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.

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 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.

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

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 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 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 at night; and God said, “ Ask what you wish Me to give you.” Solomon’s Prayer

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 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.

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 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 in place of my father David. But I am only a little child. I do not know how to start or 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 among Your people which You have chosen. They are many people. There are too many people to number.

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 heart to judge Your people and know the difference between good and bad. For who is able to judge Your many 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, “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 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.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 two women who were harlots came to 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 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.

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 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.

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

This woman’s son died during 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.

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 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.”

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 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.

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 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.’”

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

And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So 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. Give half to the one woman 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 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 said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.”

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

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.