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
Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to live in the City of David until he finished building his palace, the Lord's Temple, and the walls surrounding Jerusalem.
2 et tamen populus immolabat in excelsis non enim aedificatum erat templum nomini Domini usque in die illo
In those days, however, the people still sacrificed on the high places because a Temple to honor the Lord hadn't yet been built.
3 dilexit autem Salomon Dominum ambulans in praeceptis David patris sui excepto quod in excelsis immolabat et accendebat thymiama
Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the instructions of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned offerings 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
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the leading high place. Solomon presented one thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.
5 apparuit Dominus Salomoni per somnium nocte dicens postula quod vis ut dem tibi
The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon. God said to him, “Ask what you want me to give 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 showed your servant David, my father, great trustworthy love because he lived his life before you with faithfulness, doing what was right and committed to principle. You have continued to show this great trustworthy love by giving him a son to sit on his throne to this 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
Now, Lord God, you have made me king in place of my father David. But I am like an inexperienced young boy who doesn't know what to do.
8 et servus tuus in medio est populi quem elegisti populi infiniti qui numerari et supputari non potest prae multitudine
I, your servant, am here in among your chosen people, a great people that are so many they cannot be counted.
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
So please give me a mind that's receptive so I can rule your people well, understanding the difference between right and wrong, for who can rule this difficult people of yours?”
10 placuit ergo sermo coram Domino quod Salomon rem huiuscemodi postulasset
The Lord considered that what Solomon asked for was good.
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 told him, “Because you asked for this, and you didn't ask for a long life, or wealth, or the death of your enemies, but instead you asked for understanding to know what is right,
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
I am giving you what you asked for. I am giving you a mind that is wise, with an understanding of what is right, more than anyone else before you or after you.
13 sed et haec quae non postulasti dedi tibi divitias scilicet et gloriam ut nemo fuerit similis tui in regibus cunctis retro diebus
I am also giving you what you did not ask for, wealth and status—so much so that no king will compare to you for the whole of your life.
14 si autem ambulaveris in viis meis et custodieris praecepta mea et mandata mea sicut ambulavit pater tuus longos faciam dies tuos
And if you follow my ways by keeping my laws and my commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”
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 woke up and realized he'd had a dream. He went back to Jerusalem, and stood in front of the Ark of the Lord's Agreement and he presented burnt offerings and friendship offerings, and he held a feast for all his officials.
16 tunc venerunt duae mulieres meretrices ad regem steteruntque coram eo
Later two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him for judgment.
17 quarum una ait obsecro mi domine ego et mulier haec habitabamus in domo una et peperi apud eam in cubiculo
One of the women spoke up, saying, “If it please Your Majesty: I share a house with this woman. I had a baby while she was living in the house.
18 tertia vero die postquam ego peperi peperit et haec et eramus simul nullusque alius in domo nobiscum exceptis nobis duabus
Three days after the birth of my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were together; there was no one else in the house, just 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
She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while I was sleeping. She lay him close beside her to cuddle him, and she lay her dead son close beside me.
21 cumque surrexissem mane ut darem lac filio meo apparuit mortuus quem diligentius intuens clara luce deprehendi non esse meum quem genueram
When I got up in the morning to nurse my son I saw that he was dead. When I looked closely at him in the light I realized it wasn't my son.”
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
The other woman argued, “No! My son is the one that's alive. Your son is the one that's dead.” The first woman objected, “No! Your son is the one that's dead. My son is the one that's alive.” They went on quarrelling in front of 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
The king intervened, saying, “So this woman says ‘My son is the one that's alive. Your son is the one that's dead,’ while the other woman says, ‘No! Your son is the one that's dead. My son is the one that's alive.’”
24 dixit ergo rex adferte mihi gladium cumque adtulissent gladium coram rege
“Bring me a sword,” the king ordered. So they brought him a sword.
25 dividite inquit infantem vivum in duas partes et date dimidiam partem uni et dimidiam partem alteri
“Cut the child that's alive in two, and give half to one woman and half to another,” he commanded.
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
But the woman whose son was alive had so much love for him as a mother that she cried out to the king, “Please, Your Majesty, give her the boy! Don't kill him!” But the other woman said, “He won't be mine or yours—cut him in two!”
27 respondens rex ait date huic infantem vivum et non occidatur haec est mater eius
The king gave his verdict. “Give the child that's alive to the first woman,” he ordered. “On no account kill him, for she is his real mother.”
28 audivit itaque omnis Israhel iudicium quod iudicasset rex et timuerunt regem videntes sapientiam Dei esse in eo ad faciendum iudicium
When everyone in Israel heard about the verdict the king had delivered, they had great respect for the king, because they recognized the wisdom God had given him to judge rightly.
