1 Kings 3
1 Salomon then made affinitie with Pharaoh King of Egypt, and tooke Pharaohs daughter, and brought her into the citie of Dauid, vntill hee had made an ende of buylding his owne house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Ierusalem round about.
Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house, the house of Yahweh, and the wall around Jerusalem.
2 Only the people sacrificed in the hie places, because there was no house buylt vnto the name of the Lord, vntill those dayes.
The people were sacrificing at the high places, because no house had yet been built for the name of Yahweh.
3 And Salomon loued the Lord, walking in the ordinances of Dauid his father: onely he sacrificed and offred incense in the hie places.
Solomon showed his love for Yahweh by walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.
4 And the King went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the chiefe hie place: a thousand burnt offrings did Salomon offer vpon that altar.
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place there. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Salomon in a dreame by night: and God sayd, Aske what I shall giue thee.
Yahweh appeared at Gibeon to Solomon in a dream by night; he said, “Ask! What should I give you?”
6 And Salomon sayd, Thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Dauid my father great mercie, when hee walked before thee in trueth, and in righteousnesse, and in vprightnes of heart with thee: and thou hast kept for him this great mercie, and hast giuen him a sonne, to sit on his throne, as appeareth this day.
So Solomon said, “You have shown great covenant faithfulness to your servant, David my father, because he walked before you in trustworthiness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart. You have kept for him this great covenant faithfulness and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.
7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy seruant King in steade of Dauid my father: and I am but a yong childe, and know not howe to go out and in.
Now Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father, though I am only a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
8 And thy seruant is in the mids of thy people, which thou hast chosen, euen a great people which cannot be told nor nobred for multitude.
Your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
9 Giue therefore vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart, to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good and bad: for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people?
So give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”
10 And this pleased the Lord well, that Salomon had desired this thing.
This request of Solomon pleased the Lord.
11 And God sayde vnto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, neyther hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement,
So God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice.
12 Beholde, I haue done according to thy wordes: lo, I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart, so that there hath bene none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee.
See, now I will do all you asked of me when you gave me your request. I give you a wise and an understanding heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, and no one like you will rise up after you.
13 And I haue also giuen thee that, which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour, so that among the Kings there shall be none like vnto thee all thy dayes.
I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.
14 And if thou wilt walke in my wayes, to keepe mine ordinances and my commandements, as thy father Dauid did walke, I will prolong thy dayes.
If you will walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
15 And when Salomon awoke, behold, it was a dreame, and he came to Ierusalem, and stoode before the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, and offred burnt offrings and made peace offrings, and made a feast to all his seruants.
Then Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Then came two harlots vnto the King, and stoode before him.
Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 And the one woman sayd, Oh my lorde, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was deliuered of a childe with her in the house.
One woman said, “Oh, my master, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child with her in the house.
18 And the third day after that I was deliuered, this woman was deliuered also: and we were in the house together: no stranger was with vs in the house, saue we twaine.
It happened on the third day after I gave birth that this woman also gave birth. We were together. There was no one else with us in the house, but only the two of us in the house.
19 And this womans sonne died in the night: for she ouerlay him.
Then this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him.
20 And she rose at midnight, and tooke my sonne from my side, while thine handmaide slept, and layde him in her bosome, and layde her dead sonne in my bosome.
So she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.
21 And when I rose in the morning to giue my sonne sucke, beholde, he was dead: and when I had well considered him in the morning, beholde, it was not my sonne, whom I had borne.
When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, he was dead. But when I had looked at him carefully in the morning, he was not my son, whom I had borne.”
22 Then the other woman sayd, Nay, but my sonne liueth, and thy sonne is dead. Againe she sayde, No, but thy sonne is dead, and mine aliue: thus they spake before the King.
Then the other woman said, “No, the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” The first woman said, “No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” This is how they spoke before the king.
23 Then sayde the King, She sayth, This that liueth is my sonne, and the dead is thy sonne: and the other sayth, Nay, but the dead is thy sonne, and the liuing is my sonne.
Then the king said, “One of you says, 'This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,' and the other says, 'No, your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'”
24 Then the King said, Bring me a sworde: and they brought out a sworde before the King.
The king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.
25 And the King sayde, Deuide ye the liuing child in twaine, and giue the one halfe to the one, and the other halfe to the other.
Then the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to this woman and half to the other.”
26 Then spake the woman, whose the liuing child was, vnto the King, for her compassion was kindled toward her sonne, and she sayde, Oh my lorde, giue her the liuing childe, and slay him not: but the other sayde, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but deuide it.
Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king, for her heart was full of compassion for her son, and she said, “Oh, my master, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other woman said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide him.”
27 Then the King answered, and sayde, Giue her the liuing childe, and slay him not: this is his mother.
Then the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.”
28 And all Israel heard the iudgement, which the King had iudged, and they feared the King: for they sawe that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice.
When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, they feared the king, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him for giving judgments.
