The First of Kings

1 Now, King David don old well-well, and even when them cover-am with cloths, cold go still de catch-am. 2 So im servants tell-am say: “Make we find one girl wey be virgin for our lord the king, wey go take care of the king as im nurse. E go lie down near you, so that cold no go de catch our lord the king again.” 3 So them go everywhere for Israel de look for fine girl, and them see Ab′i·shag wey be Shuʹnem person. Them come bring-am come give the king. 4 The girl fine no be small, e come be the king nurse and de take care of-am, but the king no sleep with-am.

5 As this one de happen, Ad·o·ni′jah wey be the son of Hag′gith de raise shoulder de talk say: “Na me go be king!” E come make chariot for imself and still get men wey go de ride horse for-am and 50 men wey go dey im front de run. 6 But im papa no ever ask-am say: “Why you do this thing?” Ad·o·ni′jah fine well-well too, im mama born-am after them don born Ab′sa·lom. 7 Ad·o·ni′jah discuss with Jo′ab the son of Ze·ru′iah and A·bi′a·thar wey be priest, and them support-am and help-am. 8 But Za′dok wey be priest, Be·nai′ah the son of Je·hoi′a·da, Nathan wey be prophet, Shim′e·i, Re′i, and the strong soldiers of David no support Ad·o·ni′jah.

9 For the end, Ad·o·ni′jah use sheep, cows, and fat animals do sacrifice near the stone of Zo′he·leth wey near En-ro′gel, and e invite all im brothers wey be the king sons, and all the men of Judah wey be the king servants. 10 But e no invite Nathan the prophet, Be·nai′ah, and the strong soldiers, or im brother Sol′o·mon. 11 Then Nathan tell Bath-she′ba wey be Sol′o·mon mama say: “You never hear say Ad·o·ni′jah wey be the son of Hag′gith don be king, and our lord David no know anything about-am? 12 So now abeg come, make I advice you, so that you go save your own life and the life of* your pikin Sol′o·mon. 13 Go inside go meet King David and tell-am say, ‘My lord the king, no be you swear give your servant say: “Your pikin Sol′o·mon go be king after me, and na im go sitdown for my throne”? So why Ad·o·ni′jah come be king now?’ 14 As you still dey there de talk with the king, I go enter come meet you and talk say wetin you de talk na true.”

15 So Bath-she′ba enter go meet the king for inside the king private room. That time the king don really old, and Ab′i·shag wey be Shuʹnem person de take care of the king. 16 Then Bath-she′ba bow down and lie down for ground for front of the king, and the king ask-am say: “Wetin you want?” 17 E answer-am say: “My lord, na you use the name of Jehovah your God swear give your servant say, ‘Your pikin Sol′o·mon go be king after me, and na im go sitdown for my throne.’ 18 But see! Ad·o·ni′jah don be king, and my lord the king no know anything about-am. 19 E use plenty bulls, fat animals, and sheep do sacrifice. E invite all the sons of the king and A·bi′a·thar the priest and Jo′ab wey de control the army, but e no invite your servant Sol′o·mon. 20 And now, my lord the king, all Israel people eye de look you, to tell them who go sitdown for your throne after you. 21 But if you no do like that, once my lord the king don die like im papa-papa them, them go see me and my son Sol′o·mon as enemies.”

22 And as e still de talk to the king, prophet Nathan just enter. 23 Quick-quick, them tell the king say: “Prophet Nathan dey here!” E enter inside come meet the king, and lie down for ground for front of the king. 24 Then Nathan talk say: “My lord the king, you talk say na Ad·o·ni′jah go be king after you, and say na im go be the person wey go sitdown for your throne? 25 Because today, e don go use plenty bulls, fat animals, and sheep do sacrifice, and e invite all the sons of the king, and the people wey de control the army and A·bi′a·thar the priest. Them dey there with-am, de chop, de drink, and them de talk say, ‘Make King Ad·o·ni′jah live long!’ 26 But e no invite me your servant, or Za′dok the priest, or Be·nai′ah the son of Je·hoi′a·da, or your servant Sol′o·mon. 27 My lord the king, na you talk say make them do this one, and you no tell me your servant so that I go know the person wey suppose sitdown for your throne after you?”

28 King David come talk say: “Call Bath-she′ba for me.” Then e come inside and stand for front of the king. 29 The king come swear say: “As Jehovah, the person wey save me* from all kinds of problem dey alive, 30 just as I use the name of Jehovah the God of Israel swear give you say, ‘Your son Sol′o·mon go be king after me, and na im go sitdown for my throne as person wey go replace me,’ na wetin I go do today be that.” 31 Then Bath-she′ba bow down face ground and lie down for ground for the king, and talk say: “Make King David my lord live forever!”

32 Quick-quick, King David talk say: “Make una call Za′dok wey be priest, prophet Nathan, and Be·nai′ah the son of Je·hoi′a·da for me.” So them enter inside come meet the king. 33 The king tell them say: “Make una carry my servants with una, and make my son Sol′o·mon ride my own mule,* and make una lead-am go Gi′hon. 34 Za′dok the priest and Nathan the prophet go anoint-am for there as king wey go rule Israel, then make una blow the horn and talk say, ‘Make King Sol′o·mon live long!’ 35 Then make una follow-am come back, and e go come inside and sitdown for my throne, and e go replace me as king, and I go make-am leader wey go rule Israel and Judah.” 36 Quick-quick, Be·nai′ah the son of Je·hoi′a·da tell the king say: “Amen! Make Jehovah the God of my lord the king agree with this one. 37 Just as Jehovah be dey with my lord the king, make e dey with Sol′o·mon like that too, and make E make the throne of Sol′o·mon big pass the throne of King David my lord.”

38 Then Za′dok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Be·nai′ah the son of Je·hoi′a·da, and Cher′e·thite people and Pel′e·thite people go down and make Sol′o·mon ride the mule of King David. Them come bring-am come Gi′hon. 39 Za′dok wey be priest come take the horn wey oil dey inside from inside the tent and anoint Sol′o·mon, then them blow the horn and all the people start to shout say: “Make King Sol′o·mon live long!” 40 After that one, all the people follow-am go up, and them de play flutes, and de happy well-well, sotey ground shake open because of their noise.

41 Ad·o·ni′jah and all the people wey e invite hear the noise after them don chop finish. As Jo′ab just hear the sound of the horn, e come ask say: “Why noise come full the city like that?” 42 As e still de talk, Jon′a·than the son of A·bi′a·thar the priest come. Then Ad·o·ni′jah talk say: “Come inside, because you be better person, and I dey sure say na better news you bring so.” 43 But Jon′a·than answer Ad·o·ni′jah say: “No! Our lord King David don make Sol′o·mon king. 44 The king send Za′dok the priest with-am, with prophet Nathan, Be·nai′ah the son of Je·hoi′a·da, plus Cher′e·thite people and Pel′e·thite people, and them make-am ride the mule of the king. 45 Then Za′dok the priest and prophet Nathan anoint-am as king for Gi′hon. After that one, them come back from there, and them de happy and noise full everywhere for the city. Na that noise una hear so. 46 Apart from that one, Sol′o·mon don sitdown for the king throne. 47 Another thing be say, the servants of the king come happy with our lord King David, and them talk say, ‘Make your God make people know Sol′o·mon name pass your name, and make E make the throne of Sol′o·mon big pass your throne!’ As the king hear this one, e bow down to God ontop im bed. 48 The king still talk say, ‘Make them praise Jehovah the God of Israel, wey don allow somebody sitdown for my throne today, and don allow me see-am with my own eyes!’”

49 All the people wey Ad·o·ni′jah invite fear no be small, each of them come stand up and go their different-different place. 50 Ad·o·ni′jah too fear because of Sol′o·mon, so e stand up and comot go hold the horns of the altar. 51 Then, them tell Sol′o·mon say: “Ad·o·ni′jah de fear King Sol′o·mon and e don go hold the horns of the altar, de talk say, ‘Make King Sol′o·mon first swear give me say e no go use sword kill im servant.’” 52 As Sol′o·mon hear this one, e talk say: “If e behave well, even one hair from im head no go fall for ground, but if e do bad thing, e go die.” 53 So King Sol′o·mon talk say make them go bring-am down from the altar. Then e come inside and bow down for King Sol′o·mon. After that one, King Sol′o·mon tell-am say: “Go your house.”