I Regum 3
1 confirmatum est igitur regnum in manu Salomonis et adfinitate coniunctus est Pharaoni regi Aegypti accepit namque filiam eius et adduxit in civitatem David donec conpleret aedificans domum suam et domum Domini et murum Hierusalem per circuitum
Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem.
2 et tamen populus immolabat in excelsis non enim aedificatum erat templum nomini Domini usque in die illo
The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.
3 dilexit autem Salomon Dominum ambulans in praeceptis David patris sui excepto quod in excelsis immolabat et accendebat thymiama
And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on 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
Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.
5 apparuit Dominus Salomoni per somnium nocte dicens postula quod vis ut dem tibi
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
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 et hodie
Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
7 et nunc Domine Deus tu regnare fecisti servum tuum pro David patre meo ego autem sum puer parvus et ignorans egressum et introitum meum
And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing 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 prae multitudine
Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.
9 dabis ergo servo tuo cor docile ut iudicare possit populum tuum et discernere inter malum et bonum quis enim potest iudicare populum istum populum tuum hunc multum
Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
10 placuit ergo sermo coram Domino quod Salomon rem huiuscemodi postulasset
Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.
11 et dixit Deus Salomoni quia postulasti verbum hoc et non petisti tibi dies multos nec divitias aut animam inimicorum tuorum sed postulasti tibi sapientiam ad discernendum iudicium
So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice—
12 ecce feci tibi secundum sermones tuos et dedi tibi cor sapiens et intellegens in tantum ut nullus ante te similis tui fuerit nec post te surrecturus sit
behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you.
13 sed et haec quae non postulasti dedi tibi divitias scilicet et gloriam ut nemo fuerit similis tui in regibus cunctis retro diebus
Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal.
14 si autem ambulaveris in viis meis et custodieris praecepta mea et mandata mea sicut ambulavit pater tuus longos faciam dies tuos
So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”
15 igitur evigilavit Salomon et intellexit quod esset somnium cumque venisset Hierusalem stetit coram arca foederis Domini et obtulit holocausta et fecit victimas pacificas et grande convivium universis famulis suis
Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants.
16 tunc venerunt duae mulieres meretrices ad regem steteruntque coram eo
At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 quarum una ait obsecro mi domine ego et mulier haec habitabamus in domo una et peperi apud eam in cubiculo
One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house.
18 tertia vero die postquam ego peperi peperit et haec et eramus simul nullusque alius in domo nobiscum exceptis nobis duabus
On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with no one in the house but the two of us.
19 mortuus est autem filius mulieris huius nocte dormiens quippe oppressit eum
During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.
20 et consurgens intempesta nocte silentio tulit filium meum de latere meo ancillae tuae dormientis et conlocavit in sinu suo suum autem filium qui erat mortuus posuit in sinu meo
So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom.
21 cumque surrexissem mane ut darem lac filio meo apparuit mortuus quem diligentius intuens clara luce deprehendi non esse meum quem genueram
The next morning, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne.”
22 responditque altera mulier non est ita sed filius tuus mortuus est meus autem vivit e contrario illa dicebat mentiris filius quippe meus vivit et filius tuus mortuus est atque in hunc modum contendebant coram rege
“No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.” So they argued before the king.
23 tunc rex ait haec dicit filius meus vivit et filius tuus mortuus est et ista respondit non sed filius tuus mortuus est et filius meus vivit
Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’”
24 dixit ergo rex adferte mihi gladium cumque adtulissent gladium coram rege
The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword,
25 dividite inquit infantem vivum in duas partes et date dimidiam partem uni et dimidiam partem alteri
and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to 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 contra illa dicebat nec mihi nec tibi sit dividatur
Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”
27 respondens rex ait date huic infantem vivum et non occidatur haec est mater eius
Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”
28 audivit itaque omnis Israhel iudicium quod iudicasset rex et timuerunt regem videntes sapientiam Dei esse in eo ad faciendum iudicium
When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
