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 king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into David’s city until he had finished building his own house, Yahweh’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.
2 et tamen populus immolabat in excelsis non enim aedificatum erat templum nomini Domini usque in die illo
However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for Yahweh’s name.
3 dilexit autem Salomon Dominum ambulans in praeceptis David patris sui excepto quod in excelsis immolabat et accendebat thymiama
Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense 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
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 apparuit Dominus Salomoni per somnium nocte dicens postula quod vis ut dem tibi
In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should 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 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 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, Yahweh 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 et servus tuus in medio est populi quem elegisti populi infiniti qui numerari et supputari non potest prae multitudine
Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.
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
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 placuit ergo sermo coram Domino quod Salomon rem huiuscemodi postulasset
This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
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
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 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 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 sed et haec quae non postulasti dedi tibi divitias scilicet et gloriam ut nemo fuerit similis tui in regibus cunctis retro diebus
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 si autem ambulaveris in viis meis et custodieris praecepta mea et mandata mea sicut ambulavit pater tuus longos faciam dies tuos
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 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
Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 tunc venerunt duae mulieres meretrices ad regem steteruntque coram eo
Then two women who were 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
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 tertia vero die postquam ego peperi peperit et haec et eramus simul nullusque alius in domo nobiscum exceptis nobis duabus
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 mortuus est autem filius mulieris huius nocte dormiens quippe oppressit eum
This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.
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 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 cumque surrexissem mane ut darem lac filio meo apparuit mortuus quem diligentius intuens clara luce deprehendi non esse meum quem genueram
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 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 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 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 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 dixit ergo rex adferte mihi gladium cumque adtulissent gladium coram rege
The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.
25 dividite inquit infantem vivum in duas partes et date dimidiam partem uni et dimidiam partem alteri
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 contra illa dicebat nec mihi nec tibi sit dividatur
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 respondens rex ait date huic infantem vivum et non occidatur haec est mater eius
Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not 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
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.
