1 Kings 3:1-28 in English

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 Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

² Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Jehovah until those days.

³ And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in 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.

⁵ In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great lovingkindness, 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 lovingkindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.

⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?

¹⁰ And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice;

¹² behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been 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 asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee, all thy days.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen 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 Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

¹⁶ Then there came two women that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ And the one woman said, Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

¹⁸ And it came to pass the third day after 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.

¹⁹ And this woman’s child died in the night, because she lay upon it.

²⁰ And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

²¹ And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I did bear.

²² And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

²³ Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

²⁴ And the king said, Fetch me 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.

²⁶ Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine; 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.

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 justice.

² 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, so as to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.

⁴ 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 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, 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, thou hast appointed thy servant in the room of David my father; and I am a little child, and know not my going out and my coming in.

⁸ But thy servant is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, a great people, which cannot be numbered.

⁹ 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 it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.

¹¹ 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 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 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 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 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 there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him.

¹⁷ 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 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.

²⁰ 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 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, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. So they spoke before the king.

²³ 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, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ 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 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 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 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 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.

² Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

³ And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in 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.

⁵ In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, 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 kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

¹⁰ And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

¹² Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; 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 asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen 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.

¹⁶ Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and 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.

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.

¹⁹ 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 thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child 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.

²² And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

²³ Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

²⁴ And the king said, Bring me 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.

²⁶ Then spake 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 thine, but 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.

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.

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.

² Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

³ And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in 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.

⁵ In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, 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 kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

¹⁰ And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

¹² Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; 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 asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen 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.

¹⁶ Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and 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.

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.

¹⁹ 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 thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child 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.

²² And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

²³ Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

²⁴ And the king said, Bring me 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.

²⁶ Then spake 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 thine, but 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.

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.

¹ 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. In seven years he made and finished them. And Solomon had seventy thousand bearers of burdens, and eight thousand hewers of stone in the mountain: and Solomon made the sea, and the bases, and the great lavers, and the pillars, and the fountain of the court, and the brazen sea— and he built the citadel as a defence above it, he made a breach in the wall of the city of David: thus the daughter of Pharao went up out of the city of David to her house which he built for her. Then he built the citadel: and Solomon offered up three whole burnt offerings in the year, and peace-offerings on the altar which he built to the Lord, and he burnt incense before the Lord, and finished the house. And these are the chief persons who presided over the works of Solomon; three thousand and six hundred masters of the people that wrought the works. And he burit Assur, and Magdo, and Gazer, and upper Baethoron, and Ballath: only after he had built the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about, afterwards he built these cities. And when David was yet living, he charged Solomon, saying, Behold, there is with you Semei the son of Gera, of the seed of Benjamin out of Chebron: he cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went into the camp; and he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, He shall not be slain with the sword. But now do not you hold him guiltless, for you are a man of understanding, and you will know what you shall do to him, and you shall bring down his grey hairs with blood to the grave. And the king called Semei, and said to him, Build you a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and you shall not go out thence any whither. And it shall come to pass in the day that you shall go forth and cross over the brook Kedron, know assuredly that you shall certainly die: your blood shall be upon your head. And the king caused him to swear in that day. And Semei said to the king, Good is the word that you have spoken, my lord O king: thus will your servant do. And Semei lived in Jerusalem three years. And it came to pass after the three years, that two servants of Semei ran away to Anchus son of Maacha king of Geth: and it was told Semei, saying, Behold, your servants are in Geth. And Semei rose up, and saddled his ass, and went to Geth to Anchus to seek out his servants: and Semei went, and brought his servants out of Geth. And it was told Solomon, saying, Semei is gone out of Jerusalem to Geth, and has brought back his servants. And the king sent and called Semei, and said to him, Did I not adjure you by the Lord, and testify to you, saying, In whatever day you shall go out of Jerusalem, and go to the right or left, know certainly that you shall assuredly die? And why have you not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment which I commanded you? And the king said to Semei, You know all your mischief which your heart knows, which you did to David my father: and the Lord has recompensed your mischief on your own head. And king Solomon is blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever. And Solomon commanded Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he went forth and killed him. And king Solomon was very prudent and wise: and Juda and Israel were very many, as the sand which is by the sea for multitude, eating, and drinking, and rejoicing: and Solomon was chief in all the kingdoms, and they brought gifts, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon began to open the domains of Libanus, and he built Thermae in the wilderness. And this was the daily provision of Solomon, thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of ground meal, ten choice calves, and twenty oxen from the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides stags, and does, and choice fed birds. For he ruled in all the country on this side the river, from Raphi to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the river: and he was at peace on all sides round about; and Juda and Israel lived safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, eating and drinand feasting, from Dan even to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon. And these were the princes of Solomon; Azariu son of Sadoc the priest, and Orniu son of Nathan chief of the officers, and he went to his house; and Suba the scribe, and Basa son of Achithalam recorder, and Abi son of Joab commander-in-chief, and Achire son of Edrai was over the levies, and Banaeas son of Jodae over the household and over the brick work, and Cachur the son of Nathan was counsellor. And Solomon had forty thousand brood mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horses. And he reigned over all the kings from the river and to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt: so Solomon the son of David reigned over Israel and Juda in Jerusalem.

² 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, so as to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.

⁴ 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 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Solomon, Ask some petition for yourself.

⁶ And Solomon said, You have dealt very mercifully with your servant David my father 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 mercy, to set his son upon his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O Lord my God, you have appointed your 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 But your servant is in the midst of your people, whom you have chosen, a great people, which as this day can’t be numbered.

⁹ You shall give therefore to your servant a heart to hear and to judge your people justly, and to discern between good and evil: for who will be able to judge this your great people?

¹⁰ And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.

¹¹ And the Lord said to him, Because you have asked this thing of me, and have not asked for yourself long life, and have not asked wealth, nor have asked the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment;

¹² behold, I have done according to your word: behold, I have given you an understanding and wise heart: there has not been any one like you before you, and after you there shall not arise one like you.

¹³ And I have given you what you have not asked, wealth and glory, so that there has not been any one like you among kings.

¹⁴ And if you will walk in my way, to keep my commandments and my ordinances, as David your father walked, then will I multiply your days.

¹⁵ 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 there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him.

¹⁷ And the one woman said, Hear me, my lord; I and this woman lived in one house, and we were delivered in the house.

¹⁸ 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.

²⁰ 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 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, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is your son. So they spoke before the king.

²³ and the king said to them, You say, This is my son, even the living one, and this woman's son is the dead one: and you say, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is your son.

²⁴ And the king said, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ 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 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 you, my lord, give her the child, and in nowise kill it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor hers; divide it.

²⁷ Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her that said, 'Give it to her, and by no means kill it:' she is its mother.

²⁸ 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 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.

² Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

³ And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in 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.

⁵ In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great kindness, 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 kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.

⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?

¹⁰ And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

¹² behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been 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 asked, both riches and honour, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee, all thy days.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen 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.

¹⁶ Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ And the one woman said, Oh my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

¹⁸ And it came to pass the third day after 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.

¹⁹ 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 thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child 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.

²² And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

²³ Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

²⁴ And the king said, Fetch me 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.

²⁶ Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, Oh my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine; 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.

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.

¹ Solomon went to see the king of Egypt. Solomon made an agreement with him to marry his daughter. They also made an alliance/agreement that their armies would not attack each other. Then Solomon brought the king's daughter to live in the part of Jerusalem called ❛The City of David❜. She lived there until Solomon's workers had finished building his house and the temple of Yahweh and the wall around Jerusalem.

² At that time the temple of Yahweh had not yet been built, so the Israeli people were still offering sacrifices at many other places of worship.

³ Solomon loved Yahweh, and he obeyed all the instructions that his father David had given him. But he also offered sacrifices and burned incense at various altars.

⁴ One day the king went to Gibeon city to offer a sacrifice there, because that was where the most famous/important altar was. In previous years he had offered hundreds of sacrifices on that altar.

⁵ That night, Yahweh appeared to him in a dream. He asked Solomon, “What would you like me to give to you?”

⁶ Solomon replied, “You always greatly and faithfully loved my father David, who served you well. You did that because he ◄was faithful to/faithfully obeyed► you and acted righteously and honestly toward you. And you have showed how greatly and faithfully you loved him by giving to him me, his son, and now I am ruling MTY as he did before he died.

⁷ Now, Yahweh my God, you have appointed me to be the king like my father was. But I am very young, like a little child MET. I do not know how to lead/rule my people at all IDM.

⁸ I am here among the people whom you have chosen. They are a very large group of people; there are very, very many of them, with the result that no one can count them DOU.

⁹ So please enable me to think clearly, in order that I may rule your people well. Enable me to know what is good and what is evil. If you do not do that, I will never RHQ be able to rule this great group of people who belong to you.”

¹⁰ Yahweh was very pleased that Solomon had requested that.

¹¹ God said to him, “You did not request that you live for many years or that you become very rich or that you be able to kill all your enemies. Instead, you have requested that I enable you to be wise, in order that you will be able to know and to do what is right while you govern these people.

¹² So, I will certainly do what you requested. I will enable you to be very wise DOU. The result will be that no one who has lived before you or who will live after you will be as wise as you are.

¹³ I will also give you things that you did not request: I will enable you to become very rich and honored, as long as you live. You will be richer and more honored than any other king.

¹⁴ If you conduct your life IDM as I want you to, and if you obey all my laws and commandments, as your father David did, I will enable you to live for many years.”

¹⁵ Then Solomon awoke, and he realized that God had spoken to him in a dream. Then he went to Jerusalem and stood in front of the Sacred Tent where the Sacred Chest was, and he offered many sacrifices that were completely burned on the altar and offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh. Then he made a feast for all his officials.

¹⁶ One day two prostitutes came and stood in front of King Solomon.

¹⁷ One of them said, “Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there in the house.

¹⁸ Three days after my baby was born, this woman also gave birth to a baby. Only the two of us were in the house; there was no one else there.

¹⁹ But one night this woman's baby died because she accidentally rolled on top of her baby while sleeping and smothered it.

²⁰ So she got up at midnight and took my baby boy who was lying beside me while I was sleeping. She carried him to her bed and brought her dead baby and put it in my bed.

²¹ When I awoke the next morning and was ready to nurse my baby, I saw that it was dead. But when I looked at it closely in the morning light, I saw that it was not my baby!”

²² But the other woman said, “That is not true! The baby that is alive is mine, and the baby that is dead is yours!” Then the first woman said, “No, the dead baby is yours, and the one that is alive is mine!” And they continued to argue in front of the king.

²³ Then the king said, “Both of you are saying, ‘My baby is the one that is alive and the one that is dead is yours.’ ”

²⁴ So he said to one of his servants, “Bring me a sword.” So the servant brought a sword to the king.

²⁵ Then the king said to the servant, “Cut the baby that is alive into two parts. Give one part to each of the women.”

²⁶ But the woman whose baby was alive loved her baby very much, so she said to the king, “No, Your Majesty! Do not allow him to kill the baby! Give her the child that is alive!” But the other woman said to the king, “No, cut it in half. Then it will not be her baby or my baby.”

²⁷ Then the king said to the servant, “Do not kill the baby. Give the baby to the woman who said ‘Do not cut the baby in half,’ because she is truly the baby's mother.”

²⁸ All the Israeli people heard about what the king had decided, and they revered him. They realized that God had truly enabled him to be very wise, to judge people's matters fairly.

¹ 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. In seven years he made and finished them. And Solomon had seventy thousand bearers of burdens, and eight thousand hewers of stone in the mountain: and Solomon made the sea, and the bases, and the great lavers, and the pillars, and the fountain of the court, and the brazen sea— and he built the citadel as a defence above it, he made a breach in the wall of the city of David: thus the daughter of Pharao went up out of the city of David to her house which he built for her. Then he built the citadel: and Solomon offered up three whole burnt offerings in the year, and peace-offerings on the altar which he built to the Lord, and he burnt incense before the Lord, and finished the house. And these are the chief persons who presided over the works of Solomon; three thousand and six hundred masters of the people that wrought the works. And he burit Assur, and Magdo, and Gazer, and upper Baethoron, and Ballath: only after he had built the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about, afterwards he built these cities. And when David was yet living, he charged Solomon, saying, Behold, there is with you Semei the son of Gera, of the seed of Benjamin out of Chebron: he cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went into the camp; and he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, He shall not be slain with the sword. But now do not you hold him guiltless, for you are a man of understanding, and you will know what you shall do to him, and you shall bring down his grey hairs with blood to the grave. And the king called Semei, and said to him, Build you a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and you shall not go out thence any whither. And it shall come to pass in the day that you shall go forth and cross over the brook Kedron, know assuredly that you shall certainly die: your blood shall be upon your head. And the king caused him to swear in that day. And Semei said to the king, Good is the word that you have spoken, my lord O king: thus will your servant do. And Semei lived in Jerusalem three years. And it came to pass after the three years, that two servants of Semei ran away to Anchus son of Maacha king of Geth: and it was told Semei, saying, Behold, your servants are in Geth. And Semei rose up, and saddled his ass, and went to Geth to Anchus to seek out his servants: and Semei went, and brought his servants out of Geth. And it was told Solomon, saying, Semei is gone out of Jerusalem to Geth, and has brought back his servants. And the king sent and called Semei, and said to him, Did I not adjure you by the Lord, and testify to you, saying, In whatever day you shall go out of Jerusalem, and go to the right or left, know certainly that you shall assuredly die? And why have you not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment which I commanded you? And the king said to Semei, You know all your mischief which your heart knows, which you did to David my father: and the Lord has recompensed your mischief on your own head. And king Solomon is blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever. And Solomon commanded Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he went forth and killed him. And king Solomon was very prudent and wise: and Juda and Israel were very many, as the sand which is by the sea for multitude, eating, and drinking, and rejoicing: and Solomon was chief in all the kingdoms, and they brought gifts, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon began to open the domains of Libanus, and he built Thermae in the wilderness. And this was the daily provision of Solomon, thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of ground meal, ten choice calves, and twenty oxen from the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides stags, and does, and choice fed birds. For he ruled in all the country on this side the river, from Raphi to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the river: and he was at peace on all sides round about; and Juda and Israel lived safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, eating and drinand feasting, from Dan even to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon. And these were the princes of Solomon; Azariu son of Sadoc the priest, and Orniu son of Nathan chief of the officers, and he went to his house; and Suba the scribe, and Basa son of Achithalam recorder, and Abi son of Joab commander-in-chief, and Achire son of Edrai was over the levies, and Banaeas son of Jodae over the household and over the brick work, and Cachur the son of Nathan was counsellor. And Solomon had forty thousand brood mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horses. And he reigned over all the kings from the river and to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt: so Solomon the son of David reigned over Israel and Juda in Jerusalem.

² 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, so as to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.

⁴ 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 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Solomon, Ask some petition for yourself.

⁶ And Solomon said, You have dealt very mercifully with your servant David my father 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 mercy, to set his son upon his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O Lord my God, you have appointed your 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 But your servant is in the midst of your people, whom you have chosen, a great people, which as this day can’t be numbered.

⁹ You shall give therefore to your servant a heart to hear and to judge your people justly, and to discern between good and evil: for who will be able to judge this your great people?

¹⁰ And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.

¹¹ And the Lord said to him, Because you have asked this thing of me, and have not asked for yourself long life, and have not asked wealth, nor have asked the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to hear judgement;

¹² behold, I have done according to your word: behold, I have given you an understanding and wise heart: there has not been any one like you before you, and after you there shall not arise one like you.

¹³ And I have given you what you have not asked, wealth and glory, so that there has not been any one like you amongst kings.

¹⁴ And if you will walk in my way, to keep my commandments and my ordinances, as David your father walked, then will I multiply your days.

¹⁵ 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 there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him.

¹⁷ And the one woman said, Hear me, my lord; I and this woman lived in one house, and we were delivered in the house.

¹⁸ 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.

²⁰ 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 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, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is your son. So they spoke before the king.

²³ and the king said to them, You say, This is my son, even the living one, and this woman's son is the dead one: and you say, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is your son.

²⁴ And the king said, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ 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 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 you, my lord, give her the child, and in nowise kill it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor hers; divide it.

²⁷ Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her that said, 'Give it to her, and by no means kill it:' she is its mother.

²⁸ and all Israel heard this judgement which the king judged, and they feared before the king; because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute judgement.

¹ 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 However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for Yahweh’s name.

³ Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.

⁴ 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 In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”

⁶ 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 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 Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.

⁹ 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 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ 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 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 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 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 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 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ 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 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 This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.

²⁰ 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 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 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 Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”

²⁴ The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”

²⁶ 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 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”

²⁸ 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.

¹ 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 However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for Yahweh’s name.

³ Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.

⁴ 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 In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”

⁶ 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 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 Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.

⁹ 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 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ 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 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 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 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 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 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ 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 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 This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.

²⁰ 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 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 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 Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”

²⁴ The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”

²⁶ 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 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”

²⁸ 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.

¹ 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, the LORD’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.

² However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for the LORD’s name.

³ Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

⁴ 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 In Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”

⁶ 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 Now, LORD 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 Your servant is amongst your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.

⁹ 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 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ 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 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 I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honour, so that there will not be any amongst the kings like you for all your days.

¹⁴ 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 Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the LORD’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

¹⁶ Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ 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 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 This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.

²⁰ 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 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 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 Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”

²⁴ The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”

²⁶ 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 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”

²⁸ All Israel heard of the judgement which the king had judged; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

¹ Solomon became the son-in-law of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter as his wife, keeping her in the town of David, till the house he was building for himself, and the house of the Lord and the wall round Jerusalem, were complete.

² But all this time the people were making their offerings in the high places, because no house had been put up to the name of the Lord till those days.

³ And Solomon, in his love for the Lord, kept the laws of David his father; but he made offerings and let them go up in smoke on the high places.

⁴ And the king went to Gibeon to make an offering there, because that was the chief high place: it was Solomon's way to make a thousand burned offerings on that altar.

⁵ In Gibeon, Solomon had a vision of the Lord in a dream by night; and God said to him, Say what I am to give you.

⁶ And Solomon said, Great was your mercy to David my father, as his life before you was true and upright and his heart was true to you; and you have kept for him this greatest mercy, a son to take his place this day.

⁷ And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father; and I am only a young boy, with no knowledge of how to go out or come in.

⁸ And your servant has round him the people of your selection, a people so great that they may not be numbered, and no account of them may be given.

⁹ Give your servant, then, a wise heart for judging your people, able to see what is good and what evil; for who is able to be the judge of this great people?

¹⁰ Now these words and Solomon's request were pleasing to the Lord.

¹¹ And God said to him, Because your request is for this thing, and not for long life for yourself or for wealth or for the destruction of your haters, but for wisdom to be a judge of causes;

¹² I have done as you said: I have given you a wise and far-seeing heart, so that there has never been your equal in the past, and never will there be any like you in the future.

¹³ And with this I have given you what you made no request for: wealth and honour, so that no king was ever your equal.

¹⁴ And if you go on in my ways, keeping my laws and my orders as your father David did, I will give you a long life.

¹⁵ And Solomon, awakening, saw that it was a dream; then he came to Jerusalem, where he went before the ark of the agreement of the Lord, offering burned offerings and peace-offerings; and he made a feast for all his servants.

¹⁶ Then two loose women of the town came and took their places before the king;

¹⁷ And one of them said, O my lord, I and this woman are living in the same house; and I gave birth to a child by her side in the house.

¹⁸ And three days after the birth of my child, this woman had a child: we were together, no other-person was with us in the house but we two only.

¹⁹ In the night, this woman, sleeping on her child, was the cause of its death.

²⁰ And she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while your servant was sleeping; and she took it in her arms and put her dead child in my arms.

²¹ And when I got up to give my child the breast, I saw that it was dead; but in the morning, looking at it with care, I saw that it was not my son.

²² And the other woman said, No; but the living child is my son and the dead one yours. But the first said, No; the dead child is your son and the living one mine. So they kept on talking before the king.

²³ Then the king said, One says, The living child is my son, and yours is the dead: and the other says, Not so; but your son is the dead one and mine is the living.

²⁴ Then he said, Get me a sword. So they went and put a sword before the king.

²⁵ And the king said, Let the living child be cut in two and one half given to one woman and one to the other.

²⁶ Then the mother of the living child came forward, for her heart went out to her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the child; do not on any account put it to death. But the other woman said, It will not be mine or yours; let it be cut in two.

²⁷ Then the king made answer and said, Give her the child, and do not put it to death; she is the mother of it.

²⁸ And news of this decision which the king had made went through all Israel; and they had fear of the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to give decisions.

¹ And Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had ended building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

² Only, the people sacrificed on the high places; for there was no house built to the name of Jehovah, until those days.

³ And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he sacrificed and burned 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 up upon that altar.

⁵ In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast shewn unto thy servant David my father great loving-kindness, 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 loving-kindness, that thou hast given him a son who sits upon his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child: I know not to go out and to come in.

⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this thy numerous people?

¹⁰ And the word pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ And God said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself discernment to understand judgment;

¹² behold, I have done according to thy word: behold, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there hath been none like unto thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

¹³ And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and glory; so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will prolong 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 Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

¹⁶ Then came two women, harlots, to the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ And the first woman said, Ah, my lord! I and this woman abode in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

¹⁸ And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also; and we were together; no stranger was with us in the house, only we two were in the house.

¹⁹ And this woman's child died in the night; because she had lain upon it.

²⁰ And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it 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; and I considered it in the morning, and behold, it was not my son, whom I bore.

²² And the other woman said, No, for the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this one said, No, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.

²³ Then said the king, The one says, This that is living is my son, and thy son is the dead; and the other says, No, for thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

²⁴ And the king said, Bring me 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.

²⁶ Then spoke the woman whose was the living child to the king, for her bowels yearned over her son, and she said, Ah, my lord! give her the living child, and in no wise put it to death. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine; divide it.

²⁷ And the king answered and said, Give this one the living child, and in no wise put it to death: 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 justice.

¹ And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon, and he made affinity with Pharao the king of Egypt: for he took his 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.

² But yet the people sacrificed in the high places: far there was no temple built to the name of the Lord until that day.

³ And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the precepts of David his father, only he sacrificed in the high places: and burnt incense.

⁴ He went therefore to Gabaon, to sacrifice there: for that was the great high place: a thousand victims for holocausts did Solomon offer upon that altar in Gabaon.

⁵ And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee.

⁶ And Solomon said: Thou hast shewn great mercy to thy servant David my father, even at, he walked before thee in truth, and justice, and an upright heart with thee: and thou hast kept thy great mercy for him, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in.

⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people which is so numerous?

¹⁰ And the word was pleasing to the Lord that Solomon had asked such a thing.

¹¹ And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life or riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment,

¹² Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, insomuch that there hath been no one like thee before thee, nor shall arise after thee.

¹³ Yea and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have given thee: to wit riches and glory, as that no one hath been like thee among the kings in all days heretofore.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, and Beep my precepts, and my commandments, as thy father walked, I will lengthen thy days.

¹⁵ And Solomon awaked, and perceived that it was a dream: and when he was come to Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered holocausts, and sacrificed victims of peace offerings, and made a great feast for all his servants.

¹⁶ Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him:

¹⁷ And one of them said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber.

¹⁸ And the third day, after that I was delivered, she also was delivered, and we were together, and no other person with us in the house, only we two.

¹⁹ And this woman’s child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid him.

²⁰ And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I thy handmaid was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and laid her dead child in my bosom.

²¹ And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold it was dead: but considering him more diligently when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore.

²² And the other woman answered: It is not so as thou sayest, but thy child is dead, and mine is alive. On the contrary she said: Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And in this manner they strove before the king.

²³ Then said the king: The one saith, My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other answereth: Nay, but thy child is dead, and mine liveth.

²⁴ The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. And when they had brought a sword before the king,

²⁵ Divide, said he, the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

²⁶ But the woman whose child was alive, said to the king, (for her bowels were moved upon her child,) I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it. But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

²⁷ The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed, for she is the mother thereof.

²⁸ And all Israel heard the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.

¹ 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 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 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 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 The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon. God said to him, “Ask what you want me to give you.”

⁶ 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 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 I, your servant, am here in among your chosen people, a great people that are so many they cannot be counted.

⁹ 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 The Lord considered that what Solomon asked for was good.

¹¹ 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 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 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 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 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 Later two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him for judgment.

¹⁷ 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 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 During the night this woman's son died because she rolled over on him.

²⁰ 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 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 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 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 “Bring me a sword,” the king ordered. So they brought him a sword.

²⁵ “Cut the child that's alive in two, and give half to one woman and half to another,” he commanded.

²⁶ 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 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 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.

¹ Salomon then made affinitie with Pharaoh King of Egypt, and tooke Pharaohs daughter, and brought her into the citie of Dauid, vntill hee had made an ende of buylding his owne house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Ierusalem round about.

² Only the people sacrificed in the hie places, because there was no house buylt vnto the name of the Lord, vntill those dayes.

³ And Salomon loued the Lord, walking in the ordinances of Dauid his father: onely he sacrificed and offred incense in the hie places.

⁴ And the King went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the chiefe hie place: a thousand burnt offrings did Salomon offer vpon that altar.

⁵ In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Salomon in a dreame by night: and God sayd, Aske what I shall giue thee.

⁶ And Salomon sayd, Thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant Dauid my father great mercie, when hee walked before thee in trueth, and in righteousnesse, and in vprightnes of heart with thee: and thou hast kept for him this great mercie, and hast giuen him a sonne, to sit on his throne, as appeareth this day.

⁷ And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy seruant King in steade of Dauid my father: and I am but a yong childe, and know not howe to go out and in.

⁸ And thy seruant is in the mids of thy people, which thou hast chosen, euen a great people which cannot be told nor nobred for multitude.

⁹ Giue therefore vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart, to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good and bad: for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people?

¹⁰ And this pleased the Lord well, that Salomon had desired this thing.

¹¹ And God sayde vnto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, neyther hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement,

¹² Beholde, I haue done according to thy wordes: lo, I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart, so that there hath bene none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee.

¹³ And I haue also giuen thee that, which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour, so that among the Kings there shall be none like vnto thee all thy dayes.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walke in my wayes, to keepe mine ordinances and my commandements, as thy father Dauid did walke, I will prolong thy dayes.

¹⁵ And when Salomon awoke, behold, it was a dreame, and he came to Ierusalem, and stoode before the Arke of the couenant of the Lord, and offred burnt offrings and made peace offrings, and made a feast to all his seruants.

¹⁶ Then came two harlots vnto the King, and stoode before him.

¹⁷ And the one woman sayd, Oh my lorde, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was deliuered of a childe with her in the house.

¹⁸ And the third day after that I was deliuered, this woman was deliuered also: and we were in the house together: no stranger was with vs in the house, saue we twaine.

¹⁹ And this womans sonne died in the night: for she ouerlay him.

²⁰ And she rose at midnight, and tooke my sonne from my side, while thine handmaide slept, and layde him in her bosome, and layde her dead sonne in my bosome.

²¹ And when I rose in the morning to giue my sonne sucke, beholde, he was dead: and when I had well considered him in the morning, beholde, it was not my sonne, whom I had borne.

²² Then the other woman sayd, Nay, but my sonne liueth, and thy sonne is dead. Againe she sayde, No, but thy sonne is dead, and mine aliue: thus they spake before the King.

²³ Then sayde the King, She sayth, This that liueth is my sonne, and the dead is thy sonne: and the other sayth, Nay, but the dead is thy sonne, and the liuing is my sonne.

²⁴ Then the King said, Bring me a sworde: and they brought out a sworde before the King.

²⁵ And the King sayde, Deuide ye the liuing child in twaine, and giue the one halfe to the one, and the other halfe to the other.

²⁶ Then spake the woman, whose the liuing child was, vnto the King, for her compassion was kindled toward her sonne, and she sayde, Oh my lorde, giue her the liuing childe, and slay him not: but the other sayde, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but deuide it.

²⁷ Then the King answered, and sayde, Giue her the liuing childe, and slay him not: this is his mother.

²⁸ And all Israel heard the iudgement, which the King had iudged, and they feared the King: for they sawe that the wisedome of God was in him to doe iustice.

¹ And Solomon became allied to Pharaoh king of Egypt by marriage, 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.

² Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

³ And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father; only he sacrificed and offered in 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.

⁵ In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said: 'Ask what I shall give thee.'

⁶ And Solomon said: 'Thou hast shown unto Thy servant David my father great kindness, 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 kindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O LORD my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.

⁸ And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give Thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?'

¹⁰ And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ And God said unto him: 'Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice;

¹² behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been 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 asked, both riches and honour — so that there hath not been any among the kings like unto thee — all thy days.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen 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.

¹⁶ Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ And the one woman said: 'Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

¹⁸ And it came to pass the third day after 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.

¹⁹ And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlay it.

²⁰ And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

²¹ And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked well at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I did bear.'

²² And the other woman said: 'Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son.' And this said: 'No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son.' Thus they spoke before the king.

²³ Then said the king: 'The one saith: This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead; and the other saith: Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.'

²⁴ And the king said: 'Fetch me 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.'

²⁶ Then spoke the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned upon her son, and she said: 'Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.' But the other said: 'It shall be neither mine nor thine; 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.'

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 justice.

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.

² Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days.

³ And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in 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 up on that altar.

⁵ In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, 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 kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

¹⁰ And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

¹² behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; 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 asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen 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.

¹⁶ Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and 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.

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.

¹⁹ And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

²⁰ And she rose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child 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.

²² And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

²³ Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

²⁴ And the king said, Bring me 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.

²⁶ Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yerned 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 thine, but 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.

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.

¹ And Solomon intermarried with Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and took the daughter of Pharaoh, and brought her into the city of David, until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

² But the people sacrificed still on the high-places; because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days.

³ And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only that he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high-places.

⁴ And the king went to Gib'on to sacrifice there; for that was the great high-place: one thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

⁵ In Gib'on the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream of the night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast shown unto thy servant David my father great kindness, just 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 kindness, and thou hast given him a son who sitteth on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king in the place of David my father: and I am but a young lad; I know not how to go out or come in.

⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot he numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad; for who would otherwise be able to judge this thy great people?

¹⁰ And the speech was pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; and hast not asked for thyself riches, nor hast asked the life of thy enemies; but hast asked for thyself discernment to understand how to give judgment:

¹² Behold, I have done according to thy word; lo, I have given thee a wise and a discerning heart; so that like unto thee there was none before thee, nor after thee shall any one arise like unto thee.

¹³ And also what thou hast not asked have I given thee, both riches and honor: so that like unto thee there shall not have been any one among the kings all thy days.

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then will I lengthen thy days.

¹⁵ And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream; and he went to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt-offerings, and prepared peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

¹⁶ Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and placed themselves before him.

¹⁷ And the one woman said, Pardon, my Lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

¹⁸ And it came to pass on the third day after I was delivered, that also this woman was delivered: and we were together, there was no stranger with us in the house, only we two were in the house.

¹⁹ And this woman's son died in the night; because she had overlaid him.

²⁰ And she arose in the midst of the night, and took my son from beside me, while thy hand-maid slept, and laid him in her bosom, and her dead son she laid in my bosom.

²¹ And when I rose in the morning to give my son suck, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I had born.

²² And the other woman said, It is not so; my son is the living one, and thy son is the dead; and this one said, It is not so; thy son is the dead, and my son is the living: thus they spoke before the king.

²³ Then said the king, This one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is dead: and the other saith, It is not so; thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

²⁴ And the king said, Fetch me a sword: and they brought the sword before the king.

²⁵ And the king said, Hew the living child in two, and give the one half to one, and the other half to the other.

²⁶ Then spoke the woman whose son was the living unto the king, for her love had become enkindled for her son, and she said, O pardon, my Lord, give her the living child, and only do not slay it; but the other said, Neither mine nor thine shall it be, hew it asunder.

²⁷ The king then answered and said, Give her the living child, and do not slay it: she is its mother.

²⁸ And when all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had given, they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to exercise justice.

² Nevertheless the people burned incense on the high places, because a house had not yet been built to the Lord.

³ And Solomon loved the Lord, so as to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

⁴ And he arose and went to Gibeon 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 Gibeon.

⁵ 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, 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, thou hast appointed thy servant in the room of David my father; and I am a little child, and know not my going out and my coming in.

⁸ But thy servant is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, a great people, which cannot be numbered.

⁹ 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 it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.

¹¹ 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 thy word: behold, I have given thee an understanding and wise heart: there has not been anyone like thee before thee, and after thee there shall not arise one like thee.

¹³ And I have given thee what thou hast not asked, wealth and glory, so that there has not been anyone like thee among kings.

¹⁴ 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 arose and came to Jerusalem, and stood before the altar that was in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord in Zion: and he offered whole burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings, and made a great banquet for himself and all his servants.

¹⁶ Then there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him.

¹⁷ 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 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.

²⁰ 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 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, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. So they spoke before the king.

²³ 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, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ 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 And the woman whose the living child was, answered and spoke 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 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 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 Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house, the house of Yahweh, and the wall around Jerusalem.

² The people were sacrificing at the high places, because no house had yet been built for the name of Yahweh.

³ Solomon showed his love for Yahweh by walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.

⁴ The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place there. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

⁵ Yahweh appeared at Gibeon to Solomon in a dream by night; he said, “Ask! What should I give you?”

⁶ So Solomon said, “You have shown great covenant faithfulness to your servant, David my father, because he walked before you in trustworthiness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart. You have kept for him this great covenant faithfulness and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.

⁷ Now Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father, though I am only a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.

⁸ Your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.

⁹ So give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

¹⁰ This request of Solomon pleased the Lord.

¹¹ So God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice.

¹² See, now I will do all you asked of me when you gave me your request. I give you a wise and an understanding heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, and no one like you will rise up after you.

¹³ I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.

¹⁴ 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 Then Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

¹⁶ Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

¹⁷ One woman said, “Oh, my master, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child with her in the house.

¹⁸ It happened on the third day after I gave birth that this woman also gave birth. We were together. There was no one else with us in the house, but only the two of us in the house.

¹⁹ Then this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him.

²⁰ So she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.

²¹ When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, he was dead. But when I had looked at him carefully in the morning, he was not my son, whom I had borne.”

²² Then the other woman said, “No, the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” The first woman said, “No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” This is how they spoke before the king.

²³ Then the king said, “One of you says, 'This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,' and the other says, 'No, your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'”

²⁴ The king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ Then the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to this woman and half to the other.”

²⁶ Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king, for her heart was full of compassion for her son, and she said, “Oh, my master, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other woman said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide him.”

²⁷ Then the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.”

²⁸ When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, they feared the king, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him for giving judgments.

¹ 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 However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for Yahweh’s name.

³ Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.

⁴ 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 In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”

⁶ 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 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 Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.

⁹ 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 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ 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 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 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 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 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 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ 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 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 This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.

²⁰ 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 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 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 Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”

²⁴ The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”

²⁶ 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 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”

²⁸ 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.

¹ 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, the LORD’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.

² However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for the LORD’s name.

³ Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

⁴ 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 In Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”

⁶ 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 Now, LORD 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 Your servant is amongst your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.

⁹ 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 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ 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 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 I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honour, so that there will not be any amongst the kings like you for all your days.

¹⁴ 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 Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the LORD’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

¹⁶ Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ 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 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 This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.

²⁰ 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 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 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 Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”

²⁴ The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”

²⁶ 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 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”

²⁸ All Israel heard of the judgement which the king had judged; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

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 on every side.

² Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built to the name of the LORD, until those days.

³ And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in 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.

⁵ In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast shown to thy servant David my father great mercy, 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 kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷ And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹ Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

¹⁰ And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ And God said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thy enemies: but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

¹² Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like to thee.

¹³ And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like to thee all thy days,

¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen 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.

¹⁶ Then came there two women, that were harlots, to the king, and 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.

¹⁸ And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save us two in the house.

¹⁹ 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 thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

²¹ And when I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I bore.

²² And the other woman said, No; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.

²³ Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead; and the other saith, No; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

²⁴ And the king said, Bring me 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.

²⁶ Then spoke the woman whose the living child was to 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 thine, but divide it .

²⁷ Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother of it.

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.

¹ 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, the LORD’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.

² However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for the LORD’s name.

³ Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.

⁴ 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 In Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”

⁶ 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 Now, LORD 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 Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.

⁹ 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 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ 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 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 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 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 Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the LORD’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

¹⁶ Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ 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 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 This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.

²⁰ 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 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 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 Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”

²⁴ The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”

²⁶ 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 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”

²⁸ 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.

¹ 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, the LORD’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.

² However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for the LORD’s name.

³ Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

⁴ 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 In Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”

⁶ 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 Now, LORD 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 Your servant is amongst your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.

⁹ 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 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹ 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 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 I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honour, so that there will not be any amongst the kings like you for all your days.

¹⁴ 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 Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the LORD’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

¹⁶ Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.

¹⁷ 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 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 This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.

²⁰ 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 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 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 Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”

²⁴ The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵ The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”

²⁶ 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 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”

²⁸ All Israel heard of the judgement which the king had judged; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

¹ and 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.

² Nevertheless the people offered in high places; for the temple was not builded to the name of the Lord till into that day.

³ Soothly Solomon loved the Lord, and went in the behests of David, his father, except that Solomon offered in high places and burnt incense.

⁴ And so Solomon went into Gibeon, to offer there; for that was the most high place. Solomon offered upon that altar in Gibeon a thousand offerings into burnt sacrifice.

⁵ 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.

⁶ 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 or right heart with thee; thou hast kept to him thy great mercy, and hast given to him a son, sitting on his throne, as it is today.

⁷ And now, Lord God, thou hast made thy servant to reign for David, my father; forsooth I am a little child, and not knowing mine out-going and mine in-coming.

⁸ 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.

⁹ 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?

¹⁰ Therefore the word pleased before the Lord, that Solomon had asked 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,

¹² lo! I have done to thee after thy words, and I have given to thee a wise heart and an understanding, 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.

¹⁴ Forsooth if thou goest in my ways, and keepest my biddings and my commandments, as thy father went in them, 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 a great feast to all his household or 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.

¹⁸ And in the third day after that I had childed, also this woman childed; and we were together in the house, and none other was with us in the house, except us twain or two.

¹⁹ And the son of this woman was dead in the night, for she slept, and over-lay 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 or put 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.

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; 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, 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.

²⁷ The king answered, and said, Give ye to this woman the young child quick, and be he not slain; 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.

¹ 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.

² 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.)

³ 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.)

⁴ And so Solomon went into Gibeon, to offer there; for that was the most high place (or 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.

⁵ 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.

⁶ 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 (or thou hast shown him thy great love), and hast given to him a son, sitting on his throne, as it is today.

⁷ And now, Lord God, thou hast made thy servant to reign for David, my father; forsooth I am a little child (or but I am like a little child), and not knowing mine out-going and mine in-coming.

⁸ 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.)

⁹ 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 (or 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 or 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 (or 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, (or 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 (or 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, (or 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 (or 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, (or 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.)

¹ And Solomon joineth in marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and taketh the daughter of Pharaoh, and bringeth her in unto the city of David, till he completeth to build his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

² Only, the people are sacrificing in high places, for there hath not been built a house for the name of Jehovah till those days.

³ And Solomon loveth Jehovah, to walk in the statutes of David his father — only, in high places he is sacrificing and making perfume —

⁴ and the king goeth to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for it is the great high place; a thousand burnt-offerings cause to ascend doth Solomon on that altar.

⁵ In Gibeon hath Jehovah appeared unto Solomon, in a dream of the night, and God saith, 'Ask — what do I give to thee?'

⁶ And Solomon saith, 'Thou hast done with Thy servant David my father great kindness, as he walked before Thee in truth and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee, and Thou dost keep for him this great kindness, and dost give to him a son sitting on his throne, as at this day.

⁷ And now, O Jehovah my God, Thou hast caused thy servant to reign instead of David my father; and I am a little child, I do not know to go out and to come in;

⁸ and Thy servant is in the midst of thy people, whom Thou hast chosen, a people numerous, that is not numbered nor counted for multitude,

⁹ and Thou hast given to Thy servant an understanding heart, to judge Thy people, to discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?'

¹⁰ And the thing is good in the eyes of the Lord, that Solomon hath asked this thing,

¹¹ and God saith unto him, 'Because that thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thee many days, nor asked for thee riches, nor asked the life of thine enemies, and hast asked for thee discernment to understand judgment,

¹² lo, I have done according to thy words; lo, I have given to thee a heart, wise and understanding, that like thee there hath not been before thee, and after thee there doth not arise like thee;

¹³ and also, that which thou hast not asked I have given to thee, both riches and honour, that there hath not been like thee a man among the kings all thy days;

¹⁴ and if thou dost walk in My ways to keep My statutes, and My commands, as David thy father walked, then I have prolonged thy days.'

¹⁵ And Solomon awaketh, and lo, a dream; and he cometh in to Jerusalem, and standeth before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and causeth to ascend burnt-offerings, and maketh peace-offerings. And he maketh a banquet for all his servants,

¹⁶ then come in do two women, harlots, unto the king, and stand before him,

¹⁷ and the one woman saith, 'O, my lord, I and this woman are dwelling in one house, and I bring forth with her, in the house;

¹⁸ and it cometh to pass on the third day of my bringing forth, that this woman also bringeth forth, and we are together, there is no stranger with us in the house, save we two, in the house.

¹⁹ And the son of this woman dieth at night, because she hath lain upon it,

²⁰ and she riseth in the middle of the night, and taketh my son from beside me — and thy handmaid is asleep — and layeth it in her bosom, and her dead son she hath laid in my bosom;

²¹ and I rise in the morning to suckle my son, and lo, dead; and I consider concerning it in the morning, and lo, it was not my son whom I did bear.'

²² And the other woman saith, 'Nay, but my son is the living, and thy son the dead;' and this one saith, 'Nay, but thy son is the dead, and my son the living.' And they speak before the king.

²³ And the king saith, 'This one saith, This is my son, the living, and thy son is the dead; and that one saith, Nay, but thy son is the dead, and my son the living.'

²⁴ And the king saith, 'Take for me a sword;' and they bring the sword before the king,

²⁵ and the king saith, 'Cut the living child into two, and give the half to the one, and the half to the other.'

²⁶ And the woman whose son is the living one saith unto the king (for her bowels yearned over her son), yea, she saith, 'O, my lord, give to her the living child, and put it not at all to death;' and this one saith, 'Let it be neither mine or thine — cut it.'

²⁷ And the king answereth and saith, 'Give ye to her the living child, and put it not at all to death; she is its mother.'

²⁸ And all Israel hear of the judgment that the king hath judged, and fear because of the king, for they have seen that the wisdom of God is in his heart, to do judgment.