< 1 Kings 3 >

1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
And the wisdom of Solomon abounded exceedingly beyond the wisdom of all the ancients, and beyond all the wise men of Egypt: and he took the daughter of Pharao, and brought her into the city of David, until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord first, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Jehovah until those days.
Nevertheless the people burnt incense on the high places, because a house had not yet been built to the Lord.
3 And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of David his father. Only he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
And Solomon loved the Lord, [so as] to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.
4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings upon that altar.
And he arose and went to Gabaon to sacrifice there, for that [was] the highest place, and great: Solomon offered a whole burnt offering of a thousand [victims] on the altar in Gabaon.
5 In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Solomon, Ask some petition for yourself.
6 And Solomon said, Thou have shown to thy servant David my father great loving kindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee. And thou have kept for him this great loving kindness, that thou have given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day.
And Solomon said, You have dealt very mercifully with your servant David my father according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you, and you have kept for him this great mercy, to set his son upon his throne, as [it is] this day.
7 And now, O Jehovah my God, thou have made thy servant king instead of David my father. And I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.
And now, O Lord my God, you have appointed your servant in the room of David my father; and I am a little child, and know not my going out an my coming in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou have chosen, a great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
But your servant [is] in the midst of your people, whom you have chosen, a great people, which as this day can’t be numbered.
9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to judge this thy great people?
You shall give therefore to your servant a heart to hear and to judge your people justly, and to discern between good and evil: for who will be able to judge this your great people?
10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.
11 And God said to him, Because thou have asked this thing, and have not asked for thyself long life, neither have asked riches for thyself, nor have asked the life of thine enemies, but have asked for thyself understanding to discern justice,
And the Lord said to him, Because you have asked this thing of me, and have not asked for yourself long life, and have not asked wealth, nor have asked the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to hear judgement;
12 behold, I have done according to thy word. Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there has been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like thee.
behold, I have done according to your word: behold, I have given you an understanding and wise heart: there has not been [any one] like you before you, and after you there shall not arise one like you.
13 And I have also given thee that which thou have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like thee all thy days.
And I have given you what you have not asked, wealth and glory, so that there has not been any one like you amongst kings.
14 And if thou will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David walked, then I will lengthen thy days.
And if you will walk in my way, to keep my commandments and my ordinances, as David your father walked, then will I multiply your days.
15 And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
And Solomon awoke, and, behold, [it was] a dream: and he arose and came to Jerusalem, and stood before the altar that was in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord in Sion: and he offered whole burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings, and made a great banquet for himself and all his servants.
16 Then two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him.
Then there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him.
17 And the one woman said, Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. And I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
And the one woman said, Hear me, [my] lord; I and this woman lived in one house, and we were delivered in the house.
18 And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also. And we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, except we two in the house.
And it came to pass on the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered: and we [were] together; and there was no one with us besides our two selves in the house.
19 And this woman's child died in the night, because she lay upon it.
And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
and she arose in the middle of the night, and took my son from my arms, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.
21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead. But when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I bore.
and I arose in the morning to suckle my son, and he was dead: and, behold, I considered him in the morning, and, behold, it was not my son whom I bore.
22 And the other woman said, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And the other woman said, No, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.
And the other woman said, No, but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] your son. So they spoke before the king.
23 Then the king said, The one says, This is my son that lives, and thy son is the dead. And the other says, No, but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
and the king said to them, You say, This [is] my son, [even] the living [one], and this woman's son [is] the dead one: and you say, No, but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] your son.
24 And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
And the king said, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
And the king said, Divide the live child, the suckling, in two; and give half of it to one, and half of it to the other.
26 Then the woman whose the living child was spoke to the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine. Divide it.
And the woman whose the living child was, answered and said to the king, (for her bowels yearned over her son) and she said, I pray you, [my] lord, give her the child, and in nowise kill it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor hers; divide [it].
27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and by no means kill it; she is the mother of it.
Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her that said, 'Give it to her, and by no means kill it:' she [is] its mother.
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged. And they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.
and all Israel heard this judgement which the king judged, and they feared before the king; because they saw that the wisdom of God [was] in him, to execute judgement.

< 1 Kings 3 >