The First of Kings

3 Sol′o·mon make one marriage agreement with Phar′aoh wey be king of Egypt. E marry* Phar′aoh daughter and bring-am come the City of David until e build im own house, the house of Jehovah, and the wall wey surround Jerusalem finish. 2 But the people still de do sacrifice for the high place* them, because till that time, them never build house for Jehovah name. 3 Sol′o·mon continue to love Jehovah as e de do the things wey David im papa tell-am say make e do, but the only thing be say, e de do offerings and de burn them for the high place them, make the smoke come out.

4 The king go Gib′e·on so that e go sacrifice for there, because na there the main high place* dey. Sol′o·mon use 1,000 animals do sacrifice wey them de burn for that altar. 5 For Gib′e·on, Jehovah appear to Sol′o·mon for dream when e de sleep for night, and e tell-am say: “Tell me wetin you want make I give you.” 6 So, Sol′o·mon talk say: “You don show big love wey no de fail to your servant David my papa, as e serve you well and do the things wey correct for your eyes and use clean heart worship you. You don still continue to show-am this big love wey no de fail till today as you give-am son wey sitdown for im throne. 7 And now, Jehovah my God, you don make your servant king to replace my papa David, even though say I still be small boy, and I no sabi anything.* 8 Your servant de rule your people wey you don choose, people wey plenty sotey them no fit count them. 9 So make you give your servant better heart wey ready to obey you, so that I go fit use-am judge your people, and I go fit use-am know the difference between good and bad, because who go fit judge this your people wey plenty* like this?”

10 Jehovah really like this thing wey Sol′o·mon ask for. 11 So God tell-am say: “Because na this thing you ask for, and you no beg me for long life, or to get plenty money, or say make your enemies die,* but you beg me for sense to fit de judge case well, 12 I go do wetin you ask for. I go give you sense, and I go make you de understand things, so that just as person like you never dey before, person like you no go ever dey again. 13 Another thing be say, I go give you wetin you no ask for. You go get plenty money and people go respect you sotey no other king go dey like you, all your life. 14 And if you continue to serve me and de obey my direction and the things wey I command you, just as David your papa do, I go still give you long life.”

15 When Sol′o·mon wake up, e come see say na vision e see for im dream. So e go Jerusalem go stand for front of the ark of the agreement of Jehovah, and e do sacrifice them wey them de burn and peace offerings, and e do big party for all im servants.

16 After this one, two prostitutes come meet the king and stand for im front. 17 The first woman talk say: “Abeg my lord, me and this woman de live for the same house, and e dey house the time when I born. 18 Three days after I born, this woman still born. We dey together, just the two of us, no other person dey with us for the house. 19 For night, this woman son die because e lie down ontop-am. 20 So e wake up for midnight as your slave girl de sleep, and carry my son comot from my side, and put-am for im side,* and e put im son wey don die for my side. 21 When I wake up for morning to give my son breast, I see say e don die, so I check-am well, and I see say no be my son wey I born.” 22 But the other woman talk say: “Na lie, na my son be the one wey dey alive, and na your son be the one wey don die!” But the first woman de talk say: “Na lie, na your son be the one wey don die, and na my son be the one wey dey alive.” Na so them just de argue for the king front.

23 At last, the king come talk say: “This one de talk say, ‘Na my son be the one wey dey alive, and na your son be the one wey don die!’ and that one de talk say, ‘Na lie, na your son be the one wey don die, and na my son be the one wey dey alive!’” 24 The king come talk say: “Make una give me sword.” So them bring sword for the king. 25 Then the king talk say: “Cut the pikin wey dey alive into two, give the first woman half and give the second woman the other half.” 26 At once, the woman wey get the pikin wey dey alive start to beg the king because of the deep love wey e get for im pikin. E talk say: “My lord, abeg! Make you give-am the pikin wey dey alive! Abeg make you no kill-am!” But the other woman de talk say: “E no go be my own, e no go be your own! Make them cut-am into two!” 27 So the king talk say: “Give the pikin wey dey alive to the first woman! Make you no kill-am, because na im be the pikin mama.”

28 So all Israel people hear wetin the king judge, and them get deep respect for the king,* because them see say God don give the king sense to fit judge matter well.