1 Ahemfo 3
1 Salomo ne Misraimhene Farao yɛɛ apam, nam so waree ne babaa. Ɔde no bɛtenaa Dawid kurom kɔsii sɛ ɔsii nʼahemfie, sii Awurade Asɔredan, na ɔtoo Yerusalem ho ɔfasuo nso wieeɛ.
Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem.
2 Saa ɛberɛ no mu, na Israelfoɔ gu so bɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ sorɔnsorɔmmea, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔnsii asɔredan, mfaa Awurade din ntoo so.
The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.
3 Salomo kyerɛɛ ne dɔ a ɔwɔ maa Awurade, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔnam nʼagya Dawid nkyerɛkyerɛ anammɔn so pɛpɛɛpɛ. Mmom na ɔbɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ sorɔnsorɔmmea hɔ, hye aduhwam wɔ hɔ nso.
And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
4 Gibeon na na afɔrebukyia no mu atitire wɔ, ɛhɔ na Salomo kɔbɔɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ apem wɔ afɔrebukyia so.
Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.
5 Anadwo no, Awurade daa ne ho adi kyerɛɛ Salomo wɔ daeɛ mu. Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na wopɛ? Bisa na mede bɛma wo.”
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
6 Salomo kaa sɛ, “Woada adɔeɛ kɛseɛ pa ara adi akyerɛ mʼagya Dawid, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔdi wo nokorɛ, yɛ ɔteneneeni a nʼakoma mu nso da hɔ. Woatoa so ayɛ no saa adɔeɛ kɛseɛ yi ara, na ɛnnɛ yi ara, woama no ɔbabarima sɛ ɔntena nʼahennwa nso so.
Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
7 “Afei, Ao Awurade, me Onyankopɔn, woasi wʼakoa ɔhene, sɛ mensi mʼagya Dawid anan mu, nanso meyɛ abɔfra ketewaa bi a mennim sɛdeɛ mɛsi ayɛ mʼadwuma.
And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
8 Ɛha na wʼakoa abɛduru wɔ nnipa a woapa wɔn no mu; nnipa a wɔn dodoɔ enti, obi ntumi nkan wɔn.
Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.
9 Ɛno enti, ma wʼakoa nhunumu akoma a ɔbɛtumi de adi wo nkurɔfoɔ so, na ɔbɛtumi ahunu papa ne bɔne ntam nsonsonoeɛ. Na hwan koraa na ɔno nko ara bɛtumi adi saa ɔman a wɔdi mu, a wɔyɛ wo dea yi so?”
Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
10 Awurade ani sɔɔ Salomo mmuaeɛ no, na nʼani gyee sɛ ɔbisaa nyansa.
Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.
11 Enti, Awurade buaa sɛ, “Esiane sɛ woabisa nyansa a wode bɛdi me manfoɔ so, na woammisa nkwa tenten anaa sika amma wo ho anaa woammisa sɛ wo ɔtamfoɔ bi nwu no enti,
So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice—
12 mede deɛ woabisa no bɛma wo. Mɛma wo nyansa ne nteaseɛ a obiara nnyaa bi da, na obiara nso nnya bi da.
behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you.
13 Na deɛ woammisa no nso, mede bɛka wo ho—sika ne animuonyam. Na ɔhene biara a ɔwɔ ewiase nso rentumi mfa ne ho nto wo ho, wo nkwa nna nyinaa mu.
Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal.
14 Na sɛ wodi mʼakyi, na wodi me mmara so sɛ wʼagya Dawid a, mɛma wo nkwa tenten.”
So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”
15 Na Salomo nyaneeɛ, na ɔhunuu sɛ ɛyɛ daeɛ. Ɔkɔɔ Yerusalem kɔgyinaa Awurade Apam Adaka no anim, na ɔbɔɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ ne asomdwoeɛ afɔdeɛ. Na ɔhyiaa ne mpanimfoɔ nyinaa, too wɔn ɛpono.
Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants.
16 Akyire yi, mmaa nnwamanfoɔ baanu bi baa ɔhene no nkyɛn, pɛɛ sɛ ɔka wɔn asɛm bi ma wɔn.
At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 Wɔn mu baako hyɛɛ aseɛ sɛ, “Me wura, mesrɛ wo meka sɛ, saa ɔbaa yi ne me te fi korɔ mu. Mewoo ɔba ɛberɛ a ɔne me te efie hɔ.
One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house.
18 Nnansa akyi no, ɔno nso woo ba. Na yɛn nko ara na yɛte fie hɔ a obiara nka yɛn baanu ho.
On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with no one in the house but the two of us.
19 “Nanso, anadwo no, ɔpere kɔdaa ne ba no so, kumm no.
During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.
20 Na ɔsɔree anadwo no faa me ba firii me nkyɛn ɛberɛ a mada. Ɔde ne ba a wawu no too mʼabasa so, na ɔfaa me deɛ no kɔtoo ne nkyɛn, ma ɔdaeɛ.
So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom.
21 Adeɛ kyeeɛ a mepɛɛ sɛ mema me ba no nufoɔ no, na wawu. Nanso, anim tetee kakra a mehwɛɛ abɔfra no yie no, mehunuu sɛ, ɛnyɛ me ba no koraa.”
The next morning, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne.”
22 Ɛhɔ ara na ɔbaa baako no gyee hwanyan kaa sɛ, “Abɔfra a wawuo no yɛ wo ba no, ɛnna deɛ ɔnwuiɛ no nso yɛ me deɛ no.” Ɛnna ɔbaa a ɔdi ɛkan no nso se, “Dabi, deɛ wawuo no yɛ wo ba no, ɛnna deɛ ɔnwuiɛ no nso yɛ me deɛ no.” Enti, wɔtwee asɛm no saa ara wɔ ɔhene no anim.
“No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.” So they argued before the king.
23 Ɔhene no kaa sɛ, “Momma yɛmpɛ asɛm no mu nokorɛ yie. Mo baanu nyinaa, obiara se abɔfra a ɔnwuiɛ no yɛ ne dea, na abɔfra a wawuo no deɛ, ɔnyɛ obiara dea.
Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
24 “Sɛ saa na ɛte deɛ a, mommrɛ me akofena.” Enti, wɔde akofena brɛɛ ɔhene no.
The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword,
25 Afei, ɔkaa sɛ, “Mompae abɔfra a ɔnwuiɛ no mu mmienu, na momfa ɛfa mma mmaa no mu biara.”
and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
26 Na ɔbaa a nokorɛm, ɔyɛ abɔfra a ɔte ase no maame a ɔpɛ ne ba yi asɛm yie no teateaam sɛ, “Ao! Dabi me wura! Fa abɔfra no ma no. Mesrɛ wo nku no!” Nanso, ɔbaa baako no kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, ɛbɛbɔ yɛn baanu nyinaa. Kyɛ ne mu ma yɛn!”
Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”
27 Ɛhɔ na ɔhene no kaa sɛ, “Monnku no, na mmom, momfa abɔfra no mma ɔbaa a ɔpɛ sɛ abɔfra no tena ase no, na ɔno ne ne maame no.”
Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”
28 Ɔhene yi atemmuo no trɛ faa Israel mmaa nyinaa, na ɔmanfoɔ no ho dwirii wɔn wɔ nyansabun a Onyankopɔn de ama no, a ɛma no bu atɛntenenee no ho.
When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
