The Lord Makes Solomon Wise
(2 Chronicles 1.1-13)1 Solomon signed a treaty with the king of Egypt and married his daughter. She lived in the older part of Jerusalem until the palace, the Lord's temple, and the wall around Jerusalem were completed.
2 At that time, there was no temple for worshiping the Lord, and everyone offered sacrifices at the local shrines. 3 Solomon loved the Lord and followed his father David's instructions, but Solomon also offered sacrifices and burned incense at the shrines.
4 The most important shrine was in Gibeon, and Solomon had offered more than 1,000 sacrifices on that altar.
5 One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you.”
6 Solomon answered:
My father David, your servant, was honest and did what you commanded. You were always loyal to him, and you gave him a son who is now king. 7 Lord God, I'm your servant, and you've made me king in my father's place. But I'm very young and know so little about being a leader. 8 And now I must rule your chosen people, even though there are too many of them to count.
9 Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people. If you don't, there is no way I could rule this great nation of yours.
10-11 God said:
Solomon, I'm pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions. 12 So I'll make you wiser than anyone who has ever lived or ever will live.
13 I'll also give you what you didn't ask for. You'll be rich and respected as long as you live, and you'll be greater than any other king. 14 If you obey me and follow my commands, as your father David did, I'll let you live a long time.
15 Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. He went back to Jerusalem and stood in front of the sacred chest, where he offered sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing. Then Solomon gave a feast for his officials.
Solomon Makes a Difficult Decision
16 One day two women came to King Solomon, 17 and one of them said:
Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. Not long ago my baby was born at home, 18 and three days later her baby was born. Nobody else was there with us.
19 One night while we were all asleep, she rolled over on her baby, and he died. 20 Then while I was still asleep, she got up and took my son out of my bed. She put him in her bed, then she put her dead baby next to me.
21 In the morning when I got up to feed my son, I saw that he was dead. But when I looked at him in the light, I knew he wasn't my son.
22 “No!” the other woman shouted. “He was your son. My baby is alive!”
“The dead baby is yours,” the first woman yelled. “Mine is alive!”
They argued back and forth in front of Solomon, 23 until finally he said, “Both of you say this live baby is yours. 24 Someone bring me a sword.”
A sword was brought, and Solomon ordered, 25 “Cut the baby in half! That way each of you can have part of him.”
26 “Please don't kill my son,” the baby's mother screamed. “Your Majesty, I love him very much, but give him to her. Just don't kill him.”
The other woman shouted, “Go ahead and cut him in half. Then neither of us will have the baby.”
27 Solomon said, “Don't kill the baby.” Then he pointed to the first woman, “She is his real mother. Give the baby to her.”
28 Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.
Mätu Solomo ro ta Tavouni rota
(2 Ambâ 1:3-12)1 Solomo 'be bereazi te 'bädri'ba Ezipeto robe ŋguti ndaro ogye si. Nda ezi anya te 'Bakici Dawidi roya, madale nda nde zo'desi miri ro ndaro, Yekalu ndi tiṛi se gbikyi Yerusalema lomvosi ana be obena gwo. 2 Lidri lo tori te vo tori oloro amba yasi, tana 'dooko drigba abe Yekalu dri ko OPI mätuzana.
3 Solomo lu OPI tawi, ago sote ŋgaemba täpi ndaro Dawidi ro vo; oko nda ka kpa koronyai 'ba ro tufu ago ka ànya ozo ozane tori ro vo tori oloro amba drisi.
4 Ago tu alo si nda oyite Gibeona ya tori olone, tana ana ni vo tori oloro se para likuekye owo. Kätina Solomo ozo ŋgapäṛi ozaro kutu alo te ozane vo tori oloro dri lau. 5 Ŋgäkyi ana si OPI ka'darute ndäri tori si, ago eji nda te ekye: “Mile märi e'di ozone miri ya?”
6 Ago Solomo zatadrite ekye: “Nyaka'da ŋgalu miro te ruindu'ba miro täpi maro Dawidi ri, tana nda orivoya kado, 'diri, ŋgye lakole mibe ya. Ago nyugu ŋgalu 'desi 'duro miro ka'dana te ndäri, ŋgwaago ozo si ndäri orine giti ndaro dri tu ono si ono. 7 Äye OPI Lu maro, mi'ba ma ruindu'ba miro te 'bädri'ba ro vo täpi maro roya, ma gica ŋgaga giṛiŋwa ro; ago mäni 'dimiri kpa ko ono owo. 8 Ma orivoya lidri miro se minjibe modo miro ri ono lako, lidri se orivoya amba, se äni kote ànya otine ono. 9 Ka'do inye, nyozo tavouni märi lidri miro miriza taŋgye si, ago a'do toto takado ro ndi takozi be unine. Tana mimirina lidri du miro ono eŋwanyeya?”
10 OPI a'dote yai'dwesi tase Solomo kejibe ono ta. 11 Ago Lu atate ndäri ekye: “Tana nyeji tate tavouni ta 'di miriza ŋgyero, ago nyeji ta kote andivo miro ri orine madaro kode a'done ŋgaamba be kode ta ufu kyila'baazii miro rota, 12 mindre mayena tase nyejibe ono ndi. Mozona tavouni amba 'da miri ndi tauni be ndrani se 'diaza a'do kätina ko sina ri ca 'diaza ri ogo a'done sina i'do. 13 Mozona ŋgase nyeji ta kote tana ro kpa miri; tu cini ori miro rosi nya'dona ŋgadriamba be ago orooro ro, ndrani 'bädri'ba azii ri. 14 Ago ondro ka'do miro ma te, ago nyäti ota maro te ndi tase mata mibe oyene be te, oso täpi miro Dawidi koyebe ronye, 'dooko ma'bana mi ndi orine madaro.”
15 Ndi Solomo pimite, ago nite anjioko Lu atani ndäri tori si. Ago nda oyite Yerusalema ya, ago edrete Sänduku Tao'baro OPI ro mile, ago ozo ŋgapäṛi ozaro te ndi ŋgapäṛi rumora ro be OPI ri. Ago ono vosi nda ye karama te dri'bai losi ro cini ndaro ri.
Solomo ka Vure Rritibe Ope
16 Tu alo si ronyi'bai ritu azaka ikyiyite ago edreyite 'Bädri'ba Solomo kandra. 17 Alodi ànyaro atate ekye: “Mise 'Desipara ono, ma ndi toko ono be mà ori zo alo ya, ago mäti ŋgwaagoro te 'dooko anya orivoya mabe zo ya. 18 'Dooko u'du ritu uti maro vosi, anya ti ŋgwaagoro kpate. Ama ritu toto ni orivoya zo ya lau; 'diaza i'do amayibe zo ya lau. 19 Ago ŋgäkyi alo si oko, anya u'dute wairo ago reṛite ŋgwa anyaro dri ago ipite ṛi. 20 Ndi anya ŋgate o'bwaro, ago ŋgyi ŋgwa maro teni makandra 'dooko ma ruindu'ba miro mu'dute, ago ŋgyi nda te kitapara anyaro dri, ago anya 'be ŋgwa se avo ro anyaro ana te kitapara maro dri. 21 Ondro maŋgate kyenoŋbo ba ozone ŋgwa maro ri oko, mandre oko anya drate. Oko ondro menate liaro ago mandrete oko, ana koni ŋgwa maro owo.”
22 Oko toko kinjo ana atate ekye: “Hwa, ŋgwa lidriidriro 'do orivoya maro, ago ŋgwa avo ro 'do ni miro.” Ago toko se käti ana zatadrite ekye: “Hwa ŋgwa avo ro 'do miro, ago ŋgwa lidriidriro 'do ni maro.”
Ta'doro ànya uguyi kaladiṛite 'bädri'ba kandra inye.
23 'Dooko 'Bädri'ba Solomo atate ekye: “Ami riti ono alo ka ata ekye: ‘Ŋgwa lidriidriro ono ni maro ago miro ni orivoya avo ro 'do;’ ago aza ekye: ‘Hwa, ŋgwa miro ni orivoya avo ro 'do, ŋgwa lidriidriro 'do ni maro.’ ” 24 Ago 'Bädri'ba Solomo zo lazo te bando ta, ago ondro ezite oko, 25 nda atate ekye: “Nyätäṛi ŋgwa lidriidriro 'do yana ritu, ago nyozo telesina alo ri, ago telesina aza ri.” 26 'Dooko toko se ni endre ŋgwa modo lidriidriro ana ro ana, ya anyaro lu ŋgwa anyaro tawi, ago atate 'bädri'ba ri ekye: “Rägu Mise 'Desipara ono mifu ŋgwa 'do ko, nyozo ŋgwa 'do anya ri!”
Oko toko kinjo ana atate ekye: “Nyozo ko aza alo amaro ri; nyätäṛi yana ri ritu.”
27 'Dooko Solomo zatadrite ekye: “Nyozo ŋgwa lidriidriro 'do toko käti 'do ri, mifu ko; anya ni endre na owo.”
28 Ago ondro lidri cini Yisaraele ro keriyi vureope se Solomo koyebe ana tana te oko; ànya cini royi nda tawi, tana ànya niyite anjioko Lu ozo tavouni te ndäri vure oyeza ŋgyero.