1 Kings 3

1And 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 Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

1Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to live in the city of David until he finished building his own palace, the temple of the LORD, and the wall around Jerusalem.

2Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Jehovah until those days.

2However, the people were still sacrificing on hilltop altars because a temple had not yet been built for the name of the LORD.

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

3Solomon loved the LORD and followed the instructions of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense at the hilltop altars.

4And 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.

4The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices because it was the most important hilltop altar; Solomon offered one thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

5In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

5At Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream during the night, and God said, 'Ask for whatever you want me to give you.'

6And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great lovingkindness, 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 lovingkindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

6Solomon replied, 'You showed great kindness to your servant David, my father, because he lived before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great kindness by giving him a son to sit on his throne today.'

7And now, O Jehovah 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.

7'Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am like a little child; I do not know how to carry out my duties.'

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

8'Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great nation too numerous to count or measure.'

9Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?

9'So give your servant a heart that understands, so I can lead your people and know the difference between good and evil. For who is able to govern these great people of yours?'

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

10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.

11And 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 justice;

11So God said to him, 'Since you have asked for this—and not for a long life, or wealth for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but for discernment in administering justice—'

12behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

12'I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before, and no one like you will ever arise again.'

13And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee, all thy days.

13'I will also give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no other king will be your equal as long as you live.'

14And 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.

14'And if you walk in my ways and obey my decrees and commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.'

15And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream: and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

15Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a great feast for all his officials.

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

16Later, two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

17And the one woman said, Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

17One woman said, 'My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there with me.'

18And it came to pass the third day after 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.

18'Three days after my baby was born, this woman also gave birth. We were alone together; no one else was in the house with us.'

19And this woman’s child died in the night, because she lay upon it.

19'During the night, this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.'

20And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

20'She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was sleeping. She laid him in her arms and put her dead son in my arms.'

21And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I did bear.

21'When I got up the next morning to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that he wasn't the son I had given birth to.'

22And 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.

22The other woman said, 'No! The living one is my son, and the dead one is yours.' But the first woman insisted, 'No! The dead one is yours, and the living one is mine.' This is how they argued in front of the king.

23Then 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.

23The king said, 'One woman says, "This living boy is mine and the dead one is yours," while the other says, "No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine."'

24And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

24Then the king said, 'Bring me a sword.' So they brought a sword to the king.

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

25He gave the order: 'Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.'

26Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor thine; divide it.

26The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her child and cried out to the king, 'Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Do not kill him!' But the other woman said, 'He will belong to neither of us. Cut him in two!'

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

27Then the king gave his decision: 'Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.'

28And 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 justice.

28When all Israel heard about the verdict the king had given, they were in awe of him, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to do what was right.