1 Ndị Eze 3
1 Solomọn na Fero eze Ijipt jikọtara onwe ha nʼotu, ọ lụrụ nwa nwanyị Fero. Ọ kpọbatara ya nʼobodo Devid ruo mgbe o wusiri ụlọeze ya na ụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị, na mgbidi gbara Jerusalem gburugburu.
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 Nʼoge ahụ, ndị Izrel ka na-achụ aja ha nʼebe dị elu niile, nʼihi na ewubeghị ụlọnsọ ukwu nye aha Onyenwe anyị.
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 Ma Solomọn gosiri ịhụnanya nʼebe Onyenwe anyị nọ, site na ịgbaso ntụziaka niile nke Devid nna ya nyere ya, ọ bụ naanị na ọ chụrụ ọtụtụ aja dị iche iche, na ihe nsure ọkụ na-esi isi ụtọ nʼebe dị elu dị iche iche.
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 Eze gara Gibiọn nʼihi ịchụ aja, nʼihi na ebe ahụ bụ ebe kachasị mkpa, dị elu. Solomọn chụrụ otu puku aja nsure ọkụ nʼelu ebe ịchụ aja ahụ.
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 Na Gibiọn, Onyenwe anyị mere ka Solomọn hụ ya anya na nrọ nke abalị, Chineke sịrị ya, “Rịọọ ihe ọbụla ị chọrọ ka m nye gị.”
The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon. God said to him, “Ask what you want me to give you.”
6 Solomọn zara sị, “I gosila ohu gị bụ nna m Devid obi ebere dị ukwuu, nʼihi na ọ bụ onye kwesiri ntụkwasị obi nye gị, onye ezi omume nakwa onye obi ya ziri ezi. Ị nọgidela na-egosi ya obi ebere dị ukwuu, nyekwa ya nwa nwoke ga-anọkwasị nʼocheeze ya nʼụbọchị taa.
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 “Ugbu a, Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke m, i meela ohu gị eze nʼọnọdụ nna m, bụ Devid. Ma abụ m naanị nwantakịrị na-amaghị otu esi apụ ma na-abatakwa.
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 Ohu gị nọ nʼebe a, nʼetiti ndị gị ị họpụtara, ndị bara ụba nke ukwuu, ndị a na-adịghị agụta ọnụ nʼihi nʼọnụọgụgụ ha babigara ụba oke.
I, your servant, am here in among your chosen people, a great people that are so many they cannot be counted.
9 Ya mere, nye ohu gị uche nghọta nke m ga-eji chịa ndị gị, na ịghọta ihe dị iche nʼetiti ezi ihe na ajọ ihe. Nʼihi na onye pụrụ ịchịkọta ndị gị a dị ukwuu?”
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 Ọ masịrị Onyenwe anyị na Solomọn rịọrọ nke a.
The Lord considered that what Solomon asked for was good.
11 Ya mere, Chineke zara sị ya, “Nʼihi na ị rịọrọ amamihe na nghọta ị ga-eji chịa ndị m, ma ị rịọghị m ka m nye gị ndụ ogologo, maọbụ akụnụba, maọbụ ọnwụ nye ndị iro gị.
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 Aga m eme dịka ihe ị rịọrọ si dị. Aga m enye gị obi maara ihe na uche ịghọta ihe ziri ezi, nke ga-abụ na ọ dịghị onye ọbụla dịka gị, ọ dịghịkwa onye ọbụla ga-adị ka gị.
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 Ọzọkwa, aga m enyekwa gị ihe ndị ahụ ị na-arịọghị m, akụnụba, na nsọpụrụ, ka ọ ga-abụ nʼụbọchị niile nke ndụ gị, ị gaghị enwe onye ọbụla ga-adị ka gị nʼetiti ndị eze niile.
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 Ọ bụrụkwa na i jee ije nʼụzọ m niile, debe iwu m, meekwa ihe m gwara gị, dịka nna gị Devid mere, aga m enye gị ogologo ndụ.”
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 Mgbe ahụ, Solomọn si nʼụra teta, ghọtakwa na ọ bụ nrọ ka ọ na-arọ. Ọ lọtara na Jerusalem bata guzo nʼihu igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị, chụọ aja nsure ọkụ na aja udo. Emesịa, o meere ndị na-ejere ya ozi oke oriri.
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 Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, ụmụ nwanyị akwụna abụọ bịakwutere eze, guzo nʼihu ya.
Later two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him for judgment.
17 Otu nʼime ha gwara ya sị, “Onyenwe m, mụ na nwanyị a bi nʼotu ụlọ. Anyị abụọ dịkwa ime. Ma eburu m ya ụzọ mụọ nwa nke m.
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 Mgbe ụbọchị atọ gasịrị ka m mụsịrị nwa, ya onwe ya mụkwara nwa nke ya. Naanị anyị abụọ bi, o nweghị onye ọzọ binyere anyị.
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 “Ma nʼotu abalị, nwa ya nwụrụ mgbe o dinakwasịrị ya nʼoge ọ na-arahụ ụra.
During the night this woman's son died because she rolled over on him.
20 Mgbe o biliri nʼetiti abalị, chọpụtara na nwa ya anwụọla, o kuuru ya nibe ya nʼakụkụ m, kurukwanụ nwa nke m dị ndụ nibe nʼakụkụ ya onwe ya.
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 Nʼisi ụtụtụ, mgbe m tetara nʼụra chọọ inye nwa m ara, achọpụtara m na ọ nwụọla. Ma mgbe m leziri ya anya nke ọma ka chi bọrọ, ahụrụ m na nwa mụ na ya dina abụghị nwa nke m mụrụ.”
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 Mgbe ahụ, nwanyị nke ọzọ kwuru sị, “Mba, nwantakịrị ahụ dị ndụ bụ nwa m, ma nke nwụrụ anwụ bụ nwa gị.” Nwanyị nke mbụ zara sị, “Mba, ọ bụghị eziokwu; nwa nke nwụrụ anwụ bụ nke gị, ma nke dị ndụ bụ nke m.” Otu a ka ha si na-arụrịta ụka nʼihu eze.
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 Eze kwuru sị, “Onye nke a na-asị, ‘Nwa m bụ nke dị ndụ, ma nke gị bụ nke nwụrụ anwụ,’ mgbe onye nke ọzọ na-asị, ‘Mba! Nwa gị bụ nke nwụrụ anwụ, ma nke m bụ nke dị ndụ.’”
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 Mgbe ahụ, eze sịrị, “Wetara m mma agha.” Ya mere, ha wetaara eze mma agha.
“Bring me a sword,” the king ordered. So they brought him a sword.
25 Eze nyere iwu sị, “Kpọwaa nwa ahụ dị ndụ ụzọ abụọ, were otu ọkara nye otu onye, werekwa nke ọzọ nye onye nke ọzọ.”
“Cut the child that's alive in two, and give half to one woman and half to another,” he commanded.
26 Nwanyị ahụ nwa ya dị ndụ jupụtara nʼọmịiko nʼebe nwa ya nọ, ọ gwara eze sị, “Biko, onyenwe m, kunye ya nwantakịrị ahụ dị ndụ. Egbukwala ya.” Ma onye nke ọzọ sịrị, “Kpọwaa ya abụọ. Nwa a agaghị abụ nke gị, ọ gaghị abụkwa nke m.”
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 Mgbe ahụ, eze kpebiri ikpe sị, “Kuru nwantakịrị a dị ndụ kunye ya nwanyị ahụ chọrọ ka ọ dị ndụ. Egbula ya, nʼihi na nwanyị ahụ bụ nne ya.”
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 Mgbe ndị Izrel niile nụrụ otu eze si kpebie ikpe a, ha sitere nʼịtụ egwu nye eze nsọpụrụ, nʼihi na ha hụrụ na o si nʼaka Chineke nweta amamihe ikpe ikpe ziri ezi.
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.
