1 Kings 3
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
The Lord Appears to Solomon
3 Solomon made an alliance[a] with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter.(A) Solomon brought her to the city of David(B) until he finished building his palace,(C) the Lord’s temple,(D) and the wall surrounding Jerusalem.(E) 2 However, the people were sacrificing on the high places,(F) because until that time a temple for the Lord’s name(G) had not been built. 3 Solomon loved the Lord(H) by walking in the statutes of his father David,(I) but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon(J) to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.(K) 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon(L) in a dream at night.(M) God said, ‘Ask.(N) What should I give you? ’
6 And Solomon replied, ‘You have shown great and faithful love to your servant, my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity.[b] You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne,(O) as it is today.(P)
7 ‘Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place.(Q) Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership.[c](R) 8 Your servant is among your people you have chosen,(S) a people too many to be numbered or counted.(T) 9 So give your servant a receptive heart to judge(U) your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours? ’(V)
10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this. 11 So God said to him, ‘Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life[d] or riches for yourself,(W) or the death[e] of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice,(X) 12 I will therefore do what you have asked.(Y) I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again.(Z) 13 In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honour,(AA) so that no king will be your equal during your entire life.(AB) 14 If you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and commands just as your father David did, I will give you a long life.’(AC)
15 Then Solomon woke up(AD) and realised it had been a dream.(AE) He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant,(AF) and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.(AG) Then he held a feast(AH) for all his servants.
Solomon’s Wisdom
16 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.(AI) 17 One woman said, ‘Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was in the house. 18 On the third day after I gave birth, she also had a baby and we were alone. No one else[f] was with us in the house; just the two of us were there. 19 During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while your servant was asleep. She laid him in her arms, and she put her dead son in my arms. 21 When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. That morning, when I looked closely at him, I realised that he was not the son I gave birth to.’
22 ‘No,’ the other woman said. ‘My son is the living one; your son is the dead one.’
The first woman said, ‘No, your son is the dead one; my son is the living one.’ So they argued before the king.
23 The king replied, ‘This woman says, “This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,” but that woman says, “No, your son is dead, and my son is alive.” ’ 24 The king continued, ‘Bring me a sword.’ So they brought the sword to the king. 25 And the king said, ‘Cut the living boy in two and give half to one and half to the other.’
26 The woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she felt great compassion[g](AJ) for her son. ‘My lord, give her the living baby,’ she said, ‘but please don’t have him killed! ’
But the other one said, ‘He will not be mine or yours. Cut him in two! ’
27 The king responded, ‘Give the living baby to the first woman, and don’t kill him. She is his mother.’ 28 All Israel heard about the judgement the king had given, and they stood in awe of the king because they saw that God’s wisdom(AK) was in him to carry out justice.
列王纪上 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
所罗门求智慧
3 所罗门娶了埃及法老的女儿，与法老结盟。他在自己的王宫、耶和华的殿和耶路撒冷的城墙完工之前，让她一直住在大卫城。 2 那时候，用来尊崇耶和华之名的殿还没有建成，以色列人仍然在丘坛献祭。 3 所罗门爱耶和华，遵行他父亲大卫的律例，只是仍然在丘坛献祭烧香。
4 有一次，所罗门王上基遍献了一千头祭牲作燔祭，因为那里有最重要的丘坛。 5 在基遍，耶和华晚上在梦中向所罗门显现，对他说：“你想要什么，只管向我求。”
6 所罗门说：“你的仆人——我父大卫本着诚实、公义、正直的心在你面前行事，你就向他大施恩慈，并且一如既往地以厚恩待他，让他儿子今天继承他的王位。 7 我的上帝耶和华啊，你让仆人继承我父亲大卫的王位，但仆人还年幼无知，不懂得如何治理国家。 8 仆人住在你所拣选的子民中，这些子民多得不可胜数。 9 求你赐我智慧治理你的子民，并能辨别是非；不然，我又怎能治理你这众多的子民呢？” 10 主喜悦所罗门的祈求， 11 对他说：“既然你不为自己求寿、求财富，也不求灭绝仇敌，只求有智慧治理我的子民， 12 我必应允你，赐给你空前绝后的智慧和悟性。 13 你没有求富贵和尊荣，但我会一并赐给你，使你有生之年在列王中无人能比。 14 你若像你父亲大卫一样遵行我的道，遵守我的律例和诫命，我必使你长寿。”
15 所罗门醒来，发现是在做梦。他回到耶路撒冷，站在耶和华的约柜前献上燔祭和平安祭，又宴请群臣。
智断死婴案
16 一天，两个妓女到王面前告状。 17 其中一个说：“我主啊，我跟这女人同住，我生了一个男孩，当时她也在场。 18 我生产后三天，她也生了一个男孩。我们住在一起，除了我们二人，屋里没有别人。 19 一天晚上，她不小心压死了自己的孩子。 20 她半夜起来，趁我熟睡的时候抱走了我身边的孩子，放在她怀中，把她的死孩子放在我怀中。 21 天快亮的时候，我起来给孩子喂奶，发现孩子死了。天亮后，我仔细察看孩子，发现孩子不是我生的。” 22 另一个女人说：“不对！活孩子是我的，死孩子是你的。”第一个女人说：“不对！死孩子是你的，活孩子是我的。”两个女人在王面前争吵起来。 23 王见她们二人都说活孩子是自己的，死孩子是对方的， 24 就命人拿刀来。侍从把刀拿来后， 25 王下令将那活孩子劈成两半，让她们各得一半。 26 活孩子的母亲心疼自己的孩子，就说：“我主啊，把孩子给她吧，千万不要杀他！”但另一个女人却说：“孩子不归我，也不归你，把他劈开吧！”
27 王说：“不可杀这孩子，把他交给刚才为孩子求情的女人吧！她是孩子的母亲。” 28 以色列人听见王这样断案，都敬畏他，因为他们知道他有上帝所赐的智慧，可以秉公执法。
1 Kings 3
King James Version
3 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.
2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days.
3 And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
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.
5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
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.
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.
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.
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?
10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
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;
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.
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.
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.
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.
16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto 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.
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.
19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and 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.
27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
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.
1 Kings 3
New King James Version
Solomon Requests Wisdom(A)
3 Now (B)Solomon made [a]a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her (C)to the City of David until he had finished building his (D)own house, and (E)the house of the Lord, and (F)the wall all around Jerusalem. 2 (G)Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days. 3 And Solomon (H)loved the Lord, (I)walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.
4 Now (J)the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, (K)for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 (L)At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon (M)in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
6 (N)And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he (O)walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You (P)have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a (Q)little child; I do not know how (R)to go out or come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You (S)have chosen, a great people, (T)too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 (U)Therefore give to Your servant an [b]understanding heart (V)to judge Your people, that I may (W)discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have (X)not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12 (Y)behold, I have done according to your words; (Z)see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. 13 And I have also (AA)given you what you have not asked: both (AB)riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. 14 So (AC)if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, (AD)as your father David walked, then I will (AE)lengthen[c] your days.”
15 Then Solomon (AF)awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and (AG)made a feast for all his servants.
Solomon’s Wise Judgment
16 Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and (AH)stood before him. 17 And one woman said, “O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. 18 Then it happened, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; [d]no one was with us in the house, except the two of us in the house. 19 And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. 20 So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne.”
22 Then the other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.”
And the first woman said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.”
Thus they spoke before the king.
23 And the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ” 24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”
26 Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for (AI)she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!”
But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.”
27 So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.”
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the (AJ)wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 3:1 an alliance
- 1 Kings 3:9 Lit. hearing
- 1 Kings 3:14 prolong
- 1 Kings 3:18 Lit. no stranger
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Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
