1 Kings 3
1599 Geneva Bible
3 1 Solomon taketh Pharaoh’s daughter to wife. 5 The Lord appeareth to him, and giveth him wisdom. 17 The pleading of the two harlots, and Solomon’s sentence therein.
1 Solomon (A)then made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the [a]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 the [b]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 ordinances of David his [c]father: only he sacrificed and offered incense in the high places.
4 And the King went to [d]Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the chief 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 showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, [e]when he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee: and thou hast [f]kept for him this great mercy, and hast given him a son, to sit on his throne, as appeareth 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 young child, and know not how to [g]go out and in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people, which thou hast chosen, even a great people, which cannot be told nor numbered for multitude.
9 (B)Give therefore unto thy servant an [h]understanding heart, to judge thy people: that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy [i]mighty people?
10 And this pleased the Lord well, that Solomon had desired 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 [j]enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to hear judgment,
12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall arise the like unto thee.
13 And I have also (C)given thee that, which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that among the Kings there [k]shall be none like unto thee all thy days.
14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep mine ordinances and my commandments, (D)as thy father David did walk, I will prolong thy days.
15 And when Solomon awoke, behold it was [l]a dream, and he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the Ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings, and made peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16 ¶ Then came two [m]harlots unto the king, and [n]stood before him.
17 And the one woman said, Oh 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 that I was delivered, this woman was delivered also, and we were in the house together: no stranger was with us in the house save we twain.
19 And this woman’s son died in the night: for she overlay him.
20 And she rose at midnight, and [o]took my son from my side, while thine handmaid slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.
21 And when I arose in the morning to give my son suck, behold, he was dead: and when I had well considered him in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I had borne.
22 Then the other woman said, Nay, but my son liveth, and thy son is dead. Again she said, No, but thy son is dead, and mine alive: thus they spake before the king.
23 Then said the king, She saith, This that liveth is my son, and the dead is thy son: and the other saith, Nay, but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son.
24 Then the King said, [p]Bring me a sword: and they brought out a sword before the king.
25 And the king said, Divide ye the living child in twain, and give the one half to the one, and the other half to the other.
26 Then spake the woman, whose the living child was, unto the king, for her compassion was kindled toward her son, and she said, Oh my lord, give her the living child and [q]slay him not: 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 slay him not: this is his mother.
28 And all Israel heard 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 justice.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 3:1 Which was Bethlehem.
- 1 Kings 3:2 Where altars were appointed before the temple was built, to offer unto the Lord.
- 1 Kings 3:3 For his father had commanded him to obey the Lord and walk in his ways, 1 Kings 2:3.
- 1 Kings 3:4 For there the Tabernacle was, 2 Chron. 1:3.
- 1 Kings 3:6 Or, as he walked.
- 1 Kings 3:6 Thou hast performed thy promise.
- 1 Kings 3:7 That is, to behave himself in executing this charge of ruling.
- 1 Kings 3:9 Or, obedient.
- 1 Kings 3:9 Which are so many in number.
- 1 Kings 3:11 That is, that thine enemy should die.
- 1 Kings 3:13 Or, hath been none.
- 1 Kings 3:15 He knew that God had appeared unto him in a dream.
- 1 Kings 3:16 Or, victuallers.
- 1 Kings 3:16 By this example it appeareth that God kept his promise with Solomon in granting him wisdom.
- 1 Kings 3:20 She stole the quick child away, because she might both avoid the shame and punishment.
- 1 Kings 3:24 Except God give Judges understanding, the impudency of the trespasser shall overthrow the just cause of the innocent.
- 1 Kings 3:26 Her motherly affection herein appeareth that she had rather endure the rigor of the Law, than see her child cruelly slain.
1 Kings 3
English Standard Version
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 (B)the city of David until he had finished (C)building his own house (D)and the house of the Lord (E)and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 (F)The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.
3 Solomon (G)loved the Lord, (H)walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, (I)for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 (J)At Gibeon (K)the Lord appeared to Solomon (L)in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because (M)he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and (N)have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, (O)you have made your servant king in place of David my father, (P)although I am but a little child. I do not know (Q)how to go out or come in. 8 (R)And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, (S)too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 (T)Give your servant therefore an understanding mind (U)to govern your people, that I may (V)discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your 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, (W)I now do according to your word. Behold, (X)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 (Y)I give you also what you have not asked, (Z)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, (AA)as your father David walked, then (AB)I will lengthen your days.”
15 And Solomon (AC)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
16 Then two prostitutes came to the king (AD)and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live 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 gave birth, 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 him. 20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he 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 (AE)her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.” 27 Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.” 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that (AF)the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
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