1 N ow Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all 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 M eanwhile the people sacrificed at 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 A nd Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at 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 N ow the 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 A t Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

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

6 A nd Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and 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 instead of my father David, but I am 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 A nd Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous 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 T herefore give to Your servant 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?”

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 T he speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

11 T hen God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern 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; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any 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 A nd I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings 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 S o if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen 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 indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. Solomon’s Wise Judgment

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 N ow 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 A nd one woman said, “O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth 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 T hen it happened, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no one was with us in the house, except 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 A nd this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.

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 my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child 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 A nd when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, 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! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” And the first woman said, “No! But 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 A nd the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! But 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 hen the king said, “Bring 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 A nd the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to 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 son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but 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 S o the king answered and 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 A nd all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and 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.