< 1 Kings 3 >

1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, 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.
And the wisdom of Solomon abounded exceedingly beyond the wisdom of all the ancients, and beyond all the wise men of Egypt: and he took the daughter of Pharao, and brought her into the city of David, until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord first, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.
Nevertheless the people burnt incense on the high places, because a house had not yet been built to the Lord.
3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
And Solomon loved the Lord, [so as] to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.
4 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.
And he arose and went to Gabaon to sacrifice there, for that [was] the highest place, and great: Solomon offered a whole-burnt-offering of a thousand [victims] on the altar in Gabaon.
5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give you.
And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Solomon, Ask some petition for thyself.
6 And Solomon said, You have showed unto your servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you; and you have kept for him this great kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
And Solomon said, Thou hast dealt very mercifully with thy servant David my father 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 mercy, to set his son upon his throne, as [it is] this day.
7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
And now, O Lord my God, thou hast appointed thy servant in the room of David my father; and I am a little child, and know not my going out an my coming in.
8 And your servant is in the midst of your people which you have chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
But thy servant [is] in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, a great people, which as this day cannot be numbered.
9 Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this your so great a people?
Thou shalt give therefore to thy servant a heart to hear and to judge thy people justly, and to discern between good and evil: for who will be able to judge this thy great people?
10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.
And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.
11 And God said unto him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment;
And the Lord said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing of me, and hast not asked for thyself long life, and hast not asked wealth, nor hast asked the lives of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to hear judgment;
12 Behold, I have done according to your words: lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like unto you.
behold, I have done according to thy word: behold, I have given thee an understanding and wise heart: there has not been [any one] like thee before thee, and after thee there shall not arise one like thee.
13 And I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto you all your days.
And I have given thee what thou hast not asked, wealth and glory, so that there has not been any one like thee among kings.
14 And if you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David did walk, then I will lengthen your days.
And if thou wilt walk in my way, to keep my commandments and my ordinances, as David thy father walked, then will I multiply thy days.
15 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.
And Solomon awoke, and, behold, [it was] a dream: and he arose and came to Jerusalem, and stood before the altar that was in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord in Sion: and he offered whole-burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings, and made a great banquet for himself and all his servants.
16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
Then there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him.
17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
And the one woman said, Hear me, [my] lord; I and this woman dwelt in one house, and we were delivered in the house.
18 And it came to pass the third day after that 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.
And it came to pass on the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered: and we [were] together; and there was no one with us besides our two selves in the house.
19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
and she arose in the middle of the night, and took my son from my arms, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.
21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
and I arose in the morning to suckle my son, and he was dead: and, behold, I considered him in the morning, and, behold, it was not my son whom I bore.
22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son. And this said, No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.
And the other woman said, No, but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] thy son. So they spoke before the king.
23 Then said the king, The one says, This is my son that lives, and your son is the dead: and the other says, Nay; but your son is the dead, and my son is the living.
and the king said to them, Thou sayest, This [is] my son, [even] the living [one], and this woman's son [is] the dead one: and thou sayest, No, but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] thy son.
24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
And the king said, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
And the king said, Divide the live child, the suckling, in two; and give half of it to one, and half of it to the other.
26 Then spoke the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor yours, but divide it.
And the woman whose the living child was, answered and said to the king, (for her bowels yearned over her son) and she said, I pray thee, [my] lord, give her the child, and in nowise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor hers; divide [it].
27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her that said, 'Give it to her, and by no means slay it:' she [is] its mother.
28 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 judgment.
and all Israel heard this judgment which the king judged, and they feared before the king; because they saw that the wisdom of God [was] in him, to execute judgment.

< 1 Kings 3 >