< 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 went to see the king of Egypt. Solomon [made an agreement with him to] marry his daughter. They also made an alliance/agreement [that their armies would not attack each other]. Then Solomon brought the king’s daughter to live in [the part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’. [She lived there] until Solomon’s workers had finished building his house and the temple of Yahweh and the wall around Jerusalem.
2 Na rĩrĩ, andũ no maarutagĩra magongona kũndũ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru, tondũ gũtiarĩ hekarũ yaakĩirwo rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova hĩndĩ ĩyo.
[At that time] the temple of Yahweh had not yet been built, so the Israeli people were still offering sacrifices at many other places of worship.
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 loved Yahweh, and he obeyed all the instructions that his father David had given him. But he also offered sacrifices and burned incense at various altars.
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.
One day the king went to Gibeon [city] to offer a sacrifice there, because that was where the most famous/important altar was. In previous years he had offered hundreds of sacrifices on that altar.
5 Nakuo kũu Gibeoni Jehova akiumĩrĩra Solomoni ũtukũ kĩroto-inĩ, nake Ngai akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Hooya o kĩrĩa gĩothe ũngĩenda ngũhe.”
That night, Yahweh appeared to him in a dream. He asked Solomon, “What would you like me to give to 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 always greatly and faithfully loved my father David, who served you [well]. You did that because he (was faithful to/faithfully obeyed) you and acted righteously and honestly toward you. And you have showed how greatly and faithfully you loved him by giving to him me, his son, and now I am ruling [MTY] as he did [before he died].
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, Yahweh my God, you have appointed me to be the king like my father was. But I am [very young, like] a little child [MET]. I do not know how to lead/rule my people at all [IDM].
8 Ndungata yaku ĩrĩ haha gatagatĩ ka andũ aya wee wĩthuurĩire, nao nĩ andũ aingĩ matangĩgereka na matangĩtarĩka.
I am here among the people whom you have chosen. They are a very large group of people; there are very, very many of them, with the result that no one can count them [DOU].
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 enable me to think clearly, in order that I may rule your people [well]. Enable me to know what is good and what is evil. [If you do not do that, ] I will never [RHQ] be able to rule this great group of people who belong to you.”
10 Jehova nĩakenire nĩ ũndũ wa Solomoni kũmũũria ũndũ ũcio.
Yahweh was very pleased that Solomon had requested that.
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,
God said to him, “You did not request that you live for many years or that you become very rich or that you be able to kill all your enemies. Instead, you have requested that I enable you to be wise, in order that you will be able to know [and to do] what is right [while you govern these people].
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.
So, I will certainly do what you requested. I will enable you to be very wise [DOU]. The result will be that no one who has lived before you or who will live after you will be as [wise as] you are.
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 will also give you things that you did not request: I will enable you to become very rich and honored, as long as you live. You will be richer and more honored than any other king.
14 Na ũngĩthiiaga na mĩthiĩre yakwa, na wathĩkagĩre kĩrĩra na watho wakwa, ta ũrĩa thoguo Daudi eekire, nĩngakũhe matukũ maingĩ ma gũtũũra muoyo.”
If you conduct your life [IDM] as I want you to, and if you obey all my laws and commandments, as your father David did, I will enable you to live for many years.”
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 awoke, and he realized that [God had spoken to him in] a dream. Then he went to Jerusalem and stood in front of [the Sacred Tent where] the Sacred Chest [was], and he offered many sacrifices that were completely burned [on the altar] and offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh. Then he made a feast for all his officials.
16 Thuutha ũcio andũ-a-nja eerĩ a maraya magĩũka kũrĩ mũthamaki, makĩrũgama mbere yake.
One day two prostitutes came and stood in front of King Solomon.
17 Ũmwe wao akiuga atĩrĩ, “Mwathi wakwa, mũndũ-wa-nja ũyũ na niĩ tũikaraga nyũmba ĩmwe. Na nĩndĩraciarire mwana arĩ ho.
One of them said, “Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there 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 my baby was born, this woman also gave birth to a baby. Only the two of us were in the house; there was no one else there.
19 “Ũtukũ-rĩ, mũndũ-wa-nja ũyũ arakomera mwana wake, arakua.
“But one night this woman’s baby died because she [accidentally] rolled on top of her baby [while sleeping and smothered it].
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.
So she got up at midnight and took my baby boy who was lying beside me while I was sleeping. She carried him to her bed and brought her dead baby and put it in my bed.
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 awoke the next morning and was ready to nurse my baby, I saw that it was dead. But when I looked at it closely in the morning light, I saw that it was not my baby!”
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.
But the other woman said, “That is not true! The baby that is alive is mine, and the baby that is dead is yours!” Then the first woman said, “No, the dead baby is yours, and the one that is alive is mine!” And they continued to argue 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.’”
Then the king said, “Both of you are saying, ‘My baby is the one that is alive and the one that is dead is yours.’”
24 Ningĩ mũthamaki akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ndeherai rũhiũ rwa njora.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩrehera mũthamaki rũhiũ rwa njora.
So he said to one of his servants, “Bring me a sword.” So the servant brought a sword to the king.
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.”
Then the king said to the servant, “Cut the baby that is alive into two parts. Give one part to each of the women.”
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 baby was alive loved her baby very much, so she said to the king, “No, Your Majesty! Do not allow him to kill the baby! Give her the child that is alive!” But the other woman said to the king, “No, cut it in half. Then it will not be her baby or my baby.”
27 Nake mũthamaki agĩtua ciira atĩrĩ, “Nengerai mũndũ-wa-nja ũyũ wa mbere mwana ũyũ ũrĩ muoyo. Mũtikamũũrage; nĩwe nyina.”
Then the king said to the servant, “Do not kill the baby. Give the baby to the woman who said ‘Do not cut the baby in half,’ because she is truly the baby’s 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.
All the Israeli people heard about what the king had decided, and they revered him. They realized that God had truly enabled him to be very wise, to judge people’s matters fairly.

< 1 Athamaki 3 >