Solomon Ask for Wisdom

Na night, and one young king dey sleep well well. Then, for dream, God talk to am. Ask for anything wey you want make I give you. Wetin you go talk?

King David don die, and im son Solomon don become king of Israel now. E still young, and di work big well well. Dem never build di temple for Jerusalem yet, so Solomon go Gibeon, some miles for north, di place wey di Bible call di great high place. For there, e offer one thousand burnt offerings to Di Lord. Dat night, for Gibeon, Di Lord appear to am for dream.

Ask wetin I go give you. Solomon no rush. First, e remember. You show my papa David great love wey no dey fail, e talk, and you don give am son wey dey sit for im throne. Then e talk true. I be only small pikin. I no know how to go out or how to come in. Na im way to talk say, I no know how to lead. And na me dey in charge of your people, wey plenty reach say nobody fit count dem. So dis na wetin Solomon ask for. No be long life. No be riches. No be victory over im enemies. Give your servant heart wey understand, make e judge your people, so dat I go fit know di difference between good and bad. Di Hebrew words mean something like heart wey dey listen.

Because you ask for dis one, and you no ask for long life or riches or di life of your enemies, I go do wetin you ask. I give you heart wey get wisdom and understanding. And I go still give you di things wey you no ask for, both riches and honour. And if you waka for my way, as your papa David do, I go give you long life.

Solomon wake up. Na dream. But e know say e real. E go back to Jerusalem, stand before di ark of di covenant, offer sacrifices, and make big feast for all im servants.

Soon, dem test im new wisdom. Two women come before di king. Dem dey live for di same house, and each of dem born baby boy, only three days apart. Di first woman talk. For night, her baby die, because she lie on top am for her sleep. So she get up when I dey sleep, take my son from my side, come put her dead pikin near me. For morning, I look am well, and e no be my son. No! di other woman talk. Di one wey dey alive na my own. No, di one wey dey alive na my own! And dem dey argue right there in front of di king. No witness. No way to prove am. Just two voices and one baby. Then Solomon talk, Bring sword come. Dem bring sword. Divide di pikin wey dey alive into two. Give half to one, and half to di other. Di whole room quiet. Then one woman cry out, her heart dey pain her for her son. Abeg, my lord, give her di baby. No kill am! But di other one talk, E no go be my own or your own. Divide am. Now Solomon know. Give di baby to di first woman. No harm am. Na she be im mama. Di news spread all over Israel. And di people dey fear and respect di king, because dem see say God don give am wisdom to do justice.

Gibeon na one of di few Bible towns wey people don dig im name comot from ground. For di village of el-Jib, for di north of Jerusalem, di archaeologist James Pritchard dig there for di nineteen fifties, and e find handles of jar wey get di name Gibeon written with old Hebrew letters. E also find one big round hole wey dem cut deep inside rock, with steps wey dey turn round round go down reach water.

Solomon request dey for First Kings, chapter three. E for ask for anything. E ask for heart wey dey listen, so dat e go fit do right by other people. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. If God ask you wetin you want pass, wetin you go talk, and who e go help?