1 Kings 3
1 And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon, and he made affinity with Pharao the king of Egypt: for he took his daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to live in the City of David until he finished building his palace, the Lord's Temple, and the walls surrounding Jerusalem.
2 But yet the people sacrificed in the high places: far there was no temple built to the name of the Lord until that day.
In those days, however, the people still sacrificed on the high places because a Temple to honor the Lord hadn't yet been built.
3 And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the precepts of David his father, only he sacrificed in the high places: and burnt incense.
Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the instructions of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned offerings on the high places.
4 He went therefore to Gabaon, to sacrifice there: for that was the great high place: a thousand victims for holocausts did Solomon offer upon that altar in Gabaon.
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the leading high place. Solomon presented one thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.
5 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee.
The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon. God said to him, “Ask what you want me to give you.”
6 And Solomon said: Thou hast shewn great mercy to thy servant David my father, even at, he walked before thee in truth, and justice, and an upright heart with thee: and thou hast kept thy great mercy for him, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
Solomon replied, “You showed your servant David, my father, great trustworthy love because he lived his life before you with faithfulness, doing what was right and committed to principle. You have continued to show this great trustworthy love by giving him a son to sit on his throne to this day.
7 And now, O Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in.
Now, Lord God, you have made me king in place of my father David. But I am like an inexperienced young boy who doesn't know what to do.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
I, your servant, am here in among your chosen people, a great people that are so many they cannot be counted.
9 Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people which is so numerous?
So please give me a mind that's receptive so I can rule your people well, understanding the difference between right and wrong, for who can rule this difficult people of yours?”
10 And the word was pleasing to the Lord that Solomon had asked such a thing.
The Lord considered that what Solomon asked for was good.
11 And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life or riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment,
So God told him, “Because you asked for this, and you didn't ask for a long life, or wealth, or the death of your enemies, but instead you asked for understanding to know what is right,
12 Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, insomuch that there hath been no one like thee before thee, nor shall arise after thee.
I am giving you what you asked for. I am giving you a mind that is wise, with an understanding of what is right, more than anyone else before you or after you.
13 Yea and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have given thee: to wit riches and glory, as that no one hath been like thee among the kings in all days heretofore.
I am also giving you what you did not ask for, wealth and status—so much so that no king will compare to you for the whole of your life.
14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, and Beep my precepts, and my commandments, as thy father walked, I will lengthen thy days.
And if you follow my ways by keeping my laws and my commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”
15 And Solomon awaked, and perceived that it was a dream: and when he was come to Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered holocausts, and sacrificed victims of peace offerings, and made a great feast for all his servants.
Then Solomon woke up and realized he'd had a dream. He went back to Jerusalem, and stood in front of the Ark of the Lord's Agreement and he presented burnt offerings and friendship offerings, and he held a feast for all his officials.
16 Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him:
Later two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him for judgment.
17 And one of them said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber.
One of the women spoke up, saying, “If it please Your Majesty: I share a house with this woman. I had a baby while she was living in the house.
18 And the third day, after that I was delivered, she also was delivered, and we were together, and no other person with us in the house, only we two.
Three days after the birth of my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were together; there was no one else in the house, just the two of us.
19 And this woman’s child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid him.
During the night this woman's son died because she rolled over on him.
20 And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I thy handmaid was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and laid her dead child in my bosom.
She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while I was sleeping. She lay him close beside her to cuddle him, and she lay her dead son close beside me.
21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold it was dead: but considering him more diligently when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore.
When I got up in the morning to nurse my son I saw that he was dead. When I looked closely at him in the light I realized it wasn't my son.”
22 And the other woman answered: It is not so as thou sayest, but thy child is dead, and mine is alive. On the contrary she said: Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And in this manner they strove before the king.
The other woman argued, “No! My son is the one that's alive. Your son is the one that's dead.” The first woman objected, “No! Your son is the one that's dead. My son is the one that's alive.” They went on quarrelling in front of the king.
23 Then said the king: The one saith, My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other answereth: Nay, but thy child is dead, and mine liveth.
The king intervened, saying, “So this woman says ‘My son is the one that's alive. Your son is the one that's dead,’ while the other woman says, ‘No! Your son is the one that's dead. My son is the one that's alive.’”
24 The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. And when they had brought a sword before the king,
“Bring me a sword,” the king ordered. So they brought him a sword.
25 Divide, said he, the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
“Cut the child that's alive in two, and give half to one woman and half to another,” he commanded.
26 But the woman whose child was alive, said to the king, (for her bowels were moved upon her child, ) I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it. But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
But the woman whose son was alive had so much love for him as a mother that she cried out to the king, “Please, Your Majesty, give her the boy! Don't kill him!” But the other woman said, “He won't be mine or yours—cut him in two!”
27 The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed, for she is the mother thereof.
The king gave his verdict. “Give the child that's alive to the first woman,” he ordered. “On no account kill him, for she is his real mother.”
28 And all Israel heard the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.
When everyone in Israel heard about the verdict the king had delivered, they had great respect for the king, because they recognized the wisdom God had given him to judge rightly.
