1 Kings, 3

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

1. Solomon entered into a marriage alliance with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own palace, Yahweh's House and the wall around Jerusalem.

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

2. Meantime, the people were sacrificing at the high places because the house for the Name of Yahweh had not yet been built.

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

3. This is why Solomon also sacrificed and burnt incense at the high place, although he loved Yahweh and followed the commands of David his father.

4. And 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.

4. The king used to sacrifice at Gibeon, the great high place; on the altar there he had offered a thousand burnt offerings.

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

5. It was in Gibeon, during the night, that Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, "Ask what you want me to give you."

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

6. Solomon answered, "You have shown your servant David my father a great and steadfast love because he served you faithfully and was righteous and sincere towards you. You have given him proof of your steadfast love in making a son of his sit on his throne this day.

7. And now, O LORD 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. And now, O Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a young boy who does not know how to undertake anything.

8. And 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. Meantime, your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen - a people so great that they can neither be numbered nor counted.

9. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

9. Give me, therefore, an understanding mind in governing your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this multitude of people of yours?"

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

10. Yahweh was pleased that Solomon had made this request.

11. And 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 judgment;

11. And he told him, "Because you have requested this rather than long life or wealth or even vengeance on your enemies; indeed, because you have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,

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

12. I shall grant you your request. I now give you a wise and discerning mind such as no one has had before you nor anyone after you shall ever have.

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

13. "I will also give you what you have not asked for, both wealth and fame; and no king shall be your equal during your lifetime.

14. And 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. Moreover, if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commands, as your father David did, I shall give you long life."

15. And 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 up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

15. Solomon awoke and knew that this was a dream. So he went to Jerusalem and, standing before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, he offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and gave a feast for all his servants.

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

16. Then two harlots came to the king and stood before him.

17. And the 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.

17. One of the two women said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was there with me.

18. And it came to pass the third day after that 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 child was born, this woman also gave birth. We were alone, and there was no one in the house but the two of us.

19. And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

19. Then this woman's son died during the night because she lay on him.

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

20. So during the night, she got up, took my son from my side while I slept, laid it beside her and her dead son beside me.

21. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.

21. When I got up in the morning to nurse my child, I saw it was dead. But when I looked at it closely in the morning, I saw that it was not my child."

22. And 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.

22. The other woman said, "No, the living child is mine; the dead child is yours." To this, the first replied, "Not so, the dead child is yours; the living child is mine." And they quarreled this way in the king's presence.

23. Then 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.

23. Then the king said, "One says: 'This is my son who is alive; your son is dead'; the other says: 'That is not so, your son is dead; my son is the live one'."

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

24. And the king said, "Bring me a sword." When they brought the king a sword,

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

25. he gave this order, "Divide the child in two and give half to one, half to the other."

26. Then spake the woman whose the living child [was] unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, [but] divide [it].

26. Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king out of pity for her son, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child but spare its life." The other woman, however, said, "It shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide it!"

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

27. Then the king spoke, "Give the living child to the first woman and spare its life. She is its mother."

28. And 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 judgment.

28. When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had given, they revered at him, seeing that God's wisdom was in him to render justice.