The First of Kings

8 That time, Sol′o·mon gather the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the family groups for Israel. Them come meet King Sol′o·mon for Jerusalem so that them go bring the ark of the agreement of Jehovah from the city of David, wey be, Zion. 2 All the men of Israel gather for front of King Sol′o·mon for the festival* for the month of Eth′a·nim, wey be, the seventh month. 3 When all the elders of Israel come, the priests carry the Ark. 4 Them bring the Ark of Jehovah, the tent of meeting, and all the holy things wey be dey inside the tent. The priests and the Levites carry them come. 5 King Sol′o·mon and all the people of Israel wey them call to come meet-am dey for front of the Ark. The sheep and cow wey them use do sacrifice plenty sotey them no fit count them or know the number.

6 Then the priests bring the ark of the agreement of Jehovah come where them arrange for-am, for the room wey dey inside-inside for the house, wey be the Most Holy Room, and put-am under the wings of the cherubs.

7 So the wings of the cherubs stretch cover the place wey the Ark dey, this one come make the cherubs cover the Ark and im poles. 8 The poles long sotey person fit dey the Holy Room, wey dey the front of the room wey dey inside-inside, de see the mouth of the poles, but person wey dey outside no fit see them. And them dey there till today. 9 Nothing be dey inside the Ark apart from the two stone slates wey Moses put for inside for Horʹeb, when Jehovah make agreement with Israel people for the time wey them de come out of the land of Egypt.

10 When the priests come out from the holy place, cloud come cover the house of Jehovah. 11 The priests no fit stand there to do their work, because of the cloud. This na because the glory of Jehovah cover the house of Jehovah. 12 That time, Sol′o·mon talk say: “Jehovah talk say e go stay inside the dark cloud. 13 I don succeed to build big house for you, wey be permanent place wey you go stay forever.”

14 Then the king turn and start to bless all Israel people wey gather as all of them stand for there. 15 E talk say: “Make Jehovah the God of Israel get praise, the person wey use im own mouth promise my papa David, and e don use im own hand do wetin e promise, as e talk say, 16 ‘From the day wey I bring my people Israel from Egypt, I never choose any city among all the tribes of Israel wey them go build house wey my name go dey, but I don choose David to rule my people Israel.’ 17 And e be really dey the heart of David my papa to build house for the name of Jehovah the God of Israel. 18 But Jehovah tell David my papa say, ‘E be really dey your heart to build house for my name, and you do well as e dey your heart to do this kind thing. 19 But you no go build the house, na your own son wey them go born for you,* na im go build the house for my name.’ 20 Jehovah don do wetin e promise, because I don be king after David my papa, and I don sitdown for the throne of Israel just as Jehovah promise. I don still build the house for the name of Jehovah the God of Israel, 21 and for there, I don arrange place wey them go keep the Ark wey them put the agreement wey Jehovah make with our papa-papa them, when e bring them come from the land of Egypt.”

22 Then Sol′o·mon stand for front of Jehovah altar, for front of all Israel people wey gather, and e spread im hands face heaven, 23 and e talk say: “O Jehovah the God of Israel, e no get any God wey be like you for heaven or for earth. You de keep the agreement, and de show love wey no de fail to your servants wey de serve you with all their heart. 24 You don do wetin you promise your servant David my papa. Na your own mouth you use make the promise, and today, you don use your own hand do-am. 25 And now, O Jehovah the God of Israel, make you do wetin you promise your servant David my papa when you talk say: ‘If your sons dey careful about how them de live their life, and them serve me just as you serve me, man wey go sitdown for the throne of Israel go always dey for your family.’ 26 And now, O God of Israel, abeg make you do wetin you promise your servant David my papa.

27 “But God go really stay for the earth? See! The heavens, even the heaven of heavens, no fit contain you. So na this house wey I build go fit contain you? 28 Now, make you put ear for the prayer of your servant as e de beg say make you pity-am, O Jehovah my God, and listen as e de cry for help, and still listen to the prayer wey your servant dey your front de pray today. 29 Make your eyes watch this house day and night, make e dey for this place wey you talk say, ‘My name go dey there, so that you go listen to the prayer wey your servant go pray as e face this place. 30 And make you listen to the prayer of your servant as e de beg you say make you pity-am,* and make you still listen to the prayer of your people Israel when them face this place de pray. Make you hear from heaven wey be the place wey you de stay; yes, make you hear and forgive us.

31 “When person do another person bad thing and them make-am swear,* and e gree say e go face anything wey happen as e don swear, and e come stand for front of your altar for this house when that swear* still dey im head, 32 then make you hear from heaven, and do something about the matter, and judge your servants. Make you judge the wicked person say e really do bad,* and make wetin e do dey im own head. But for person wey do the correct thing for your eye, show say im hand clean* and pay-am for the correct thing wey e do.

33 “When enemies win your people Israel because say them continue to sin against you, and them come back to you and honor your name, and pray and beg you for this house say make you pity them, 34 then make you hear for heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and make you bring them back to the land wey you give their papa-papa them.

35 “When you lock the heavens and rain no de fall because say them continue to sin against you, them come face this place de pray, and honor your name and comot hand from the bad things wey them de do because say you make them bring their body down,* 36 then make you hear for heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, the sin of Israel your people, because you go teach them the better way wey them suppose follow; and make you allow rain fall for your land wey you don give your people say make them take as their own.

37 “If serious hunger, or sickness wey de spread dey the land, if strong heat, plant disease, plenty locusts, or the type of locusts* wey de chop plants well-well come, or if their enemies surround them to attack them for any of the cities for the land,* or if any kind of bad thing or disease happen, 38 any prayer, anything wey anybody beg you say make you do for-am, or wey all your people Israel beg you say make you do for them (because each person know the problem wey de worry-am for im own heart), when them spread their hands face this house, 39 abeg make you hear-am for heaven, the place wey you de stay, and make you forgive them and do something about the matter, and make you pay each person according to everything wey e don do, because na you know im heart (na only you really know wetin dey everybody heart), 40 so that them go fear you all the days wey them go live for the land wey you give our papa-papa them.

41 “And if stranger wey no be part of your people Israel, and wey come from far place because of your name* 42 (because them go hear about your big name and your strong hand and your powerful hand),* come face this house de pray, 43 abeg make you listen to-am for heaven, the place wey you de stay, and make you do everything wey this stranger de beg you for, so that all the people for the earth go know your name and fear you the way your people Israel de do, and make them know say them don use your name call this house wey I don build.

44 “O Jehovah, if your people go fight against their enemy for the place wey you say make them go, and them face the side wey the city wey you don choose dey, and the side wey the house wey I don build for your name dey, to pray to you, 45 then make you hear for heaven as them de pray and de beg you say make you pity them, and make you judge the matter for them.

46 “If them sin against you (because e no get anybody wey no de sin), and you really vex for them, and you leave them for their enemy hand, and this their enemy carry them as slaves go im land, whether e far or e near, 47 their eye come clear for the land wey them carry them go as slaves, and them come back to you, and beg you say make you pity them for the land of the people wey carry them as slave, and them talk say, ‘We don sin and do bad; we no behave well at all,’ 48 and them come back to you with their whole heart, and their whole soul,* for the land of their enemies wey don carry them go as slaves, and them pray to you, de face their land wey you give their papa-papa them, and the city wey you don choose, and the house wey I build for your name, 49 then make you hear their prayer for heaven, the place wey you de stay, as them de beg you say make you pity them, and make you judge the matter for them 50 and forgive your people wey don sin against you, forgive them for all the bad things wey them do against you. You go do-am make the people wey carry them as slaves see them as people wey them suppose pity, and them go pity them 51 (because them be your people and your own property wey you bring come out of Egypt, from inside fire wey them de use melt iron). 52 Make your eyes open to see your servant wey de pray say make you pity-am, and to see your people Israel wey de pray say make you pity them, as you de listen anytime wey them pray to you.* 53 Because you don separate them as your own people from among all the people for the earth, just as you O Jehovah the Lord Wey High Pass, use Moses your servant talk when you de bring our papa-papa them from Egypt.”

54 As Sol′o·mon just pray all this prayer to Jehovah finish, and beg-am say make e show pity, e stand up from front of the altar of Jehovah where e be kneel down spread im hand face heaven. 55 Then e stand and use loud voice bless all Israel people wey gather, e talk say: 56 “Make them praise Jehovah, wey don give im people Israel the place wey them go de live in peace, just as e don promise. E no get any word out of all the good things wey e use im servant Moses promise wey never happen. 57 Make Jehovah our God dey with us just as e be dey with our papa-papa them. Make e no leave us or forget us. 58 Make e draw our heart come im side, so that we go do all the things wey e want, de obey im commandments, im directions, and im judgments wey e command our papa-papa them say make them obey. 59 And this things wey I de talk to beg Jehovah say make e pity us, make Jehovah our God remember them day and night, so that e go judge matter well for im servant and for im people Israel, as them need-am everyday, 60 so that all the people for the earth go know say na Jehovah be the true God. No other one dey! 61 So make una serve Jehovah our God with all una heart, as una de obey im directions, and de obey im commandments the way una de do-am today.”

62 Then the king and all Israel people wey dey with-am do plenty sacrifice for Jehovah. 63 Sol′o·mon do peace sacrifice them to Jehovah. E use 22,000 cows and 120,000 sheep. Na so the king and all Israel people dedicate the house of Jehovah. 64 For that day, the king make the middle of the compound wey dey for front of the house of Jehovah holy, because na there e do the sacrifice them wey them de burn, the grain offerings, and the animal fat for the peace sacrifice them, this na because the copper altar wey dey for front of Jehovah too small for the sacrifice them wey them de burn, the grain offerings, and the animal fat for the peace sacrifice them. 65 That time, Sol′o·mon do the festival with all Israel people. The people wey gather plenty, them come from Le′bo-ha′math* go reach the Lowland* of Egypt. Them gather for front of Jehovah our God for 7 days, plus another 7 days, all the days na 14 days. 66 The next* day, e talk say make the people go, then them pray say make God bless the king, and them comot go their house de happy, and belle de sweet them because of all the good things wey Jehovah don do for David im servant, and im people Israel.