The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon
1The queen of Sheba heard about how famous Solomon was. So she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. She arrived with a very large group of attendants. Her camels were carrying spices, huge amounts of gold, and valuable jewels. She came to Solomon and asked him about everything she wanted to know. 2He answered all her questions. There wasn’t anything too hard for him to explain to her. 3So the queen of Sheba saw how wise Solomon was. She saw the palace he had built. 4She saw the food on his table. She saw his officials sitting there. She saw the robes of the servants who waited on everyone. She saw the robes the wine tasters were wearing. And she saw the burnt offerings Solomon sacrificed at the Lord’s temple. She could hardly believe everything she had seen.
5She said to the king, “Back in my own country I heard a report about you. I heard about how much you had accomplished. I also heard about how wise you are. Everything I heard is true. 6But I didn’t believe what people were saying. So I came to see for myself. And now I believe it! You are twice as wise as people say you are. The report I heard doesn’t even begin to tell the whole story about you. 7How happy your people must be! How happy your officials must be! They always get to serve you and hear the wise things you say. 8May the Lord your God be praised. He takes great delight in you. He placed you on his throne as king. He put you there to rule for him. Your God loves Israel very much. He longs to take good care of them forever. That’s why he has made you king over them. He knows that you will do what is fair and right.”
9She gave the king four and a half tons of gold. She also gave him huge amounts of spices and valuable jewels. There had never been as many spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
10The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir. They also brought algumwood and valuable jewels. 11The king used the algumwood to make steps for the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. He also used it to make harps and lyres for those who played the music. No one had ever seen anything like those instruments in Judah before.
12King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she wanted and asked for. In fact, he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left. She returned to her own country with her attendants.
Solomon’s Greatness
13Each year Solomon received 25 tons of gold. 14That didn’t include the money brought in by business and trade. All the kings of Arabia also brought gold and silver to Solomon. So did the governors of the territories.
15King Solomon made 200 large shields out of hammered gold. Each one weighed 15 pounds. 16He also made 300 small shields out of hammered gold. Each one weighed almost eight pounds. The king put all the shields in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
17Then he made a large throne. It was covered with ivory. And that was covered with pure gold. 18The throne had six steps. A gold stool for the king’s feet was connected to it. The throne had armrests on both sides of the seat. A statue of a lion stood on each side of the throne. 19Twelve lions stood on the six steps. There was one at each end of each step. Nothing like that throne had ever been made for any other kingdom. 20All of King Solomon’s cups were made out of gold. All the things used in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were made out of pure gold. Nothing was made out of silver. When Solomon was king, silver wasn’t considered to be worth very much. 21He had many ships that carried goods to be traded. The crews of those ships were made up of Hiram’s servants. Once every three years the ships returned. They brought gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.
22King Solomon was richer than all the other kings on earth. He was also wiser than they were. 23All these kings wanted to meet Solomon in person. They wanted to see for themselves how wise God had made him. 24Year after year, everyone who came to him brought a gift. They brought gifts made out of silver and gold. They brought robes, weapons and spices. They also brought horses and mules.
25Solomon had 4,000 spaces where he kept his horses and chariots. He had 12,000 horses. He kept some of his horses and chariots in the chariot cities. He kept the others with him in Jerusalem. 26Solomon ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. He ruled all the way to the border of Egypt. 27The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones. He made cedar wood as common there as sycamore-fig trees in the western hills. 28Solomon got horses from Egypt. He also got them from many other countries.
Solomon Dies
29The other events of Solomon’s rule from beginning to end are written down. They are written in the records of Nathan the prophet. They are written in the prophecy of Ahijah. He was from Shiloh. They are also written in the records of the visions of Iddo the prophet about Jeroboam. Jeroboam was the son of Nebat. 30Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over the whole nation of Israel for 40 years. 31Then he joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in the city of his father David. Solomon’s son Rehoboam became the next king after him.
Okukyala kwa Kabaka omukazi w’e Seeba
19:1 Lub 10:7; Ez 23:42; Mat 12:42; Luk 11:31Kabaka omukazi w’e Seeba bwe yawulira ettutumo lya Sulemaani n’ajja e Yerusaalemi okumugeza n’ebibuuzo ebikalubo, ng’awerekeddwako ekibinja ekinene omwali eŋŋamira ezaali zeetise ebyakaloosa, ne zaabu nnyingi nnyo n’amayinja ag’omuwendo omungi. Awo bwe yatuuka eri Sulemaani, n’anyumya naye ku ebyo byonna ebyali ku mutima gwe. 2Sulemaani n’addamu ebibuuzo bye byonna, ne wataba n’ekimu ekyamulema okumunnyonnyola. 39:3 1Bk 5:12Awo Kabaka omukazi w’e Seeba bwe yalaba amagezi ga Sulemaani, n’olubiri lwe yali azimbye, 4n’emmere eyaliibwanga ku mmeeza ye, n’okutuula okw’abakungu be, n’abaweereza be mu byambalo byabwe, n’enyambuka gye yayambukangamu okugenda okuwaayo ebiweebwayo mu yeekaalu ya Mukama, n’aggwaamu omwoyo.
5N’agamba kabaka nti, “Bye nnawulira nga ndi mu nsi yange ku bikwata ku bikolwa byo n’amagezi go bya mazima, 69:6 2By 6:32naye nnali sibikkirizanga okutuusa bwe najja ne mbyelabirako n’amaaso gange. Laba saabuulirwa wadde ekitundu eky’ettutumo lyo; bye mpulidde bisingawo ku ebyo bye nnawulira. 7Abantu bo nga balina omukisa! Abaddu bo abakuweereza bulijjo ne bawulira amagezi go nga balina omukisa! 89:8 a 1Bk 2:12; 1By 17:14; 28:5; 29:23; 2By 13:8 b 2By 2:11Mukama Katonda wo yeebazibwe akwenyumiririzaamu, era eyakuteeka ku ntebe yo ey’obwakabaka. Olw’okwagala kwa Katonda wo eri Isirayiri, era n’okwagala okubanyweza emirembe gyonna, kyeyava akufuula kabaka okubafuga, okukola obwenkanya n’obutuukirivu.”
99:9 2By 8:18N’alyoka awa kabaka ettani nnya n’ekitundu eza zaabu, n’ebyakaloosa bingi nnyo nnyini, n’amayinja ag’omuwendo. Waali tewabangawo bya kaloosa bingi bwe bityo nga Kabaka omukazi w’e Seeba bye yawa kabaka Sulemaani.
109:10 2By 8:18Abasajja ba Kulamu n’abasajja ba Sulemaani abaasuubulanga zaabu okuva e Ofiri baaleetanga n’emitoogo n’amayinja ag’omuwendo omungi. 11Kabaka n’akozesa emitoogo egyo okuzimba amaddaala aga yeekaalu ya Mukama n’ag’olubiri lwa kabaka, ate era n’akolamu n’ennanga n’entongooli z’abayimbi. Waali tewabangawo bifaanana ng’ebyo mu nsi ya Yuda. 12Kabaka Sulemaani n’awa Kabaka omukazi w’e Seeba byonna bye yayagala, okusinga n’ebyo bye yali amuleetedde. N’oluvannyuma n’addayo mu nsi ye n’ekibinja kye.
Obugagga bwa Sulemaani
13Obuzito bwa zaabu obwaleetebwanga eri Sulemaani buli mwaka bwaweranga ettani amakumi abiri mu ttaano, 149:14 2By 17:11; Is 21:13; Yer 25:24; Ez 27:21; 30:5okwo nga tagasseeko ey’obusuulu eyaweebwangayo abasuubuzi n’abamaguzi. Ate era ne bakabaka ab’e Buwalabu ne bagavana ab’ensi bamuleeteranga zaabu n’effeeza.
15Kabaka Sulemaani n’aweesa engabo ennene ebikumi bibiri okuva mu zaabu omukubeekube, buli emu ku zo ng’erimu kilo ssatu n’ekitundu eza zaabu omukubeekube. 169:16 a 2By 12:9 b 1Bk 7:2N’aweesa n’engabo entono ebikumi bisatu okuva mu zaabu omukubeekube, buli emu ku zo ng’erimu kilo emu ne desimoolo musanvu eza zaabu. Kabaka n’aziteeka mu lubiri lw’Ekibira kya Lebanooni. 179:17 1Bk 22:39Kabaka n’akola entebe ey’obwakabaka ennene nga ya masanga, n’agibikkako zaabu ennongoose. 18Entebe ye ey’obwakabaka yaliko amaddaala mukaaga, n’akatebe kawumulizaako ebigere akaakolebwa mu zaabu, era yaliko n’emikono eruuyi n’eruuyi, n’ebibumbe by’empologoma ennume bbiri nga ziyimiridde ku mabbali g’emikono. 19N’empologoma kkumi na bbiri emmumbe zaali zisimbiddwa eruuyi n’eruuyi ku madaala omukaaga. Tewaali eyakolebwa ng’eyo mu bwakabaka obulala bwonna. 20Ebinywerwamu byonna ebya kabaka Sulemaani byali bya zaabu, n’ebintu byonna ebyali mu lubiri lw’Ekibira kya Lebanooni byali bya zaabu omulongoseemu. Tewaali kyakolebwa mu ffeeza kubanga mu biro bya Sulemaani effeeza yabanga ya muwendo gwa wansi. 21Kabaka yalina ebyombo ebyagendanga e Talusiisi n’abasajja ba Kulamu, era buli myaka esatu byaleetanga zaabu n’effeeza, n’amasanga, n’enkoba n’enkima okuva e Talusiisi.
229:22 1Bk 3:13; 2By 1:12Kabaka Sulemaani yali mugagga nnyo era nga mugezi okusinga bakabaka bonna ab’ensi. 239:23 1Bk 4:34Bakabaka bonna baagendanga gyali okumwebuuzaako, n’okuwulira amagezi Katonda ge yali atadde mu mutima gwe. 249:24 2By 32:23; Zab 45:12; 68:29; 72:10; Is 18:7Buli mwaka, buli eyajjanga, yaleetanga ekirabo, ebimu byali bintu bya ffeeza ne zaabu, n’ebirala nga byambalo, n’ebirala nga byakulwanyisa, n’ebirala nga byakaloosa, n’embalaasi, n’ennyumbu.
259:25 1Sa 8:11; 1Bk 4:26Sulemaani yalina ebisibo enkumi nnya omwaterekebwanga embalaasi n’amagaali; n’abavuzi ab’amagaali baali emitwalo ebiri be yateeka mu bibuga eby’amagaali, n’abamu ku bo nga babeera naye mu Yerusaalemi. 269:26 a 1Bk 4:21 b Zab 72:8-9 c Lub 15:18-21Era yafuganga bakabaka bonna okuva ku mugga Fulaati okutuuka ku nsi eya Abafirisuuti, n’okutuuka ku nsalo ya Misiri. 27Kabaka n’afuula ffeeza okuba ekya bulijjo ng’amayinja mu Yerusaalemi era n’emivule ne giba mingi ng’emisukamooli egiri mu biwonvu. 28Sulemaani yasuubulanga embalaasi okuva mu Misiri n’ensi endala.
Okufa kwa Sulemaani
299:29 a 2Sa 7:2; 1By 29:29 b 1Bk 11:29 c 2By 10:2Ebyafaayo ebirala byonna ebyabaawo mu mulembe gwa Sulemaani okuva ku ntandikwa okutuusa ku nkomerero, tebyawandiikibwa mu byafaayo bya nnabbi Nasani, ne mu kwolesebwa kwa Akiya Omusiiro, ne mu birooto eby’omulabi Iddo ebikwata ku Yerobowaamu mutabani wa Nebati? 30Sulemaani n’afugira Isirayiri yenna mu Yerusaalemi okumala emyaka amakumi ana. 319:31 1Bk 2:10N’afa era n’aziikibwa mu kibuga kya kitaawe Dawudi, Lekobowaamu mutabani we n’amusikira.
