Liber I Regum, 3

1. Et affinitate coniunctus est pharaoni regi Aegypti. Accepit namque filiam eius et adduxit in civitatem David, donec compleret aedificans domum suam et domum Domini et murum Ierusalem per circuitum.

1. Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt; he 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. Attamen populus immolabat in excelsis; non enim aedificatum erat templum nomini Domini usque in diem illum.

2. The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.

3. Dilexit autem Salomon Dominum ambulans in praeceptis David patris sui, excepto quod in excelsis immolabat et accendebat thymiama.

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

4. Abiit itaque in Gabaon, ut immolaret ibi; illud quippe erat excelsum maximum. Mille hostias in holocaustum obtulit Salomon super altare illud.

4. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings upon that altar.

5. In Gabaon apparuit Dominus Salomoni per somnium nocte dicens: “Postula quod vis, ut dem tibi”.

5. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."

6. Et ait Salomon: “Tu fecisti cum servo tuo David patre meo misericordiam magnam, sicut ambulavit in conspectu tuo in veritate et iustitia et recto corde tecum; custodisti ei misericordiam tuam grandem et dedisti ei filium sedentem super thronum eius, sicut est hodie.

6. And Solomon said, "Thou hast shown great and steadfast love to thy servant David my father, because he walked before thee in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward thee; and thou hast kept for him this great and steadfast love, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

7. Et nunc, Domine Deus meus, tu regnare fecisti servum tuum pro David patre meo. Ego autem sum puer parvus et ignorans egressum et introitum meum;

7. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

8. et servus tuus in medio est populi, quem elegisti, populi infiniti, qui numerari et supputari non potest prae multitudine.

8. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people whom thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude.

9. Da ergo servo tuo cor docile, ut iudicare possit populum tuum et discernere inter bonum et malum. Quis enim potest iudicare populum tuum hunc multum?”.

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

10. Placuit ergo sermo coram Domino quod Salomon rem huiuscemodi postulasset,

10. It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

11. et dixit Deus Salomoni: “Quia postulasti verbum hoc et non petisti tibi dies multos nec divitias aut animam inimicorum tuorum, sed postulasti tibi sapientiam ad discernendum iudicium,

11. And God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,

12. ecce feci tibi secundum sermones tuos et dedi tibi cor sapiens et intellegens, in tantum ut nullus ante te similis tui fuerit nec post te surrecturus sit;

12. behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

13. sed et haec, quae non postulasti, dedi tibi, divitias scilicet et gloriam, ut nemo fuerit similis tui in regibus cunctis diebus tuis.

13. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.

14. Si autem ambulaveris in viis meis et custodieris praecepta mea et mandata mea, sicut ambulavit David pater tuus, longos faciam dies tuos”.

14. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days."

15. Igitur evigilavit Salomon et intellexit quod esset somnium. Cumque venisset Ierusalem, stetit coram arca foederis Domini et obtulit holocausta et fecit victimas pacificas et convivium universis famulis suis.

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

16. Tunc venerunt duae mulieres meretrices ad regem steteruntque coram eo.

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

17. Quarum una ait: “Obsecro, mi domine; ego et mulier haec habitabamus in domo una, et peperi apud eam in domo;

17. The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.

18. tertia vero die, postquam ego peperi, peperit et haec; et eramus simul, nullusque alius nobiscum in domo, exceptis nobis duabus.

18. Then on the third day after I was delivered, this woman also gave birth; and we were alone; there was no one else with us in the house, only we two were in the house.

19. Mortuus est autem filius mulieris huius nocte; dormiens quippe oppressit eum.

19. And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on it.

20. Et consurgens intempesta nocte, silentio tulit filium meum de latere meo ancillae tuae dormientis et collocavit in sinu suo; suum autem filium, qui erat mortuus, posuit in sinu meo.

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

21. Cumque surrexissem mane, ut darem lac filio meo, apparuit mortuus; quem diligentius intuens clara luce, deprehendi non esse meum, quem genueram”.

21. When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead; but when I looked at it closely in the morning, behold, it was not the child that I had borne."

22. Responditque altera mulier: “Non est ita, sed filius meus vivit, tuus autem mortuus est”. E contrario illa dicebat: “Mentiris. Filius quippe tuus mortuus est, meus autem vivit”. Atque in hunc modum contendebant coram rege.

22. But the other woman said, "No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours." The first said, "No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine." Thus they spoke before the king.

23. Tunc rex ait: “Haec dicit: “Filius meus vivit, et filius tuus mortuus est”; et ista respondit: “Non, sed filius tuus mortuus est, et filius meus vivit””.

23. Then the king said, "The one says, `This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead'; and the other says, `No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.'"

24. Dixit ergo rex: “Afferte mihi gladium!”. Cumque attulissent gladium coram rege:

24. And the king said, "Bring me a sword." So a sword was brought before the king.

25. “Dividite, inquit, infantem vivum in duas partes, et date dimidiam partem uni et dimidiam partem alteri”.

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

26. Dixit autem mulier, cuius filius erat vivus, ad regem — commota sunt quippe viscera eius super filio suo —: “Obsecro, domine, date illi infantem vivum et nolite interficere eum”. E contrario illa dicebat: “Nec mihi nec tibi sit; dividatur”.

26. Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means slay it." But the other said, "It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it."

27. Respondens rex ait: “Date huic infantem vivum, et non occidatur; haec est mater eius”.

27. Then the king answered and said, "Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means slay it; she is its mother."

28. Audivit itaque omnis Israel iudicium, quod iudicasset rex; et timuerunt regem videntes sapientiam Dei esse in eo ad faciendum iudicium.

28. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to render justice.