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Shlomo formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her into the City of David, [where she lived] until he had finished building his own palace, the house of Adonai and the wall around Yerushalayim. The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places, because no house had yet been built for the name of Adonai. Shlomo loved Adonai, living according to the regulations set forth by David his father; nevertheless, he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.

One time the king went to Giv‘on to sacrifice there, because that was the main high place. Shlomo offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there. At Giv‘on Adonai appeared to Shlomo in a dream at night; God said, “Tell me what I should give you.” Shlomo said, “You showed your servant David my father much grace, as he lived before you honestly and righteously, having an upright heart with you. You preserved this great grace for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as is the case today. So now, Adonai my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father; but I am a mere child — I don’t know how to lead! Moreover your servant is among your people, whom you chose, a great people so numerous that they cannot be counted. Therefore, give your servant an understanding heart able to administer justice to your people, so that I can discern between good and bad — for who is equal to judging this great people of yours?”

10 What Shlomo had said in making this request pleased Adonai. 11 God said to him, “Because you have made this request instead of asking long life or riches for yourself, or your enemies’ death, but rather asked for yourself understanding to discern justice; 12 I am doing what you requested. I am giving you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever again be anyone like you. 13 I am also giving you what you didn’t ask for, riches and honor greater than that of any other king throughout your life. 14 More than that, if you will live according to my ways, obeying my laws and mitzvot like your father David, I will give you a long life.”

15 Shlomo awoke and found it had been a dream. But he went to Yerushalayim, stood before the ark for the covenant of Adonai and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. He also made a feast for all his servants.

16 After this, there came to the king two women who were prostitutes. After presenting themselves to him, 17 one of the women said, “My lord, I and this woman live in the same house; and when she was in the house, I gave birth to a baby. 18 Three days after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were there together; there was no one else with us in the house except the two of us. 19 During the night this woman’s child died, because she rolled over on top of it. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from next to me, while your servant was sleeping, and put it in her arms; and she laid her dead child in my arms. 21 When I awoke in the morning to feed my child from my breast, there it was, dead. But when I took a closer look later in the morning, why, it wasn’t my son at all — not the one I gave birth to!” 22 The other woman broke in, “No! The living one is my son, and the dead one is your son!” The first one said, “No! The dead one is your son and the living one is my son!” This is how they spoke in the presence of the king.

23 Then the king said, “This woman says, ‘The living one is my son; your son is the dead one’; while the other says, ‘No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.’ 24 Bring me a sword,” said the king. They brought a sword to the king. 25 The king said, “Cut the living child in two; give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 At this, the woman to whom the living child belonged addressed the king, because she felt so strongly toward her son: “Oh, my lord, give her the living child; you mustn’t kill it!” But the other one said, “It will be neither yours nor mine. Divide it up!” 27 Then the king answered, “Give the living child to the first woman, don’t kill it, because she is its mother.” 28 All Isra’el heard of the decision the king had made and held the king in awe, for they saw that God’s wisdom was in him, enabling him to render justice properly.

Solomon asks for wisdom

Solomon made an agreement with Pharaoh, who was the king of Egypt.[a] Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter. He brought her to live in the City of David.[b] She lived there until Solomon could finish building his own house, the Lord's temple, and the wall around Jerusalem.

Because there was not yet a temple where people could give honour to the Lord, they offered sacrifices at altars in other places.

Solomon loved the Lord and he obeyed the rules of his father David. But he offered sacrifices and he burned incense at altars in country places.[c] The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices there.[d] That was the place where the most important altar was. Solomon offered burnt offerings a thousand times on the altar there. One night in Gibeon, the Lord showed himself to Solomon in a dream. God said, ‘Ask me to give you whatever you want.’

Solomon answered, ‘You always showed your faithful love to your servant, my father David. He served you faithfully as a good, honest man. You have continued to show your faithful love to him even now. You have given him a son to rule as king on his throne. Lord my God, I am only a young man. I have not learned how to rule well. But you have now made me become king, as my father David was king.[e] I am here as your servant to lead the people that you have chosen for yourself. It is a great nation and it has too many people to count. So please give me a wise mind that understands things well. Then I will be able to rule your people properly. I will know the difference between right things and wrong things. I will only be able to rule this great nation of your people if you do that for me.’

10 The Lord God was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11-12 So God said to him, ‘You have not asked me to give you a long life, or to make you very rich. You have not asked me to punish your enemies with death. Instead you have asked for a wise mind so that you can rule well. Because of that, I will give you what you have asked for. Yes, I now give to you a wise mind that understands things well. You will be wiser than anyone who has already lived and wiser than anyone who will live after you.

13 I will give you even more than this. I will make you rich and famous, even though you did not ask for that. As long as you live, there will be no other king who is greater than you. 14 And if you serve me faithfully, I will also give you a long life. But you must obey my rules and my commands, as your father David did.’

15 Then Solomon woke up. He realized that it was a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and he stood in front of the Lord's Covenant Box. He offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to God there. Then he gave a feast for all his officers.

Solomon shows that he is wise

16 Two women who were prostitutes came to meet with the king. They stood in front of him to tell him their problem.

17 One woman said, ‘My lord I live in the same house with this woman. I gave birth to a baby while she lived there with me. 18 Three days later, she also gave birth to a baby. We were alone in the house. Only the two of us were there, no one else. 19 But in the night, this woman lay on her son and he died. 20 So she got up during the night and she took my son from my side. I was still asleep. She put my son beside her. She put her dead son beside me. 21 When I got up in the morning to feed my son, I saw that he was dead! So I looked carefully at him in the morning light. Then I realized that he was not my son. He was not the son that I had given birth to!’

22 Then the other woman said, ‘No, that is not true! It is my son who is alive. Your son is dead!’

But the first woman answered, ‘No! The dead baby is your son. My son is alive!’

They continued to argue like that in front of the king.

23 Then the king said, ‘One of you says, “My son is alive and your son is dead.” But the other one says, “No! Your son is dead and my son is alive.” ’

24 So the king said, ‘Bring a sword to me!’ So they brought a sword to the king. 25 Then the king commanded, ‘Cut the child who is alive into two pieces. Give one piece to one woman and the other piece to the other woman.’

26 Then the mother of the child who was alive spoke to the king. She loved her son very much. So she said to the king, ‘My lord, please do not kill the baby! Instead, give him to the other woman.’

But the other woman said, ‘Neither of us should have him. Cut him in two pieces!’

27 So King Solomon said, ‘Do not kill the child! Give him to the first woman. She is his mother.’ 28 Everybody in Israel heard about what the king had decided. So they respected the king's authority. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.

Footnotes

  1. 3:1 In this kind of agreement, their countries agreed to be friends of each other. There should be no wars between them.
  2. 3:1 Solomon's wife lived in her own house in the City of David. She lived there for 13 years, until Solomon built his palace. See 1 Kings 7:1.
  3. 3:3 ‘country places’ or ‘high places’. These were places where there was an altar for people to worship their gods. Sometimes they were on a hill.
  4. 3:4 Gibeon was about 10 kilometres north-west of Jerusalem.
  5. 3:7 There was not yet a temple in Jerusalem with an altar to offer sacrifices to God. When they built the temple, it was the only right place for people to make sacrifices to God.

And Sh’lomo made an alliance with Pharaoh Melech Mitzrayim, and took Bat Pharaoh as isha, and brought her to Ir Dovid, until he had completed building his Bais (palace), and also the Beis Hashem, and the surrounding chomat Yerushalayim.

However HaAm were sacrificing in the high places, because there was no Bayit built unto the Shem of Hashem in those days.

And Sh’lomo loved Hashem, walking in the chukkot Dovid Aviv; however he was sacrificing and burning ketoret at the high places.

And HaMelech went to Giveon to sacrifice there; for that was the bamah hagedolah (the great high place); a thousand olot did Sh’lomo offer upon that mizbe’ach.

In Giveon Hashem appeared to Sh’lomo in a chalom halailah; Elohim said, Ask what I should give thee.

And Sh’lomo said, Thou hast showed unto Thy eved Dovid Avi chesed gadol (great mercy), according as he walked before Thee in emes, and in tzedakah, and in yesharah levav (uprightness of heart) with Thee; and Thou hast been shomer to preserve this chesed hagadol for him, that Thou hast given him Ben [Dovid] to sit on his kisse, as is this day.

And now, Hashem Elohai, Thou hast made Thy eved Melech in the place of Dovid Avi; and I am but a na’ar katon (little child); I know not how to go out or come in.

And Thy eved is in the midst of Thy people which Thou hast chosen, an Am Rav, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

Give therefore Thy eved a lev shome’a (discerning heart, mind) to govern Thy people, that I may discern between tov and rav; for who is sufficient to judge this Thy so great a people?

10 And the davar was pleasing in the eyes of Adonoi, that Sh’lomo had made request of this davar.

11 And Elohim said unto him, Because thou hast made request of this davar, and hast not requested for thyself yamim rabbim; neither hast requested osher for thyself, nor hast requested the nefesh of thine oyevim; but hast requested for thyself binah to comprehend mishpat;

12 Hinei, I have done according to thy devarim; hinei, I have given thee a discerning lev chacham; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not requested, both osher, and kavod; so that there shall not be any among the Melachim like unto thee all thy yamim.

14 And if thou wilt walk in My derakhim, to be shomer over My chukkot and My mitzvot, as Dovid Avicha did walk, then I will lengthen thy yamim.

15 And Sh’lomo awoke; and, hinei, it was a chalom! And he returned to Yerushalayim, and stood before the Aron Brit Adonoi, and offered up olot, and offered shelamim, and made a mishteh (feast) for all his avadim.

16 Then came there two nashim, that were zonot (harlots, prostitutes) unto HaMelech, and stood before him.

17 And the one isha said, O adoni, I and this isha dwell in one bayit; and I was delivered of child with her babayit (in the house).

18 And it came to pass the Yom HaShelishi after that I was delivered, that this isha was delivered also: and we were together; there was no zar (stranger, outsider) with us babayit, except we two babayit.

19 And this ben haisha died in the lailah; because she had lain upon him.

20 And she arose in the middle of the lailah, and took beni (my son) from beside me, while thine amah (handmaid) slept, and laid it in her kheyk (bosom), and laid her ben hamet (dead son) in my kheyk.

21 And when I rose in the boker to nurse beni, hinei, met! (dead!) But when I had examined him in the boker, hinei, he was not beni I bore!

22 And the isha ha’acheret (other woman) said, Lo (no); but hachai (the living) is beni (my son), and hamet (the dead) is the ben of yours. But this one said, Lo (no), the ben of yours is hamet (the dead [one]), and beni is hachai! Thus they went on arguing before HaMelech!

23 Then said HaMelech, The one saith, This is beni (my son) hachai (the living [one]), and thy ben is hamet (the dead [one]); and the other saith, Lo; but the ben of yours is hamet, and beni is hachai.

24 And HaMelech said, Bring me a cherev. And they brought the cherev before HaMelech.

25 And HaMelech said, Cut the yeled hachai in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

26 Then spoke unto HaMelech the isha whose was the ben hachai, for her rachamim yearned for her ben, and she said, O adoni, give her the yeled hachai, and in no wise put him to death. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but cut him in two!

27 Then HaMelech answered and said, Give her the yeled hachai, and in no wise put him to death; she is immo (his mother).

28 And kol Yisroel heard of the mishpat (judgment) in which HaMelech had given verdict; and they feared HaMelech; for they saw that the chochmat Elohim was within him, to administer mishpat (justice).

Solomon Asks for Wisdom(A)

Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married(B) his daughter.(C) He brought her to the City of David(D) until he finished building his palace(E) and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places,(F) because a temple had not yet been built for the Name(G) of the Lord. Solomon showed his love(H) for the Lord by walking(I) according to the instructions(J) given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.(K)

The king went to Gibeon(L) to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared(M) to Solomon during the night in a dream,(N) and God said, “Ask(O) for whatever you want me to give you.”

Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful(P) to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son(Q) to sit on his throne this very day.

“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child(R) and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen,(S) a great people, too numerous to count or number.(T) So give your servant a discerning(U) heart to govern your people and to distinguish(V) between right and wrong. For who is able(W) to govern this great people of yours?”

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked(X) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment(Y) in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked.(Z) I will give you a wise(AA) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not(AB) asked for—both wealth and honor(AC)—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal(AD) among kings. 14 And if you walk(AE) in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”(AF) 15 Then Solomon awoke(AG)—and he realized it had been a dream.(AH)

He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings(AI) and fellowship offerings.(AJ) Then he gave a feast(AK) for all his court.

A Wise Ruling

16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved(AL) out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

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

28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom(AM) from God to administer justice.