Melachim Alef 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 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.
2 However HaAm were sacrificing in the high places, because there was no Bayit built unto the Shem of Hashem in those days.
3 And Sh’lomo loved Hashem, walking in the chukkot Dovid Aviv; however he was sacrificing and burning ketoret at the high places.
4 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.
5 In Giveon Hashem appeared to Sh’lomo in a chalom halailah; Elohim said, Ask what I should give thee.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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).
1 Kings 3
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
3 And Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and 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 But the people sacrificed [to God] in the high places [as the heathen did to their idols], for there was no house yet built to the [a]Name of the Lord.
3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking [at first] in the statutes and practices of David his father, only he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon [near Jerusalem, where stood the tabernacle and the bronze altar] to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. One thousand burnt offerings Solomon offered on that altar.
5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, [b]Ask what I shall give you.
6 Solomon said, You have shown to Your servant David my father great mercy and loving-kindness, according as he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart with You; and You have kept for him this great kindness and steadfast love, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father, and I am [c]but a lad [in wisdom and experience]; I know not how to go out (begin) or come in (finish).
8 Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who cannot be counted for multitude.
9 So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people?(A)
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
11 God said to him, Because you have asked this and have not asked for long life or for riches, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize what is just and right,
12 Behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise, discerning mind, so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall any arise after you equal to you.
13 I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings equal to you all your days.
14 And if you will go My way, keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days.
15 Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Then two women who had become mothers out of wedlock came and stood before the king.
17 And 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 the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered. And we were together; no stranger was with us, just we two in the house.
19 And this woman’s child died in the night because she lay on him.
20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while your handmaid slept and laid him in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 And when I rose to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I had considered him in the morning, behold, it was not the son I had borne.
22 But the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son! And this one said, No! But the dead son is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.
23 The king said, One says, This is my son that is alive and yours is the dead one. The other woman says, No! But your son is the dead one and mine is the living one.
24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword to 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 mother of the living child said to the king, for she yearned over her son, O my lord, give her the living baby, and by no means slay him. But the other said, Let him not be mine or yours, but divide him.
27 Then the king said, Give her [who pleads for his life] the living baby, and by no means slay him. She is the child’s mother.
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had made, and they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 3:2 See footnote on Deut. 12:5.
- 1 Kings 3:5 This is the high privilege of the child of God. Each one’s life tells what he has asked for—“in heaven above or in the earth beneath.” Which shall it be, God’s will and glory, or our own?
- 1 Kings 3:7 Solomon was already a father (see I Kings 11:42; 14:21).
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