1 Kings 3
Lexham English Bible
Solomon’s Walk with Yahweh
3 Solomon intermarried with Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and he took the daughter of Pharaoh and brought her to the city of David until he finished building his house, the house of Yahweh, and the walls of Jerusalem all around. 2 But the people were sacrificing on the high places, for the house for the name of Yahweh had not yet been built in those days. 3 Solomon loved Yahweh, by walking in the statutes of David his father; only he was sacrificing and offering incense on the high places. 4 So the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice, for the great high place was there. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
Solomon’s Request for Wisdom
5 Yahweh appeared to Solomon at Gibeon in a dream at night, and God said, “Ask what I should give to you.” 6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great loyal love with your servant David my father, as he walked before you in faithfulness and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with you. You have shown for him this great loyal love, and you have given a son to him who is sitting on his throne as it is this day. 7 So then, O Yahweh, you are my God. You have made your servant king in place of David my father though I am a young boy. I do not know going out or coming in. 8 Your servant is in the middle of your people whom you have chosen; a great people who cannot be counted or numbered because of abundance. 9 Give to your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad, because who is able to judge this, your difficult people?”
10 The word was good in the eyes of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and you did not ask for yourself a long life[a] and you did not ask riches for yourself and you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself the ability to make wise judgments;[b] 12 behold, I do hereby do according to your word. I hereby give you a wise and discerning heart; there was no one like you before you, nor afterwards will one like you arise. 13 Too, what you have not asked I give to you: both riches and honor, so that no man among the kings will be like you all of your days. 14 If you will walk in my ways by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David your father walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 15 Then Solomon awoke, and look, it was a dream, and he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and he offered burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings, and he held a feast for all of his servants.
Solomon’s Wisdom Tested: The Two Prostitutes
16 Then two prostitutes came to the king, and they stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Please my lord, I and this woman are living in one house, and I gave birth, with her in the house. 18 It happened on the third day after my giving birth, this woman also gave birth, and we were together. There was not anyone with us in the house, only the two of us were in the house. 19 Then the son of this woman died in the night because she laid on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night, and she took my son from beside me while your servant was asleep, and she put him in her lap, and she put her dead son in my lap. 21 When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead! When I looked closely at him in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I had borne.” 22 Then the other woman said, “No, for my son is the living one, and your son is the dead one.” The other kept on saying, “No, for your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one,” and so they argued in front of the king. 23 Then the king said, “This one is saying, ‘This is my son, the living one, but your son is the dead one,’ and the other one keeps saying, ‘But no! Your son is the dead one, and my son is living!’” 24 So the king said, “Bring me a sword,” and they brought the sword before the king. 25 Then the king said, “Divide the living child into two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose son was the living one spoke to the king because her compassion was aroused for her son, and she said, “Please, my lord, give her the living child, but certainly do not kill him!” The other one was saying, “As for me, so for you! Divide him!” 27 Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to her, and do not kill him; she is his mother.” 28 When all of Israel heard the judgment that the king had rendered, they stood in awe[c] of the king, because they realized that the wisdom of God was in him to execute justice.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 3:11 Literally “many days”
- 1 Kings 3:11 Literally “understanding to hear judgment”
- 1 Kings 3:28 Literally “feared the face”
1 Kings 3
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
3 [a]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 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.
3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he sacrificed and burnt incense at the high places. 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 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream[b] by night; and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 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 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 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 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 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 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 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 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 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 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.
Solomon’s Wisdom in Judgment
16 Then two harlots came to the king, and stood before him. 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 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 And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on it. 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 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 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 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 And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought 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 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 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 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.
1 Reyes 3
Biblia del Jubileo
3 Y Salomón hizo parentesco con el Faraón rey de Egipto, porque tomó por mujer a la hija de Faraón, y la trajo a la ciudad de David, entre tanto que acababa de edificar su casa, y la casa del SEÑOR, y los muros de Jerusalén alrededor.
2 Hasta entonces el pueblo sacrificaba en los lugares altos; porque aún no había casa edificada al nombre del SEÑOR hasta aquellos tiempos.
3 Mas Salomón amó al SEÑOR, andando en los estatutos de su padre David; solamente sacrificaba y quemaba perfumes en los lugares altos.
4 E iba el rey a Gabaón, porque aquel era el lugar alto principal, y sacrificaba allí, mil holocaustos sacrificaba Salomón sobre aquel altar.
5 ¶ Y se le apareció el SEÑOR a Salomón en Gabaón una noche en sueños, y le dijo Dios: Pide lo que quisieres que yo te dé.
6 Y Salomón dijo: Tú hiciste gran misericordia a tu esclavo David mi padre, según la manera que él anduvo delante de ti con verdad, con justicia, y con rectitud de corazón para contigo; y tú le has guardado ésta tu grande misericordia, que le diste hijo que se sentara en su trono, como sucede en este día.
7 Ahora pues, SEÑOR Dios mío, tú me has puesto a mí tu esclavo por rey en lugar de David mi padre; y yo soy muy joven, que no sé cómo entrar ni salir.
8 Y tu esclavo está en medio de tu pueblo al cual tú elegiste; un pueblo grande, que no se puede contar ni numerar por su multitud.
9 Da pues a tu esclavo corazón dócil para juzgar a tu pueblo, para que pueda discernir entre lo bueno y lo malo; porque ¿quién podrá gobernar éste tu pueblo tan grande?
10 Y agradó delante del Señor que Salomón pidiera esto.
11 Y le dijo Dios: Porque has demandado esto, y no pediste para ti muchos días, ni pediste para ti riquezas, ni pediste la vida de tus enemigos, mas demandaste para ti entendimiento para oír juicio;
12 he aquí lo he hecho conforme a tus palabras; he aquí que te he dado corazón sabio y entendido, tanto que no ha habido antes de ti otro como tú, ni después de ti se levantará otro como tú.
13 Y aun también te he dado las cosas que no pediste, riquezas y gloria; tal, que entre los reyes ninguno haya como tú en todos tus días.
14 Y si anduvieres en mis caminos, guardando mis estatutos y mis mandamientos, como anduvo David tu padre, yo alargaré tus días.
15 Y cuando Salomón despertó, vio que era sueño; y vino a Jerusalén, y se presentó delante del arca del pacto del SEÑOR, y sacrificó holocaustos, e hizo pacíficos; hizo también banquete a todos sus esclavos.
16 ¶ En aquella sazón vinieron dos mujeres rameras al rey, y se presentaron delante de él.
17 Y dijo una mujer: ¡Ruego, señor mío! Yo y esta mujer morábamos en una misma casa, y yo di a luz estando con ella en la casa.
18 Y aconteció al tercer día después que yo di a luz, que ésta dio a luz también, y morábamos nosotras juntas; ningún extraño estaba en casa, sino nosotras dos en la casa.
19 Y una noche el hijo de esta mujer murió, porque ella se acostó sobre él.
20 Y se levantó a medianoche, y tomó a mi hijo de junto a mí, estando yo tu esclava durmiendo, y lo puso a su lado, y me puso a mi lado su hijo muerto.
21 Y cuando yo me levanté por la mañana para dar el pecho a mi hijo, he aquí que estaba muerto; mas le observé a la luz del día, y vi que no era mi hijo, que yo había dado a luz.
22 Entonces la otra mujer dijo: No; mi hijo es el que vive, y tu hijo es el muerto. Y la otra volvió a decir: No; tu hijo es el muerto, y mi hijo es el que vive. Así hablaban delante del rey.
23 El rey entonces dijo: Esta dice: Mi hijo es el que vive, y tu hijo es el muerto; y la otra dice: No, mas el tuyo es el muerto, y mi hijo es el que vive.
24 Entonces dijo el rey: Traedme una espada. Y trajeron al rey una espada.
25 Y el rey dijo: Partid por en medio al niño vivo, y dad la mitad a la una, y la otra mitad a la otra.
26 Entonces la mujer de quien era el hijo vivo, habló al rey (porque sus entrañas se le conmovieron por su hijo), y dijo: ¡Ruego, señor mío! Dad a ésta el niño vivo, y no lo matéis. Mas la otra dijo: Ni a mí ni a ti; sino partidlo.
27 Entonces el rey respondió, y dijo: Dad a aquella el hijo vivo, y no lo matéis: ella es su madre.
28 Y todo Israel oyó aquel juicio que había juzgado el rey; y temieron al rey, porque vieron que había en él sabiduría de Dios para juzgar.
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