Solomon Prays for Wisdom
(2 Chronicles 1.3-12)1 Solomon made an alliance with the king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. He brought her to live in David's City until he had finished building his palace, the Temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 A temple had not yet been built for the Lord, and so the people were still offering sacrifices at many different altars. 3 Solomon loved the Lord and followed the instructions of his father David, but he also slaughtered animals and offered them as sacrifices on various altars.
4 On one occasion he went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices because that was where the most famous altar was. He had offered hundreds of burnt offerings there in the past. 5 That night the Lord appeared to him in a dream and asked him, “What would you like me to give you?”
6 Solomon answered, “You always showed great love for my father David, your servant, and he was good, loyal, and honest in his relation with you. And you have continued to show him your great and constant love by giving him a son who today rules in his place. 7 O Lord God, you have let me succeed my father as king, even though I am very young and don't know how to rule. 8 Here I am among the people you have chosen to be your own, a people who are so many that they cannot be counted. 9 So give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, 11 and so he said to him, “Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly, instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again. 13 I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honor, more than that of any other king. 14 And if you obey me and keep my laws and commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”
15 Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. Then he went to Jerusalem and stood in front of the Lord's Covenant Box and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. After that he gave a feast for all his officials.
Solomon Judges a Difficult Case
16 One day two prostitutes came and presented themselves before King Solomon. 17 One of them said, “Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a baby boy at home while she was there. 18 Two days after my child was born, she also gave birth to a baby boy. Only the two of us were there in the house—no one else was present. 19 Then one night she accidentally rolled over on her baby and smothered it. 20 She got up during the night, took my son from my side while I was asleep, and carried him to her bed; then she put the dead child in my bed. 21 The next morning, when I woke up and was going to nurse my baby, I saw that it was dead. I looked at it more closely and saw that it was not my child.”
22 But the other woman said, “No! The living child is mine, and the dead one is yours!”
The first woman answered back, “No! The dead child is yours, and the living one is mine!”
And so they argued before the king.
23 Then King Solomon said, “Each of you claims that the living child is hers and that the dead child belongs to the other one.” 24 He sent for a sword, and when it was brought, 25 he said, “Cut the living child in two and give each woman half of it.”
26 The real mother, her heart full of love for her son, said to the king, “Please, Your Majesty, don't kill the child! Give it to her!”
But the other woman said, “Don't give it to either of us; go on and cut it in two.”
27 Then Solomon said, “Don't kill the child! Give it to the first woman—she is its real mother.”
28 When the people of Israel heard of Solomon's decision, they were all filled with deep respect for him, because they knew then that God had given him the wisdom to settle disputes 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.