1 A nd 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.

Then Solomon made a marriage agreement with Pharaoh the king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David. She stayed there until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem.

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

The people were still giving their different gifts on altars, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.

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

Now Solomon loved the Lord. He walked in the Laws of his father David. But he gave gifts and burned special perfume on different altars.

4 A nd 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.

The king went to give a gift on the altar in worship at Gibeon, for that was where the most important altar was. Solomon gave a thousand burnt gifts on that altar.

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

The Lord came to Solomon in a special dream in Gibeon during the night. God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”

6 A nd 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.

Then Solomon said, “You have shown great loving-kindness to Your servant David my father because he was faithful and right and good and pure in heart before You. And You have kept for him this great and lasting love. You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

7 A nd 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.

Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child. I do not know how to start or finish.

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

Your servant is among Your people which You have chosen. They are many people. There are too many people to number.

9 G ive 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?

So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and know the difference between good and bad. For who is able to judge Your many people?”

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

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

11 A nd 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;

God said to him, “You have asked this, and have not asked for a long life for yourself. You have not asked for riches, or for the life of those who hate you. But you have asked for understanding to know what is right. Because you have asked this,

12 b ehold, 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.

I have done what you said. See, I have given you a wise and understanding heart. No one has been like you before, and there will be no one like you in the future.

13 A nd 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.

I give you what you have not asked, also. I give you both riches and honor. So there will be no king like you all your days.

14 A nd 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.

And if you walk in My ways and keep My Laws and Word as your father David did, I will allow you to live a long time.”

15 A nd 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.

Solomon awoke, and saw it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem and stood before the Lord’s special box of the agreement. There he gave burnt gifts and peace gifts, and made a special supper for all his servants. Solomon’s Wisdom

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

Then two women who sold the use of their bodies came to the king and stood in front of him.

17 A nd 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.

One of the women said, “O my lord, this woman and I live in the same house. And I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.

18 A nd 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.

On the third day after I gave birth, this woman gave birth to a child also. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house. There were only the two of us.

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

This woman’s son died during the night, because she lay on him.

20 A nd 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.

So she got up in the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her arms, and her dead son in my arms.

21 A nd 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.

When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, I saw that he was dead. But when I came nearer and looked, I saw that he was not my son who was born to me.”

22 A nd 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.

Then the other woman said, “No! The living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman said, “No! The dead one is your son and the living one is my son.” They spoke this way in front of the king.

23 T hen 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.

Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one.’ The other says, ‘No! Your son is the dead one. My son is the living one.’”

24 A nd the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword to the king.

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

And the king said, “Divide the living child in two. Give half to the one woman and half to the other.”

26 T hen 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.

Then the mother of the living child had much pity for her son and said to the king, “O, my lord, give her the living child. Do not kill him.” But the other woman said, “He will not be mine or yours. Divide him.”

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

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

28 A nd 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.

When all Israel heard how the king had decided, they were afraid of him. For they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do what is right and fair.