USOLOMON ukwishumi elivisayo ekumiselweni kwakhe njengokumkani. Uyamthanda uYehova yaye ulandela icebiso elihle awalinikwa nguyise uDavide. UYehova uyakholiswa nguSolomon yaye ngobunye ubusuku uthi kuye ephupheni: ‘Solomon, uthanda ukuba ndikuphe ntoni na?’

USolomon uyaphendula: ‘Yehova Thixo wam, ndisemncinane gqitha yaye andikwazi ukulawula. Ngoko ndiphe ubulumko bokubalawula ngokufanelekileyo abantu bakho.’

UYehova uyakholwa yinto ecelwa nguSolomon. Ngoko uthi: ‘Kuba ucele ubulumko kungekhona ubomi obude okanye ubutyebi, ndiya kukunika ubulumko obuninzi kunaye nabani na owakha waphila. Kodwa kwakhona ndokunika noko ungakucelanga, ubutyebi nozuko.’

Kungekudala emva koko kuza abafazi ababini kuSolomon benengxaki enzima. ‘Lo mfazi ndihlala naye endlwini enye,’ uyachaza omnye wabo. ‘Ndizele umntwana oyinkwenkwe, waza kwiintsuku ezimbini kamva naye wazala umntwana oyinkwenkwe. Kuthe ngabusuku buthile wafa umntwana wakhe. Kodwa ndithe ndilele, wabeka umntwana wakhe ofileyo ecaleni kwam waza wathabatha owam. Ekuvukeni kwam ndiye ndajonga lo mntwana ofileyo, ndabona ukuba asingowam.’

Omnye umfazi uthi: ‘Hayi! Umntwana ophilayo ngowam, ofileyo ngowakhe!’ Umfazi wokuqala uyaphendula: ‘Hayi! Umntwana ofileyo ngowakho, ophilayo ngowam!’ Baxambulisana ngolu hlobo aba bafazi. Uza kwenza ntoni uSolomon?

Uthi makuziwe nekrele aze lakuziswa athi: ‘Mahluleni kubini umntwana ophilayo, nize ninike ngamnye umfazi icala.’

‘Hayi!’ uyakhala oyena nina womntwana. ‘Nceda ungambulali umntwana. Mnike yena!’ Kodwa omnye umfazi uthi: ‘Ungamniki namnye kuthi; mcande phakathi.’

Ekugqibeleni uSolomon uthi: ‘Musani ukumbulala umntwana! Mnikeni laa mfazi wokuqala. Ngoyena nina womntwana.’ USolomon uyakwazi oku kuba unina womntwana uyaluthanda usana lwakhe kangangokuba uyavuma ukulunika omnye umfazi ukuze lungabulawa. Xa abantu besiva indlela uSolomon ayicombulule ngayo ingxaki, bayakuvuyela ukuba nokumkani olumke ngolo hlobo.

Ebudeni bolawulo lukaSolomon, uThixo usikelela abantu ngokwenza umhlaba uvelise ingqolowa eninzi nerhasi, iidiliya namakhiwane nokunye ukutya. Abantu banxiba iimpahla ezintle yaye bahlala ezindlwini ezintle. Bonke abantu bafumana intabalala yezinto ezilungileyo.