I Regum 3
1 Confirmatum est igitur regnum in manu Salomonis, et affinitate coniunctus est Pharaoni regi Ægypti: accepit namque filiam eius, et adduxit in civitatem David, donec compleret ædificans domum suam, et domum Domini, et murum Ierusalem per circuitum.
And Solomon became allied to Pharaoh king of Egypt by marriage, 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 the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Attamen populus immolabat in excelsis: non enim ædificatum erat templum nomini Domini usque in diem illum.
Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.
3 Dilexit autem Salomon Dominum, ambulans in præceptis David patris sui, excepto quod in excelsis immolabat, et accendebat thymiama.
And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father; only he sacrificed and offered in the high places.
4 Abiit itaque in Gabaon, ut immolaret ibi: illud quippe erat excelsum maximum: mille hostias in holocaustum obtulit Salomon super altare illud in Gabaon.
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 Apparuit autem Dominus Salomoni per somnium nocte, dicens: Postula quod vis ut dem tibi.
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said: 'Ask what I shall give thee.'
6 Et ait Salomon: Tu fecisti cum servo tuo David patre meo misericordiam magnam, sicut ambulavit in conspectu tuo in veritate, et iustitia, et recto corde tecum: custodisti ei misericordiam tuam grandem, et dedisti ei filium sedentem super thronum eius, sicut est hodie.
And Solomon said: 'Thou hast shown unto Thy servant David my father great kindness, 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 Et nunc Domine Deus, tu regnare fecisti servum tuum pro David patre meo: ego autem sum puer parvulus, et ignorans egressum, et introitum meum.
And now, O LORD 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 or come in.
8 Et servus tuus in medio est populi, quem elegisti, populi infiniti, qui numerari et supputari non potest præ multitudine.
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 Dabis ergo servo tuo cor docile, ut populum tuum iudicare possit, et discernere inter bonum et malum. Quis enim poterit iudicare populum istum, populum tuum hunc multum?
Give Thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?'
10 Placuit ergo sermo coram Domino, quod Salomon postulasset huiuscemodi rem.
And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 Et dixit Dominus Salomoni: Quia postulasti verbum hoc, et non petisti tibi dies multos, nec divitias, aut animas inimicorum tuorum, sed postulasti tibi sapientiam ad discernendum iudicium:
And God 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 justice;
12 ecce feci tibi secundum sermones tuos, et dedi tibi cor sapiens et intelligens, in tantum ut nullus ante te similis tui fuerit, nec post te surrecturus sit.
behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13 Sed et hæc, quæ non postulasti, dedi tibi: divitias scilicet, et gloriam, ut nemo fuerit similis tui in regibus cunctis retro diebus.
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour — so that there hath not been any among the kings like unto thee — all thy days.
14 Si autem ambulaveris in viis meis, et custodieris præcepta mea, et mandata mea, sicut ambulavit pater tuus, longos faciam dies tuos.
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 Igitur evigilavit Salomon, et intellexit quod esset somnium: cumque venisset Ierusalem, stetit coram arca fœderis Domini, et obtulit holocausta, et fecit victimas pacificas, et grande convivium universis famulis suis.
And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream; and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16 Tunc venerunt duæ mulieres meretrices ad regem, steteruntque coram eo,
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
17 quarum una ait: Obsecro, mi domine: ego et mulier hæc habitabamus in domo una, et peperi apud eam in cubiculo.
And the one woman said: 'Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18 Tertia autem die postquam ego peperi, peperit et hæc: et eramus simul, nullusque alius nobiscum in domo, exceptis nobis duabus.
And it came to pass the third day after 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 Mortuus est autem filius mulieris huius nocte. Dormiens quippe oppressit eum.
And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlay it.
20 Et consurgens intempestæ noctis silentio, tulit filium meum de latere meo ancillæ tuæ dormientis, et collocavit in sinu suo: suum autem filium, qui erat mortuus, posuit in sinu meo.
And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 Cumque surrexissem mane ut darem lac filio meo, apparuit mortuus: quem diligentius intuens clara luce, deprehendi non esse meum quem genueram.
And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked well at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I did bear.'
22 Responditque altera mulier: Non est ita ut dicis, sed filius tuus mortuus est, meus autem vivit. Econtrario illa dicebat: Mentiris: filius quippe meus vivit, et filius tuus mortuus est. Atque in hunc modum contendebant coram rege.
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 spoke before the king.
23 Tunc rex ait: Hæc dicit, Filius meus vivit, et filius tuus mortuus est. Et ista respondit: Non, sed filius tuus mortuus est, meus autem vivit.
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 Dixit ergo rex: Afferte mihi gladium. Cumque attulissent gladium coram rege,
And the king said: 'Fetch me a sword.' And they brought a sword before the king.
25 Dividite, inquit, infantem vivum in duas partes, et date dimidiam partem uni, et dimidiam partem alteri.
And the king said: 'Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.'
26 Dixit autem mulier, cuius filius erat vivus, ad regem: (commota sunt quippe viscera eius super filio suo) Obsecro domine, date illi infantem vivum, et nolite interficere eum. Econtrario illa dicebat: Nec mihi, nec tibi sit, sed dividatur.
Then spoke the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned upon her son, and she said: 'Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.' But the other said: 'It shall be neither mine nor thine; divide it.'
27 Respondit rex, et ait: Date huic infantem vivum, et non occidatur: hæc est enim mater eius.
Then the king answered and said: 'Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.'
28 Audivit itaque omnis Israel iudicium quod iudicasset rex, et timuerunt regem, videntes sapientiam Dei esse in eo ad faciendum iudicium.
And 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.
