Di Queen Wey Come See

One long line of camels dey waka across di desert, dey shake under heavy load. Spices. Gold. Precious stones. For front, one queen dey ride. She don hear di stories. Now she want see am with her own eye.

Di news of King Solomon don travel far pass Israel. People dey talk about im wisdom, im palace, and di God wey e dey worship. Di talk reach di land of Sheba, long journey for south. And di queen of Sheba hear am. Di Bible talk say she hear about Solomon fame, about di name of Di Lord. She herself na ruler, rich and sharp, and she no dey just believe everything wey she hear. So she decide to test am with hard questions.

Dis journey no small. Week after week, di caravan dey travel, camels wey carry spices, plenty plenty gold, and precious stones. At last, di queen reach Jerusalem, with very big crowd of people wey follow her, and di whole city dey talk as dem see am. She come meet Solomon and talk with am about everything wey dey her heart. All her hard questions. Riddles, puzzles, deep matter about life and how to rule. And Solomon answer every one. Nothing hide from di king, di Bible talk, wey e no fit explain to her.

Then she look around. Di palace wey e build. Di food for im table. How im officials dey sit and how im servants dey stand and serve, with their fine cloth. Di people wey dey serve am drink. And di offerings wey e dey bring go di house of Di Lord. When she don see everything, di Bible talk say, breath no remain for her inside. E take her breath.

Na true, everything wey I hear for my own country about your words and your wisdom. But I no believe am until I come see am with my own eye. And look, dem no tell me even half. How your people go dey happy. How your servants go dey happy, wey dey stand before you every day dey hear your wisdom.

And then she talk di most important thing of all. No be about Solomon. About im God. Blessed be Di Lord your God, wey take delight for you and put you for di throne of Israel. Because Di Lord love Israel forever, e make you king, to do justice and righteousness. Di visitor from far don understand something. Solomon wisdom na gift, and e dey for justice. Then she give di king her gifts: one hundred and twenty talents of gold, precious stones, and spices wey plenty reach say, di Bible talk, dat kind plenty spices no ever come again. Solomon too give her everything wey she want, anything wey she ask, plus wetin e give her from im royal generosity. And di queen turn her caravan round go back to her own land.

Where Sheba dey? Plenty scholars connect am with Saba, one kingdom for di south-west of Arabia, for di place wey be Yemen today. Saba get rich from di trade of frankincense and myrrh, wey camel caravans dey carry go north, and im old capital, Marib, get one big dam wey get name. Ethiopian tradition, inside one book from di middle ages wey dem dey call di Kebra Nagast, tell im own story of di queen, and e call her Makeda. Di Bible itself no give her name.

Di visit of di queen of Sheba dey for First Kings, chapter ten, verse one reach thirteen. Later, Jesus mention her, e talk say she come from di end of di earth to hear di wisdom of Solomon. She no just settle for rumour. She come see for herself. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which big question about God you go travel far to ask, and who fit help you look for di answer?