1 T hen Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.

And Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and took Pharaoh’s daughter 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 around Jerusalem.

2 T he people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.

But the people sacrificed in the high places, for there was no house yet built to the Name of the Lord.

3 N ow Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes and practices of David his father, only he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.

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

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

5 I n Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “ Ask what you wish Me to give you.” Solomon’s Prayer

In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, Ask what I shall give you.

6 T hen Solomon said, “ You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

Solomon said, You have shown to Your servant David my father great mercy and loving-kindness, according as he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart with You; and You have kept for him this great kindness and steadfast love, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

7 N ow, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a lad; I know not how to go out (begin) or come in (finish).

8 Y our servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted.

Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who cannot be counted for multitude.

9 S o give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” God’s Answer

So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people?

10 I t was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

11 G od said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice,

God said to him, Because you have asked this and have not asked for long life or for riches, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize what is just and right,

12 b ehold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you.

Behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise, discerning mind, so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall any arise after you equal to 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.

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

14 I f you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.”

And if you will go My way, keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days.

15 T hen 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 burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. Solomon Wisely Judges

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

16 T hen two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him.

Then two women who had become mothers out of wedlock came and stood before the king.

17 T he one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.

And 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 I t happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house.

And the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered. And we were together; no stranger was with us, just we two in the house.

19 T his woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on it.

And this woman’s child died in the night because she lay on him.

20 S o she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.

And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while your handmaid slept and laid him in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom.

21 W hen I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne.”

And when I rose to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I had considered him in the morning, behold, it was not the son I had borne.

22 T hen the other woman said, “No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman said, “No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king.

But the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son! And this one said, No! But the dead son is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.

23 T hen the king said, “ The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”

The king said, One says, This is my son that is alive and yours is the dead one. The other woman says, No! But your son is the dead one and mine is the living one.

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

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

25 T he 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 and give half to the one and half to the other.

26 T hen the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for she was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!”

Then the mother of the living child said to the king, for she yearned over her son, O my lord, give her the living baby, and by no means slay him. But the other said, Let him not be mine or yours, but divide him.

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

Then the king said, Give her the living baby, and by no means slay him. She is the child’s mother.

28 W hen all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had made, and they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.