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And Sh’lomo made an alliance with Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, and took Bat Pharaoh as isha, and brought her to Ir Dovid, until he had completed building his Bais (palace), and also the Beis Hashem, and the surrounding chomat Yerushalayim.

However HaAm were sacrificing in the high places, because there was no Bayit built unto the Shem of Hashem in those days.

And Sh’lomo loved Hashem, walking in the chukkot Dovid Aviv; however he was sacrificing and burning ketoret at the high places.

And HaMelech went to Giveon to sacrifice there; for that was the bamah hagedolah (the great high place); a thousand olot did Sh’lomo offer upon that mizbe’ach.

In Giveon Hashem appeared to Sh’lomo in a chalom halailah; Elohim said, Ask what I should give thee.

And Sh’lomo said, Thou hast showed unto Thy eved Dovid Avi chesed gadol (great mercy), according as he walked before Thee in emes, and in tzedakah, and in yesharah levav (uprightness of heart) with Thee; and Thou hast been shomer to preserve this chesed hagadol for him, that Thou hast given him Ben [Dovid] to sit on his kisse, as is this day.

And now, Hashem Elohai, Thou hast made Thy eved Melech in the place of Dovid Avi; and I am but a na’ar katon (little child); I know not how to go out or come in.

And Thy eved is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, an Am Rav, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

Give therefore Thy eved a lev shome’a (discerning heart, mind) to govern Thy people, that I may discern between tov and rav; for who is sufficient to judge this Thy so great a people?

10 And the davar was pleasing in the eyes of Adonoi, that Sh’lomo had made request of this davar.

11 And Elohim said unto him, Because thou hast made request of this davar, and hast not requested for thyself yamim rabbim; neither hast requested osher for thyself, nor hast requested the nefesh of thine oyevim; but hast requested for thyself binah to comprehend mishpat;

12 Hinei, I have done according to thy devarim; hinei, I have given thee a discerning lev chacham; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not requested, both osher, and kavod; so that there shall not be any among the Melachim like unto thee all thy yamim.

14 And if thou wilt walk in My derakhim, to be shomer over My chukkot and My mitzvot, as Dovid Avicha did walk, then I will lengthen thy yamim.

15 And Sh’lomo awoke; and, hinei, it was a chalom! And he returned to Yerushalayim, and stood before the Aron Brit Adonoi, and offered up olot, and offered shelamim, and made a mishteh (feast) for all his avadim.

16 Then came there two nashim, that were zonot (harlots, prostitutes) unto HaMelech, and stood before him.

17 And the one isha said, O adoni, I and this isha dwell in one bayit; and I was delivered of child with her babayit (in the house).

18 And it came to pass the Yom HaShelishi after that I was delivered, that this isha was delivered also: and we were together; there was no zar (stranger, outsider) with us babayit, except we two babayit.

19 And this ben haisha died in the lailah; because she had lain upon him.

20 And she arose in the middle of the lailah, and took beni (my son) from beside me, while thine amah (handmaid) slept, and laid it in her kheyk (bosom), and laid her ben hamet (dead son) in my kheyk.

21 And when I rose in the boker to nurse beni, hinei, met! (dead!) But when I had examined him in the boker, hinei, he was not beni I bore!

22 And the isha ha’acheret (other woman) said, Lo (no); but hachai (the living) is beni (my son), and hamet (the dead) is the ben of yours. But this one said, Lo (no), the ben of yours is hamet (the dead [one]), and beni is hachai! Thus they went on arguing before HaMelech!

23 Then said HaMelech, The one saith, This is beni (my son) hachai (the living [one]), and thy ben is hamet (the dead [one]); and the other saith, Lo; but the ben of yours is hamet, and beni is hachai.

24 And HaMelech said, Bring me a cherev. And they brought the cherev before HaMelech.

25 And HaMelech said, Cut the yeled hachai in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

26 Then spoke unto HaMelech the isha whose was the ben hachai, for her rachamim yearned for her ben, and she said, O adoni, give her the yeled hachai, and in no wise put him to death. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but cut him in two!

27 Then HaMelech answered and said, Give her the yeled hachai, and in no wise put him to death; she is immo (his mother).

28 And kol Yisroel heard of the mishpat (judgment) in which HaMelech had given verdict; and they feared HaMelech; for they saw that the chochmat Elohim was within him, to administer mishpat (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.