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.
And when the queen of Saba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to try him with hard questions at Jerusalem, with great riches, and camels, which carried spices, and abundance of gold, and precious stones. And when she was come to Solomon, she proposed to him all that was in her heart.
2 Solomoni akamjibu maswali yake yote, wala hakukuwa na jambo lolote lililokuwa gumu kwake asiweze kumwelezea.
And Solomon explained to her all that she proposed: and there was not any thing that he did not make clear unto her.
3 Malkia wa Sheba alipoona hekima yote ya Solomoni na jumba la kifalme alilokuwa amejenga,
And when she had seen these things, to wit, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which 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.
And the meats of his table, and the dwelling places of his servants, and the attendance of his officers, and their apparel, his cupbearers also, and their garments, and the victims which he offered in the house of the Lord: there was no more spirit in her, she was so astonished.
5 Akamwambia mfalme, “Taarifa niliyosikia kwenye nchi yangu mwenyewe kuhusu mafanikio na hekima yako ni kweli.
And she said to the king: The word is true which I heard in my country of thy virtues and 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 them that told it, until I came, and my eyes had seen, and I had proved that scarce one half of thy wisdom had been told me: thou hast exceeded the same with thy virtues.
7 Heri watu wako! Heri hawa maafisa wako wasimamao mbele yako daima na kusikia hekima yako!
Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy 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 the Lord thy God, who hath been pleased to set thee on his throne, king of the Lord thy God. Because God loveth Israel, and will preserve them for ever: therefore hath he made thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.
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.
And she gave to the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and spices in great abundance, and most precious stones: there were no such spices as these which the queen of Saba gave to king Solomon.
10 (Watumishi wa Hiramu na wa Solomoni wakaleta dhahabu kutoka Ofiri, tena wakaleta shehena kubwa ya miti ya msandali na vito vya thamani.
And the servants also of Hiram, with the servants of Solomon, brought gold from Ophir, and thyine trees, and most 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.)
And the king made of the thyine trees stairs in the house of the Lord, and in the king’s house, and harps and psalteries for the singing men: never were there seen such trees in the land of Juda.
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.
And king Solomon gave to the queen of Saba all that she desired, and that she asked, and many more things than she brought to him: so she returned, and went to her own country with her servants.
13 Uzito wa dhahabu ambayo Solomoni alipokea kwa mwaka ulikuwa talanta 666,
And the weight of the gold, that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six 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.
Beside the sum which the deputies of divers nations, and the merchants were accustomed to bring, and all the kings of Arabia, and the lords of the lands, who I 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
And king Solomon made two hundred golden spears, of the sum of six hundred pieces of gold, which went to every spear:
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.
And three hundred golden shields of three hundred pieces of gold, which went to the covering of every shield: and the king put them in the armoury, which was compassed with a wood.
17 Kisha mfalme akatengeneza kiti kikubwa cha kifalme kwa kutumia pembe za ndovu na kukifunika kwa dhahabu safi.
The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure 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.
And six steps to go up to the throne, and a footstool of gold, and two arms one on either side, and two lions standing by the arms:
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.
Moreover twelve other little lions standing upon the steps on both sides: there was not such a throne in any 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.
And all the vessels of the king’s table were of gold, and the vessels of the house of the forest of Libanus were of the purest gold. For no account was made of silver in those 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.
For the king’s ships went to Tharsis with the servants of Hiram, once in three years: and they brought thence gold and silver, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
22 Mfalme Solomoni alikuwa mkuu zaidi kwa utajiri na hekima kuliko wafalme wote wa dunia.
And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory.
23 Wafalme wote wa dunia wakatafuta kukutana na Solomoni ili kusikia hekima ambayo Mungu alikuwa ameiweka katika moyo wake.
And all the kings of the earth desired to see the face of Solomon, that they might hear the wisdom which God had given 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.
And every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules.
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.
And Solomon had forty thousand horses in the stables, and twelve thousand chariots, and horsemen, and he placed them in the cities of the chariots, and where the king was in Jerusalem.
26 Solomoni akatawala juu ya wafalme wote kuanzia Mto Frati mpaka kwenye nchi ya Wafilisti na kuendelea hadi mpaka wa Misri.
And he exercised authority over all the kings from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt.
27 Mfalme akafanya fedha kuwa kitu cha kawaida kama mawe huko Yerusalemu, mierezi akaifanya kuwa mingi kama mikuyu vilimani.
And he made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars as common as the sycamores, which grow in the plains.
28 Farasi wa Solomoni waliletwa kutoka Misri na kutoka nchi nyingine zote.
And horses were brought to him out of Egypt, and out of all countries.
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?
Now the rest of the acts of Solomon first and last are written in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the boobs of Ahias the Silonite, and in the vision of Addo the seer, against Jeroboam the son of Nabat.
30 Solomoni alitawala Israeli yote miaka arobaini, akiwa Yerusalemu.
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel 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.
And he slept with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.
