1 Kings 3
1 Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem.
And Solomon contracted an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, —and took the daughter of Pharaoh, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Yahweh, and the wall of Jerusalem, round about.
2 The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.
Save only, that the people were sacrificing in the high places, —because there had not been built a house unto the Name of Yahweh, until those days,
3 And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
Solomon loved Yahweh, by walking in the statutes of David his father, —save only, that, in the high places, he himself, was sacrificing and offering incense.
4 Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.
So then the king went to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for, that, was the great high place, —a thousand ascending-sacrifices, did Solomon offer up on that altar.
5 One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared unto Solomon, in a dream by night, —and God said, Ask, what I shall give thee.
6 Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
Then said Solomon—Thou, didst deal, with thy servant David my father, in great lovingkindness, according as he walked before thee, in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart, with thee, —and thou hast kept, for him, this great lovingkindness, that thou hast given unto him a son, to sit upon his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
Now, therefore, O Yahweh my God, thou, hast made thy servant king, instead of David my father, —and, I, am but a little child, I know not how to go out and come in.
8 Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.
And, thy servant, is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, —a numerous people, that cannot be numbered or summed up, for multitude.
9 Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
Wilt thou, then, give unto thy servant, a heart that hearkeneth, to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad, —for who is able to judge this thine honoured people?
10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.
And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, —that Solomon had asked this thing;
11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice—
And God said unto him—Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself many days, nor asked for thyself riches, nor asked the lives of thine enemies, —but hast asked for thyself discernment, in hearing a cause,
12 behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you.
lo! I have done according to thy word, —lo! I have given unto thee a wise and discerning heart, so that, like thee, hath been none, before thee, and, after thee, shall rise up none, like thee.
13 Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal.
Moreover also, what thou hast not asked, have I given unto thee, both riches and honour, —so that there hath been none, like thee, among the kings, all thy days.
14 So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”
And, if thou wilt walk in my ways, by keeping my statutes, and my commandments, as, David thy father, walked, then will I lengthen out thy days.
15 Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants.
And Solomon awoke, and lo! it was a dream. So he entered into Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and caused to go up ascending-sacrifices and offered peace-offerings, and made a banquet for all his servants.
16 At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
Then, came there in two unchaste women, unto the king, —and stood before him.
17 One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house.
And the one woman said—Pardon, my lord! I and this woman, dwell in one house, —and I gave birth to a child near her, in the house.
18 On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with no one in the house but the two of us.
And it came to pass, the third day after I bare, that, this woman also, gave birth to a child, —we two, being together, there was no stranger with us in the house, none but we two in the house.
19 During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.
And this woman’s son died in the night, —because she overlaid it.
20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom.
Then arose she, in the middle of the night, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid was sleeping, and laid it in her own besom, —but, her dead son, laid she in, my, bosom.
21 The next morning, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne.”
And, when I arose in the morning, to give suck unto my child, lo! it was dead! but, when I looked at it narrowly in the morning, lo! it was not, my son that I had borne.
22 “No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.” So they argued before the king.
Then said the other woman—Nay! but, my son, is the, living, and, thy son, the, dead. But, this, one kept on saying—Nay, verily! but, thy son, is the, dead, and, my son, the, living. Thus spake they before the king.
23 Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
Then said the king, The one woman, is saying, This, is, my son, the one that liveth, and, thy son, is, the one that is dead, —and, the other, is saying, Nay! but, thy son, is, the dead one, and, my son, the, living.
24 The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword,
And the king said—Bring me a sword! So they brought a sword before the king.
25 and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
Then said the king, Divide the living child, in twain, —and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26 Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”
Then spake the woman, whose was the living child, unto the king—for tender became her compassions over her son—so she said—Pardon, my lord! Give, her, the living child, and do not, kill, it. But the other kept on saying—Neither mine, nor thine, shall it be, divide it.
27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”
Then responded the king, and said—Give, her, the living child, ye shall not, kill, it, —she, is its mother.
28 When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had delivered, and they stood in awe before the king, —for they saw, that, the wisdom of God, was in him, to execute justice.
