1 Kings 3
1 Therfor the rewme was confermyd in to the hondis of Salomon; and bi affynyte, `ether aliaunce, he was ioyned to Pharao, kyng of Egipt; for he took the douyter of Farao, and brouyte in to the citee of Dauid, til he `fillide bildynge his hows, and the hows of the Lord, and the wal of Jerusalem bi cumpas.
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 Netheles the puple offride in hiye places; for the temple was not bildid to the name of the Lord til in to that dai.
However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for the LORD’s name.
3 Forsothe Salomon louyde the Lord, and yede in the comaundementis of Dauid, his fadir, out takun that Salomon offride in hiye placis, and brente encense `in hiye places.
Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.
4 Therfor Salomon yede in to Gabaon, to offre there; for thilke was the moost hiy place. Salomon offride on that auter in Gabaon a thousynde offryngis in to brent sacrifice.
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 Sotheli the Lord apperide to Salomon bi sleep in the nyyt, and seide, Axe thou `that, that thou wolt, that Y yyue to thee.
In Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”
6 And Salomon seide, Thou hast do greet merci with thi seruaunt Dauid, my fadir, as he yede in thi siyt, in treuthe, and riytfulnesse, and riytful herte with thee; thou hast kepte to hym thi greet merci, and hast youun to hym a sone, sittynge on his trone, as it is to dai.
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 And now, Lord God, thou hast maad thi seruaunt to regne for Dauid, my fadir; forsothe Y am a litil child, and not knowynge myn outgoynge and entryng.
Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father. I am just a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
8 And thi seruaunt is in the myddis of the puple, which thou hast chose, of puple with outen noumbre, that may not be noumbrid and rikened, for multitude.
Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude.
9 Therfor thou schalt yyue to thi seruaunt an herte able to be tauyt, `that is, liytned of thee, that he may deme the puple, and iuge bitwixe good and yuel; for who may deme this puple, thi puple, this miche puple?
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 Therfor the world pleside bifore the Lord, that Salomon hadde axid sich a thing.
This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 And the Lord seide to Salomon, For thou axidist this word, and axidist not to thee many daies, nether richessis, nether the lyues of thin enemyes, but thou axidist to thee wisdom to deme doom, lo!
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 Y haue do to thee vpe thi wordis, and Y haue youe to thee a wyse herte and vndirstondynge, in so myche that no man bifor thee was lijk thee, nether schal rise aftir 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 But also Y haue youe to thee these thingis, whiche thou axidist not, that is, richessis, and glorie, that no man be lijk thee in kyngis in alle tymes aftirward.
I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you for all your days.
14 Forsothe if thou goist in my weies, and kepist my biddyngis and comaundementis, as thi fadir yede, Y schal make thi daies long.
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 Therfor Salomon wakide, and vndirstood what the sweuen was. And whanne he hadde come to Jerusalem, he stood bifor the arke of boond of pees of the Lord, and he offride brent sacrifices, and made pesible sacrifices, and a greet feeste to alle hise meynees.
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 Thanne twei wymmen hooris camen to the kyng, and stoden bifor hym;
Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.
17 of whiche oon seide, My lord, Y biseche, Y and this womman dwelliden in oon hows, and Y childide at hir in a couche.
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 Sotheli in the thridde dai aftir that Y childide, also this womman childide; and we weren togidere in the hows, and noon other was with vs in the hows, outakun vs tweyne.
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 Forsothe the sone of this womman was deed in the nyyt, for sche slepte, and oppresside hym;
This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.
20 and sche roos in the fourthe part of the nyyt in silence, and took my sone fro the side of me, thin handmaide slepynge, and settide in hir bosum; forsothe sche puttide in my bosum hir sone, that was deed.
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 whanne Y hadde ryse eerli, to yyue mylk to my sone, he apperide deed; whom Y bihelde diligentlier bi cleer liyt, and Y perseyuede, that he was not myn, whom Y hadde gendrid.
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 The tother womman answeride, It is not so as thou seist, but thi sone is deed; forsothe `my sone lyueth. Ayenward sche seide, Thou liest; for my sone lyueth, and thi sone is deed. And bi this maner thei stryueden bifore the kyng.
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 Thanne the kyng seide, This womman seith, My sone lyueth, and thi sone is deed; and this womman answerith, Nay, but thi sone is deed; forsothe my sone lyueth.
Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead one;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”
24 Therfor the kyng seide, Brynge ye to me a swerd. And whanne thei hadden brouyt a swerd bifor the kyng,
The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.
25 he seide, Departe ye the quyk yong child in to twei partis, and yyue ye the half part to oon, and the half part to the tother.
The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”
26 Forsothe the womman, whos sone was quik, seide to the kyng; for her entrailis weren mouyd on hir sone; Lord, Y biseche, yyue ye to hir the quik child, and nyle ye sle hym. Ayenward sche seide, Be he nethir to me, nether to thee, but be he departid.
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 The kyng answeride, and seide, Yyue ye to this womman the yong child quyk, and be he not slayn; forsothe this is `his modir.
Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”
28 Therfor al Israel herde the doom, which the kyng hadde demyd; and thei dredden the kyng, and sien, that the wisdom of God was in hym, to make doom.
All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
