One Queen Bring Gifts

One long line of camels dey shake from side to side as dem cross di desert, dem load sacks of spices, bags of gold, and boxes of precious stones. For di front, one queen dey ride, wey don hear one rumour and she don make up her mind to find out if e true.

Far for di south of Israel, di land of Sheba dey, rich kingdom wey dem know well well for spices and incense. News dey travel through di trade roads, and di queen of Sheba don hear about Solomon, di son of King David, wey now be king for Jerusalem. People dey talk say God don give am wisdom wey dey shock person. Say e fit answer any question. Say im kingdom dey for peace and e fine well well. Di Bible talk say she hear about im fame as e concern di name of di Lord. And she decide to come see am with her own eye. No be to send messenger. She go by herself, with very big company, for journey wey for take many weeks.

She reach Jerusalem with camels wey carry spices, plenty gold, and precious stones. And she come meet Solomon with hard questions, riddles and puzzles wey she don dey keep, and she tell am everything wey dey her heart. Solomon answer every one. Nothing hide from di king wey e no fit explain to her. Then she look around. She see di house wey e don build. Di food for im table. How im officials dey sit. Im servants and di cloth wey dem wear. Di people wey dey serve am drink. And di burnt offerings wey e dey offer for di house of di Lord. And di Bible talk say breath no remain for her body again. E take her breath.

She tell di king: Di report wey I hear for my own land about wetin you dey do and about your wisdom, true true. But I no believe di words until I come and my own eye see am. Look, dem no even tell me half! Your wisdom and your prosperity pass di fame wey I hear. Then she do something wey surprise, for foreign queen. She praise di God of Israel. Blessed be di Lord your God, wey happy with you, to put you for di throne of Israel. Because di Lord love Israel forever, na im make e make you king, to do justice and righteousness. Di queen see say di wisdom of Solomon no be just sense. Na gift from God, wey God give am so e fit rule with fairness.

Then di gifts come. She give di king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, big big amount, and spices plenty plenty, and precious stones. Di Bible talk say spices like dis, wey plenty reach dis level, no come again like di ones wey di queen of Sheba give King Solomon. And Solomon give back too. E give her everything wey she ask for, plus gifts from im own royal open hand. Then she turn, go back to her own land, with her servants, her camels, and one story to tell.

Where Sheba dey? Most historians connect am with Saba, one old kingdom for di place wey dem dey call Yemen today, for di south-west corner of Arabia. Saba become rich from di trade for frankincense and myrrh, gum wey get sweet smell wey dey come from trees for southern Arabia, and camel caravans dey carry dem go north to di lands around di Mediterranean. Di spices wey di queen bring na exactly wetin her country dey famous for.

One Queen Bring Gifts. You go find am for First Kings chapter ten, verse one to thirteen. Many hundred years after, di prophet Isaiah talk say people from Sheba go come bring gold and incense to praise di Lord. And Jesus imself mention dis queen, e talk say she come from di end of di earth to hear Solomon, and say person wey pass Solomon dey here. Christians dey remember her for Christmas, when other travellers from di east come with gold, frankincense and myrrh. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Di queen travel far to find wisdom, and she bring her best gifts. Wetin you go travel for, and wetin you go bring?