1 Athamaki 3
1 Nake Solomoni akĩgĩa ngwatanĩro na Firaũni, mũthamaki wa bũrũri wa Misiri, na akĩhikia mwarĩ. Akĩmũrehe itũũra inene rĩa Daudi, nginya rĩrĩa aarĩkirie gwaka nyũmba yake ya ũthamaki, na hekarũ ya Jehova, na rũthingo rũrĩa rwathiũrũrũkĩirie Jerusalemu.
Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to live in the City of David until he finished building his palace, the Lord's Temple, and the walls surrounding Jerusalem.
2 Na rĩrĩ, andũ no maarutagĩra magongona kũndũ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru, tondũ gũtiarĩ hekarũ yaakĩirwo rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova hĩndĩ ĩyo.
In those days, however, the people still sacrificed on the high places because a Temple to honor the Lord hadn't yet been built.
3 Solomoni nĩonanirie wendo wake kũrĩ Jehova nĩ ũndũ wa gũthiĩ na mĩthiĩre ya kĩrĩra na watho wa ithe Daudi, tiga rĩrĩ, nĩarutagĩra magongona na agacinĩra ũbumba kũndũ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru.
Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the instructions of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned offerings on the high places.
4 Mũthamaki agĩthiĩ Gibeoni kũruta magongona, nĩgũkorwo kũu nĩkuo kũndũ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru gwekĩrĩirwo mũno, na Solomoni akĩrutĩra magongona ngiri ĩmwe ma njino kĩgongona-inĩ kĩu.
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the leading high place. Solomon presented one thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.
5 Nakuo kũu Gibeoni Jehova akiumĩrĩra Solomoni ũtukũ kĩroto-inĩ, nake Ngai akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Hooya o kĩrĩa gĩothe ũngĩenda ngũhe.”
The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon. God said to him, “Ask what you want me to give you.”
6 Nake Solomoni agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩwonirie baba Daudi ndungata yaku ũtugi mũnene, tondũ aarĩ mwĩhokeku harĩ we, na aarĩ mũthingu, na mũrũngĩrĩru ngoro-inĩ. Nĩũthiĩte na mbere kũmuonia ũtugi ũcio mũnene, na nĩũmũheete mũriũ wa gũikarĩra gĩtĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene ũmũthĩ.
Solomon replied, “You showed your servant David, my father, great trustworthy love because he lived his life before you with faithfulness, doing what was right and committed to principle. You have continued to show this great trustworthy love by giving him a son to sit on his throne to this day.
7 “Na rĩrĩ, Wee Jehova Ngai wakwa nĩũtuĩte ndungata yaku mũthamaki handũ ha baba Daudi. No niĩ ndĩ o mwana mũnini na ndirĩ na ũmenyo wa kũruta wĩra wakwa.
Now, Lord God, you have made me king in place of my father David. But I am like an inexperienced young boy who doesn't know what to do.
8 Ndungata yaku ĩrĩ haha gatagatĩ ka andũ aya wee wĩthuurĩire, nao nĩ andũ aingĩ matangĩgereka na matangĩtarĩka.
I, your servant, am here in among your chosen people, a great people that are so many they cannot be counted.
9 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio he ndungata yaku ngoro ĩrĩ na ũmenyo wa gũthamakĩra andũ aku, na gũkũũrana wega na ũũru. Tondũ-rĩ, nũũ ũngĩhota gũthamakĩra andũ aya aku aingĩ ũũ?”
So please give me a mind that's receptive so I can rule your people well, understanding the difference between right and wrong, for who can rule this difficult people of yours?”
10 Jehova nĩakenire nĩ ũndũ wa Solomoni kũmũũria ũndũ ũcio.
The Lord considered that what Solomon asked for was good.
11 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Ngai akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Kuona ũguo nĩguo wahooya, na ndũnahooya ũingĩhĩrio matukũ ma gũtũũra muoyo, kana ũtonga waku wee mwene, o na kana thũ ciaku iniinwo, no wahooya ũmenyo wa kũrũgamĩrĩra kĩhooto-rĩ,
So God told him, “Because you asked for this, and you didn't ask for a long life, or wealth, or the death of your enemies, but instead you asked for understanding to know what is right,
12 nĩngwĩka o ũguo wahooya. Nĩngũkũhe ngoro ĩ na ũũgĩ na gũkũũrana, nĩguo gũtuĩke atĩ gũtirĩ kwagĩa mũndũ ũngĩ tawe, na gũtirĩ hĩndĩ gũkaagĩa ũngĩ tawe.
I am giving you what you asked for. I am giving you a mind that is wise, with an understanding of what is right, more than anyone else before you or after you.
13 O na ningĩ nĩngũkũhe maũndũ marĩa ũtanahooya, na nĩmo ũtonga hamwe na gĩtĩĩo, nĩgeetha matukũ marĩa mothe ũgũtũũra muoyo, gũtikanagĩe mũthamaki ũngĩ ũiganaine nawe.
I am also giving you what you did not ask for, wealth and status—so much so that no king will compare to you for the whole of your life.
14 Na ũngĩthiiaga na mĩthiĩre yakwa, na wathĩkagĩre kĩrĩra na watho wakwa, ta ũrĩa thoguo Daudi eekire, nĩngakũhe matukũ maingĩ ma gũtũũra muoyo.”
And if you follow my ways by keeping my laws and my commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”
15 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Solomoni agĩũkĩra toro, akĩmenya atĩ kĩu kĩarĩ kĩroto. Agĩcooka Jerusalemu, agĩthiĩ mbere ya ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova, na akĩruta igongona rĩa njino na rĩa ngwatanĩro. Ningĩ akĩrugithĩria andũ othe a nyũmba ya mũthamaki iruga.
Then Solomon woke up and realized he'd had a dream. He went back to Jerusalem, and stood in front of the Ark of the Lord's Agreement and he presented burnt offerings and friendship offerings, and he held a feast for all his officials.
16 Thuutha ũcio andũ-a-nja eerĩ a maraya magĩũka kũrĩ mũthamaki, makĩrũgama mbere yake.
Later two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him for judgment.
17 Ũmwe wao akiuga atĩrĩ, “Mwathi wakwa, mũndũ-wa-nja ũyũ na niĩ tũikaraga nyũmba ĩmwe. Na nĩndĩraciarire mwana arĩ ho.
One of the women spoke up, saying, “If it please Your Majesty: I share a house with this woman. I had a baby while she was living in the house.
18 Mĩthenya ĩtatũ thuutha wa gũciara mwana, mũndũ-wa-nja ũyũ o nake araciara mwana. Tũraarĩ o ithuĩ eerĩ; gũtirarĩ mũndũ ũngĩ thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ĩyo, tiga o ithuĩ ithuerĩ.
Three days after the birth of my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were together; there was no one else in the house, just the two of us.
19 “Ũtukũ-rĩ, mũndũ-wa-nja ũyũ arakomera mwana wake, arakua.
During the night this woman's son died because she rolled over on him.
20 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio arookĩra ũtukũ gatagatĩ, areheria mwana wakwa harĩ niĩ, rĩrĩa niĩ ndungata yaku ndĩrarĩ toro. Aramũiga gĩthũri-inĩ gĩake, na araiga mũrũwe gĩthũri-inĩ gĩakwa arĩ mũkuũ.
She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while I was sleeping. She lay him close beside her to cuddle him, and she lay her dead son close beside me.
21 Rũciinĩ rũrũ rũngĩ, ngĩũkĩra nĩguo nyongithie mwana wakwa, ndĩrona nĩ mũkuũ! No rĩrĩa ndĩramũrorire wega na ũtheri wa rũciinĩ, ndĩrona atĩ ũcio ti mwana ũrĩa ndaciarĩte.”
When I got up in the morning to nurse my son I saw that he was dead. When I looked closely at him in the light I realized it wasn't my son.”
22 Mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio ũngĩ akiuga atĩrĩ, “Aca! Ũyũ ũrĩ muoyo nĩwe mwana wakwa; ũyũ mũkuũ nĩwe waku.” No ũcio wa mbere akĩrega biũ, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Aca! Ũyũ mũkuũ nĩwe waku, na ũyũ ũrĩ muoyo nĩwe wakwa.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩkararania mbere ya mũthamaki.
The other woman argued, “No! My son is the one that's alive. Your son is the one that's dead.” The first woman objected, “No! Your son is the one that's dead. My son is the one that's alive.” They went on quarrelling in front of the king.
23 Mũthamaki akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũyũ aroiga atĩrĩ, ‘Mwana wakwa nĩwe ũrĩ muoyo na waku nĩwe mũkuũ,’ o rĩrĩa ũrĩa ũngĩ aroiga atĩrĩ, ‘Aca! Ũyũ mũkuũ nĩwe waku, na wakwa nĩ ũyũ ũrĩ muoyo.’”
The king intervened, saying, “So this woman says ‘My son is the one that's alive. Your son is the one that's dead,’ while the other woman says, ‘No! Your son is the one that's dead. My son is the one that's alive.’”
24 Ningĩ mũthamaki akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ndeherai rũhiũ rwa njora.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩrehera mũthamaki rũhiũ rwa njora.
“Bring me a sword,” the king ordered. So they brought him a sword.
25 Nake agĩathana, akiuga atĩrĩ: “Mwana ũyũ ũrĩ muoyo nĩatinanio maita meerĩ, nuthu ĩheo mũndũ-wa-nja ũmwe, na nuthu ĩyo ĩngĩ ĩheo mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio ũngĩ.”
“Cut the child that's alive in two, and give half to one woman and half to another,” he commanded.
26 Mũndũ-wa-nja ũrĩa mwana wake aarĩ muoyo akĩringwo nĩ tha nĩ ũndũ wa mwana wake, akĩĩra mũthamaki atĩrĩ, “Ndagũthaitha mwathi wakwa, mũnengere mwana ũyũ ũrĩ muoyo, tiga kũmũũraga!” No ũcio ũngĩ akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ndegũtuĩka waku kana wakwa. Nĩatinanio maita meerĩ!”
But the woman whose son was alive had so much love for him as a mother that she cried out to the king, “Please, Your Majesty, give her the boy! Don't kill him!” But the other woman said, “He won't be mine or yours—cut him in two!”
27 Nake mũthamaki agĩtua ciira atĩrĩ, “Nengerai mũndũ-wa-nja ũyũ wa mbere mwana ũyũ ũrĩ muoyo. Mũtikamũũrage; nĩwe nyina.”
The king gave his verdict. “Give the child that's alive to the first woman,” he ordered. “On no account kill him, for she is his real mother.”
28 Rĩrĩa andũ othe a Isiraeli maiguire ũrĩa mũthamaki aatua ciira ũcio, magĩĩtigĩra mũthamaki tondũ nĩmoonire aarĩ na ũũgĩ mũingĩ kuuma kũrĩ Ngai wa gũtua ciira na kĩhooto.
When everyone in Israel heard about the verdict the king had delivered, they had great respect for the king, because they recognized the wisdom God had given him to judge rightly.
