Add parallel Print Page Options

and (then) by affinity, either alliance, he was joined to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; for he took the daughter of Pharaoh, and brought (her) into the city of David, till he [ful]filled building his house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem by compass.

Nevertheless the people offered in high places; for the temple was not builded to the name of the Lord till into that day. (But the people still offered at the hill shrines; for the Temple was not yet built in honour of the name of the Lord unto that day.)

Soothly Solomon loved the Lord, and went in the behests of David, his father, except that Solomon offered in high places and burnt incense. (And Solomon loved the Lord, and followed his father David’s commands, except that Solomon offered sacrifices and burned incense at the hill shrines.)

And so Solomon went into Gibeon, to offer there; for that was the most high place (for that was the most important, or the most famous, hill shrine). Solomon offered upon that altar in Gibeon a thousand offerings into burnt sacrifice.

Soothly the Lord appeared to Solomon by sleep in the night, and said, Ask thou that, that thou wilt, that I give it to thee.

And Solomon said, Thou hast done great mercy with thy servant David, my father, as he went in thy sight, in truth, and [in] rightwiseness, and in rightful heart with thee; thou hast kept to him thy great mercy (thou hast shown him thy great love), and hast given to him a son, sitting on his throne, as it is today.

And now, Lord God, thou hast made thy servant to reign for David, my father; forsooth I am a little child (but I am like a little child), and not knowing mine out-going and mine in-coming.

And thy servant is in the midst of the people, which thou hast chosen, of [a] people without number, that may not be numbered and reckoned, for multitude. (And thy servant is in the midst of the people, whom thou hast chosen, of a people without number, who cannot be counted, or reckoned, for their multitude.)

Therefore thou shalt give to thy servant an heart able to be taught, that is, enlightened of thee, that he may deem thy people, and judge betwixt good and evil; for who may deem this people, thy people, this much people? (And so give thou to thy servant a heart able to be taught, that is, able to be enlightened by thee, so that he can judge, or rule, thy people, and judge between good and evil; for who can judge, or rule, this people, this great people of thine?)

10 Therefore the word pleased before the Lord, that Solomon had asked (for) such a thing.

11 And the Lord said to Solomon, For thou askedest this word, and askedest not to thee many days, neither riches, neither the lives of thine enemies, but thou askedest to thee wisdom to deem doom, (And the Lord said to Solomon, For thou askedest for this thing, and askedest not for many days for thyself, nor riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but thou askedest for wisdom to judge justly, or wisely,)

12 lo! I have done to thee after thy words, and I have given to thee a wise heart and an understanding (one), in so much that no man before thee was like thee, neither shall rise (up) after thee.

13 But also I have given to thee these things, which thou askedest not, that is, riches, and glory, that no man be like thee in kings in all times afterward (so that there shall not be any man like thee among the kings in all thy days).

14 Forsooth if thou goest in my ways, and keepest my biddings and [my] commandments, as thy father went in them, (then) I shall make thy days long.

15 Therefore Solomon waked, and understood what the sweven was. And when he had come to Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord, and he offered burnt sacrifices, and made peaceable sacrifices, and (made) a great feast to all his household/to all his menials. (And so Solomon awoke, and understood the dream. And when he had come to Jerusalem, he stood before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and he offered burnt sacrifices, and made peace offerings, and made a great feast for all his household/for all his menials.)

16 Then two women whores came to the king, and stood before him;

17 of which one said, My lord, I beseech, I and this woman dwelled in one house, and I childed at her in a couch (and I brought forth my child in a bed when she was there).

18 And in the third day after that I had childed, also this woman childed (And on the third day after that I had given birth, this woman also gave birth); and we were together in the house, and none other was (there) with us in the house, except us twain.

19 And the son of this woman was dead in the night, for she slept, and over-lay him; (And this woman’s son died in the night, for while she was sleeping, she rolled over, and laid upon him;)

20 and she rose up in the fourth part of the night in silence, and took my son from the side of me, (while) thine handmaid (was) sleeping, and she laid it in her bosom; and she putted in my bosom her son, that was dead.

21 And when I had risen early, to give milk to my son, he appeared dead; whom I beheld more diligently by clear light, and I perceived, that he was not mine, whom I had engendered (whom I had begat).

22 The tother woman answered, It is not as thou sayest, but thy son is dead; forsooth my son liveth. The contrary, she said, Thou liest (But the other woman said, Thou liest); for my son liveth, and thy son is dead. And by this manner they strove before the king.

23 Then the king said, This woman saith, My son liveth, and thy son is dead; and this woman answereth, Nay, but thy son is dead, and my son liveth.

24 Therefore the king said, Bring ye to me a sword. And when they had brought a sword before the king,

25 he said, Part ye the quick young child in two parts (Divide ye, or cut ye, the young living child in two), and give ye the half part to the one, and the half part to the tother.

26 And the woman, whose son was quick, said to the king; for her entrails were moved on her son; Lord, I beseech, give ye to her the quick child, and do not ye slay him. The contrary, she said, Be he neither to me, neither to thee, but be he parted. (And the woman, whose son was living, said to the king; for she was moved with love for her son; Lord, I beseech thee, give ye to her the child alive, and do not ye kill him. But the other woman said, Be he neither to me, nor to thee, but be he divided, or cut in two.)

27 The king answered, and said, Give ye to this (first) woman the young child quick, and be he not slain (Give ye this first woman the young child alive, and do not kill him); forsooth this is his mother.

28 Therefore all Israel heard the doom, which the king had deemed; and they dreaded the king, and saw, that the wisdom of God was in him, to make doom. (And so all Israel heard the judgement, which the king had decreed; and they revered the king, and saw, that God’s wisdom was in him, to make judgements, or justice.)

Solomon Asks for Wisdom(A)

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married(B) his daughter.(C) He brought her to the City of David(D) until he finished building his palace(E) and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places,(F) because a temple had not yet been built for the Name(G) of the Lord. Solomon showed his love(H) for the Lord by walking(I) according to the instructions(J) given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.(K)

The king went to Gibeon(L) to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared(M) to Solomon during the night in a dream,(N) and God said, “Ask(O) for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful(P) to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son(Q) to sit on his throne this very day.

“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child(R) and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen,(S) a great people, too numerous to count or number.(T) So give your servant a discerning(U) heart to govern your people and to distinguish(V) between right and wrong. For who is able(W) to govern this great people of yours?”

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked(X) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment(Y) in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked.(Z) I will give you a wise(AA) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not(AB) asked for—both wealth and honor(AC)—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal(AD) among kings. 14 And if you walk(AE) in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”(AF) 15 Then Solomon awoke(AG)—and he realized it had been a dream.(AH)

He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings(AI) and fellowship offerings.(AJ) Then he gave a feast(AK) for all his court.

A Wise Ruling

16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved(AL) out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom(AM) from God to administer justice.