 Wafalme wote wa dunia wakatafuta kukutana na Solomoni ili kusikia hekima ambayo Mungu alikuwa ameiweka katika moyo wake.
All the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon in order to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
24 Mwaka baada ya mwaka, kila mmoja ambaye alikuja, alileta zawadi, vyombo vya fedha na dhahabu, majoho, silaha na vikolezi, farasi na nyumbu.
Those who visited brought tribute, vessels of silver and of gold, clothes, armor, and spices, as well as horses and mules, year after year.
25 Solomoni alikuwa na mabanda 4,000 kwa ajili ya farasi na magari ya vita, farasi 12,000 ambao aliwaweka katika miji ya magari ya vita na katika Yerusalemu pamoja naye.
Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he stationed in the chariot cities and with himself in Jerusalem.
26 Solomoni akatawala juu ya wafalme wote kuanzia Mto Frati mpaka kwenye nchi ya Wafilisti na kuendelea hadi mpaka wa Misri.
He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.
27 Mfalme akafanya fedha kuwa kitu cha kawaida kama mawe huko Yerusalemu, mierezi akaifanya kuwa mingi kama mikuyu vilimani.
The king had silver in Jerusalem, as much as the stones on the ground. He made cedar wood to be as abundant as the sycamore fig trees that are in the lowlands.
28 Farasi wa Solomoni waliletwa kutoka Misri na kutoka nchi nyingine zote.
They brought horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the lands.
29 Kwa habari za matukio mengine ya utawala wa Solomoni, kuanzia mwanzo hadi mwisho, je, hayakuandikwa katika kumbukumbu za nabii Nathani, katika unabii wa Ahiya Mshiloni na katika maono ya Ido mwonaji kuhusu Yeroboamu mwana wa Nebati?
As for the other matters concerning Solomon, first and last, are they not written in The History of Nathan the Prophet, in The Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in The Visions of Iddo the Seer (which also had information about Jeroboam son of Nebat)?
30 Solomoni alitawala Israeli yote miaka arobaini, akiwa Yerusalemu.
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.
31 Kisha Solomoni akalala pamoja na baba zake, naye akazikwa katika mji wa Daudi baba yake. Naye Rehoboamu mwanawe akawa mfalme baada yake.
He slept with his ancestors and the people buried him in the city of David his father. Rehoboam, his son, became king in his place.
