2 Nyakati 9
1 Malikia wa Sheba aliposikia kuhusu umaarufu wa Selemani, akaja Yerusalemu kumjaribu kwa maswali magumu. Akaja pamoja na msafara mkubwa sana, pamoja na ngamia waliosheheni manukato, dhahabu nyingi, na vito vingi vya thamani. Alipofika kwa
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 Selemani, akamwambia yaliyokuwa moyoni mwake. Selemani akamjibu maswaali yake yote; hakuna kitu kilichokuwa kigumu sana kwa Selemani; hakuna swali ambalo hakulijibu.
And Solomon explained to her all that she proposed: and there was not any thing that he did not make clear unto her.
3 Malikia wa Sheba alipoiona hekima ya Selemani na ikulu aliyokuwa amejenga,
And when she had seen these things, to wit, the wisdom of Solomon, and the house which he had built,
4 chakula mezani kwake, mahali pa kukaa watumishi wake, kazi ya watumisshi wake na mavazi yao, pia wabebakikombe na mavazi yao, na namna alivyotoa sadaka za kuteketezwa katika nyumba ya Yahwe, hapakuwa na roho zaidi ndani yake.
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 Akasema kwa mfalme, “Ni kweli, taarifa ninioisikia katika nchi yangu kuhusu maneno yako na hekima yako.
And she said to the king: The word is true which I heard in my country of thy virtues and wisdom.
6 Sikuamini nilichokisika mpaka nilipokuja hapa, na sasa macho yangu yamekiona. Sikuambiwa nusu kuhusu hekima yako na utajiri wako! Umeuzidi umaarufu niliokuwa nimesikia kuhusu wewe.
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 Wamebarikiwa watu wako, na watumishi wako ambao husimama mbele yako, kwa sababu wanaisikia hekima yako. (Baadhi ya maandiko yanasema, “Wambarikiwa wake zako”, ikidhaniwa kwamba kifungu hicho kinapaswa kusomeka kama ilivyo katika Wafalme 10: 8).
Happy are thy men, and happy are thy servants, who stand always before thee, and hear thy wisdom.
8 Amebarikiwa Yahwe Mungu wako, ambaye amepata raha ndani yako, aliyekuweka juu ya kiti chake cha enzi, ili uwe mfalme kwa ajili ya Yahwe Mungu wako. Kwa sababu Mungu wako inaipenda Israeli, ili kuwathibisha milele, amekufanya kuwa mfalme juu yao, ili ufanye hukumu na haki.
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 Akampa mfalme talanta 120 za dhahabu na kiasi kikubwa manukato na vit vya thamani. Selemani hakupewa tena kiasi kikubwa cha manukato kama hiki amabacho alipewa na malakia wa Sheba.
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 Hiramau na wa mfalme Selemani, ambaye alileta dhahabu kutoka Ofiri, 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 Kwa miti hiyo ya msandali, mfalme Selemani akatengeneza madari ya nyumba ya Yahwe na nyumba yake, na vinubi na vinanda kwa ajili ya wanamziki. Hapajaonekana tena mbao kama hiyo katika nchi ya Yuda.
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 Selemani akampa malkia wa Sheba kila kitu alichotaka, chochote alichoomba, zaidi ya vile alivyoleta kwa mfalme Selemani. Kwa hiyo akaondoka na kurudi kwenye nchi yake, yeye na wataumishsi 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 Sasa uzito wa dhahabu ambayo ililetwa kwa Selemani ndani ya mwaka mmoja ulikuwa talanta 666 za dhahabu,
And the weight of the gold, that was brought to Solomon every year, was six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold:
14 nje na dhahabu ambayo waliileta wachukuzi na wafanya biashara. Walme wote wa Arabuni na maliwali katika nchi pia wakamletea Selemanai 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 Selemani akatengeneza ngao kubwa mia mbili za dhahabu iliyofuliwa. Shekeli mia sita za dhahabu zikatumika kwa kila ngao.
And king Solomon made two hundred golden spears, of the sum of six hundred pieces of gold, which went to every spear:
16 Pia akatengeneza ngao mia tatu za shahabu iliyopigwa. Minas tatu za dhahabu zikaenda kwa kila ngao; mfalme akaziweka kwenye ikulu ya 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 atengeneza kiti cha enzi kikubwa cha pembe na kufunika kwa dhahabu safi.
The king also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.
18 Kulikuwa na ngazi sita kwenda kwenye kiti cha enzi, na sehemu ya juu ya kiti cha enzi ilikuwa duara. Kulikuwa na mikono kila upande wa kiti, na simba wawili wamesimama pembeni na 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 juu ya zile ngazi, mmoja kila upande wa ngazi sita.
Moreover twelve other little lions standing upon the steps on both sides: there was not such a throne in any kingdom.
20 Hapakuwa na kiti cha enzi kama hicho katika ufalme wowote mwingine. Vikombe vyote vya kunywea vya Selemani vilikuwa vya dhahabu, na vikombe vyote vya mfalme katika Nyumba ya Msitu wa Lebanoni vilikuwa vya dhahabu halisi. Hakuna hata kimoja kilichokuwa cha fedha kwa sababu fedha haikuchuliwa kuwa ya thamani katika siku za Selemani.
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 zilizosafiri baharini, pamoja na meli za Hiramu. Mara moja kwa mwaka meli zilileta dhahabu, fedha, na pembe, na manukato, na pia nyani na tausi.
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 Kwa hiyo Mfalme Selemani aliawazidi utajiri na hekima wafalme wote wa dunia.
And Solomon was magnified above all the kings of the earth for riches and glory.
23 Dunia yote waliutafuta uwepo wa Selemanai ili kusikia hekima yake, 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 Waliomtembelea walileta kodi, vyombo vya shaba na dhahabu, nguo, silaha, na manukato, na farasi na anyumbu, mwaka baada ya mwaka.
And every year they brought him presents, vessels of silver and of gold, and garments, and armour, and spices, and horses, and mules.
25 Selemani alikuwa na mazizi elfu nne kwa ajili ya farasi na magari, na wapanda farasi kumi na mbili elfu, ambao waliwaweka katika miji ya magari na pamoja naye katika Yerusalemu.
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 Akatawala juu ya wafalme wote kutoka mto Efrati hadi nchi ya Wafilisti, na hadi mpaka wa Misiri.
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 alikuwa na fedha katika Yerusalemu, nyingi kama mawe juu ya aridhi. Akazifanya mbao za mierezi kuwa nyingi kama miti ya mikuyu ambayo iko nyanda za chini.
And he made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones: and cedars as common as the sycamores, which grow in the plains.
28 Wakaleta farasi kutoka Misri na kutoka nchi zote kwa ajili ya Selemani.
And horses were brought to him out of Egypt, and out of all countries.
29 Kwa mambo mengine kuhusu Selemani, mwanzo na mwisho, hayajandikwa katika Historia ya Nathani Nabii, katika unabii wa Abiya Mshinoni, na katika Maono ya Ido mwonaji wa mambo ya Yeroboamu mwana wa Nabati?
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 Selemani akatawala katika Yerusalemu juu ya Israeli yote kwa miaka arobaini.
And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
31 Akalala na babu zake na watu wakamzika katika mji wa Daudi baba yake. Rehoboamu, mwanaye, akawa mfalme katika sehemu yake.
And he slept with his fathers: and they buried him in the city of David: and Roboam his son reigned in his stead.
