1 Kings 3
1 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.
Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into David’s city until he had finished building his own house, the LORD’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.
2 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,
However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for the LORD’s name.
3 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.
Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
4 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.
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
5 In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared unto Solomon, in a dream by night, —and God said, Ask, what I shall give thee.
In Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”
6 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.
Solomon said, “You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, because he walked before you in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you. You have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.
7 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.
Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father. I am just a little child. I don’t know how to go out or come in.
8 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.
Your servant is amongst your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.
9 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?
Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”
10 And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, —that Solomon had asked this thing;
This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 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,
God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have you asked for riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,
12 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.
behold, I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, and after you none will arise like you.
13 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.
I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honour, so that there will not be any amongst the kings like you for all your days.
14 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.
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 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.
Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the LORD’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Then, came there in two unchaste women, unto the king, —and stood before him.
Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.
17 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.
The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. I delivered a child with her in the house.
18 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.
The third day after I delivered, this woman delivered also. We were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, just us two in the house.
19 And this woman’s son died in the night, —because she overlaid it.
This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.
20 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.
She arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me while your servant slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 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.
When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead; but when I had looked at him in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I bore.”
22 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.
The other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” The first one said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” They argued like this before the king.
23 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.
Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”
24 And the king said—Bring me a sword! So they brought a sword before the king.
The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.
25 Then said the king, Divide the living child, in twain, —and give half to the one, and half to the other.
The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”
26 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.
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 in no way kill him!” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide him.”
27 Then responded the king, and said—Give, her, the living child, ye shall not, kill, it, —she, is its mother.
Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”
28 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.
All Israel heard of the judgement which the king had judged; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
