1 A nd 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.

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 are sacrificing in high places, for there hath not been built a house for the name of Jehovah till 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 loveth Jehovah, to walk in the statutes of David his father -- only, in high places he is sacrificing and making perfume --

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 goeth to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for it the great high place; a thousand burnt-offerings cause to ascend doth Solomon 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 hath Jehovah appeared unto Solomon, in a dream of the night, and God saith, `Ask -- what do I give to 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 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 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 Jehovah my God, Thou hast caused thy servant to reign instead of David my father; and I a little child, I do not know to go out and to 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 in the midst of thy people, whom Thou hast chosen, a people numerous, that is not 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 a nd 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?'

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

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

11 a nd 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,

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 l o, 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;

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 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;

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 dost walk in My ways to keep My statutes, and My commands, as David thy father walked, then I have prolonged 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 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,

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 come in do two women, harlots, unto the king, and stand 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 saith, `O, my lord, I and this woman are dwelling in one house, and I bring forth 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 cometh to pass on the third day of my bringing forth, that this woman also bringeth forth, and we together, there is 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 the son of this woman dieth at night, because she hath lain upon it,

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

20 a nd 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;

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 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.'

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 saith, `Nay, but my son the living, and thy son the dead;' and this saith, `Nay, but thy son the dead, and my son the living.' And they speak 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 A nd the king saith, `This saith, This my son, the living, and thy son the dead; and that saith, Nay, but thy son the dead, and my son 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 saith, `Take for me a sword;' and they bring the 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 saith, `Cut the living child into two, and give the half to the one, and the 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 A nd the woman whose son 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 saith, `Let it be neither mine or thine -- cut.'

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

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 hear of the judgment that the king hath judged, and fear because of the king, for they have seen that the wisdom of God in his heart, 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.