1 Kings 3
1 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.
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 YHWH, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 In those days, however, the people still sacrificed on the high places because a Temple to honor the Lord hadn't yet been built.
Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of YHWH, until those days.
3 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.
And Solomon loved YHWH, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
4 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.
And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
5 The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon. God said to him, “Ask what you want me to give you.”
In Gibeon YHWH appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and Elohim said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6 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.
And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, 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 kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 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.
And now, O YHWH my Elohim, 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 or come in.
8 I, your servant, am here in among your chosen people, a great people that are so many they cannot be counted.
And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 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?”
Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
10 The Lord considered that what Solomon asked for was good.
And the speech pleased YHWH, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 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,
And Elohim said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
12 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.
Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13 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.
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
14 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.”
And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
15 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.
And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of YHWH, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16 Later two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him for judgment.
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
17 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.
And the one woman said, O my master, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18 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.
And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
19 During the night this woman's son died because she rolled over on him.
And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20 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.
And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 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.”
And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
22 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.
And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
23 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.’”
Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24 “Bring me a sword,” the king ordered. So they brought him a sword.
And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 “Cut the child that's alive in two, and give half to one woman and half to another,” he commanded.
And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26 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!”
Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my master, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
27 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.”
Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
28 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.
And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of Elohim was in him, to do judgment.
