1 Kings 3

3 ¹Solomon join family with Pharaoh, di king of Egypt, through marriage. E marry Pharaoh im pikin-woman, bring am come di City of David, until e finish to build im palace, di house of our Papa, and di wall of Jerusalem. ²But di people still dey do sacrifice for di high places, because dem never build any house for di name of our Papa for dat time. ^a a v2 Di high places na di local shrine dem for top hill wia people dey do sacrifice bifor di temple come give worship one single home. ³Solomon love our Papa, e dey live by di law wey im papa David keep; na only say e dey do sacrifice and dey burn incense for di high places. ⁴Di king go Gibeon go do sacrifice, because na di big high place; Solomon offer 1,000 burnt offering for dat altar.

⁵For Gibeon, our Papa show imsef to Solomon inside dream for night, e talk say, “Ask wetin you want make I give you.”

⁶Solomon answer say, “You show your servant David, my papa, big Covenant love, because e waka bifor you with faithful heart, for correct-and-holy way, and with true heart toward you. You keep dis big Covenant love for am, you give am son wey dey sit for im throne today. ⁷Now, my Papa, you don make your servant king for di place of David my papa, even though I be small pikin wey no sabi how to go out or come in. ⁸Your servant dey among your people, di people wey you choose—wey plenty pass wetin person fit number or count. ⁹So give your servant heart wey fit understand and separate tin, make e fit rule your people, make e sabi di difference between good and evil. Because na who fit rule dis your great people?”

¹⁰E sweet di Sovereign Papa say Solomon ask dis kind tin.

¹¹Our Papa talk to am say, “Because you ask dis tin, no be long life or riches or di life of your enemy dem, but understanding to sabi justice, ¹²see, I dey do wetin you talk: I dey give you heart wey get wisdom and wey fit understand—nobody bifor you bin be like you, and nobody go rise like you afta you. ¹³I go also give you wetin you no ask for: riches and honor, so dat no king go fit match you for all your days. ¹⁴If you waka for my ways, dey keep my law and my command like how your papa David do, I go make your days long.”

¹⁵Solomon wake up come realize say na dream. E go Jerusalem, stand bifor di ark of di Sovereign Papa im Covenant, offer burnt offering and peace offering, and e do feast for all im servant dem.

Di Papa Im Wisdom Show Who Be Di True Mama

¹⁶Den two woman wey be ashawo come meet di king, dem stand bifor am. ¹⁷One woman talk say, “Abeg, my oga, dis woman and me dey live for one house, and I born pikin wia she dey for di house. ¹⁸For di third day afta I born, dis woman come born too. Na only us dey; no stranger dey with us for di house, na just di two of us. ¹⁹For inside night, dis woman im son die, because she lie on top am. ²⁰She wake for midnight, carry my son comot from my side wia your servant dey sleep, e put am for im breast, and e put im dead son for my own side. ²¹Wen I wake for morning to breastfeed my son, e don die. But wen I look am well-well for di morning light, I see say no be di son wey I born.”

²²Di oda woman talk say, “No o! Na di one wey dey alive na my son; di dead one na your own.” Di first one answer say, “No o! Di dead one na your son; di one wey dey alive na my own.” So dem dey argue bifor di king.

²³Di king talk say, “Dis one dey talk say, ‘My son dey alive, your son don die,’ and dat one dey talk say, ‘No, your son don die, my son dey alive.’”

²⁴So di king talk say, “Bring sword give me.” And dem bring sword come bifor di king. ²⁵Di king talk say, “Cut di pikin wey dey alive into two; give half to one, half to di oda one.”

²⁶Di mama of di son wey dey alive talk to di king, as im belle dey pain am for im pikin, e talk say, “Abeg, my oga, give am di baby wey dey alive! No kill am at all!” But di oda one talk say, “E no go be my own or your own—cut am into two!”

²⁷Den di king talk say, “Give di pikin wey dey alive to di first woman; no kill am at all. Na she be im mama.”

²⁸All Israel hear di judgment wey di king give, and dem fear am well-well, because dem see say di wisdom of our Papa dey inside am to do justice.