1 Kings 3
Common English Bible
Solomon first meets God
3 Solomon became the son-in-law of Pharaoh, Egypt’s king, when he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to David’s City until he finished building his royal palace, the Lord’s temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 Unfortunately, the people were sacrificing at the shrines because a temple hadn’t yet been built for the Lord’s name in those days. 3 Now Solomon loved the Lord by walking in the laws of his father David, with the exception that he also sacrificed and burned incense at the shrines.
4 The king went to the great shrine at Gibeon in order to sacrifice there. He used to offer a thousand entirely burned offerings on that altar. 5 The Lord appeared to Solomon at Gibeon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask whatever you wish, and I’ll give it to you.”
6 Solomon responded, “You showed so much kindness to your servant my father David when he walked before you in truth, righteousness, and with a heart true to you. You’ve kept this great loyalty and kindness for him and have now given him a son to sit on his throne. 7 And now, Lord my God, you have made me, your servant, king in my father David’s place. But I’m young and inexperienced. I know next to nothing. 8 But I’m here, your servant, in the middle of the people you have chosen, a large population that can’t be numbered or counted due to its vast size. 9 Please give your servant a discerning mind in order to govern your people and to distinguish good from evil, because no one is able to govern this important people of yours without your help.”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked for this instead of requesting long life, wealth, or victory over your enemies—asking for discernment so as to acquire good judgment— 12 I will now do just what you said. Look, I hereby give you a wise and understanding mind. There has been no one like you before now, nor will there be anyone like you afterward. 13 I now also give you what you didn’t ask for: wealth and fame. There won’t be a king like you as long as you live. 14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my laws and commands, just as your father David did, then I will give you a very long life.”
15 Solomon awoke and realized it was a dream. He went to Jerusalem and stood before the chest containing the Lord’s covenant. Then he offered entirely burned offerings and well-being sacrifices, and held a celebration for all his servants.
Solomon and the prostitutes
16 Sometime later, two prostitutes came and stood before the king. 17 One of them said, “Please, Your Majesty, listen: This woman and I have been living in the same house. I gave birth while she was there. 18 This woman gave birth three days after I did. We stayed together. Apart from the two of us, there was no one else in the house. 19 This woman’s son died one night when she rolled over him. 20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him on her chest and laid her dead son on mine. 21 When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the daylight, it turned out that it wasn’t my son—not the baby I had birthed.”
22 The other woman said, “No! My son is alive! Your son is the dead one.”
But the first woman objected, “No! Your son is dead! My son is alive!” In this way they argued back and forth in front of the king.
23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead.’ The other one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and my son is alive.’ 24 Get me a sword!” They brought a sword to the king. 25 Then the king said, “Cut the living child in two! Give half to one woman and half to the other woman.”
26 Then the woman whose son was still alive said to the king, “Please, Your Majesty, give her the living child; please don’t kill him,” for she had great love for her son.
But the other woman said, “If I can’t have him, neither will you. Cut the child in half.”
27 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living newborn. Don’t kill him. She is his mother.”
28 All Israel heard about the judgment that the king made. Their respect for the king grew because they saw that God’s wisdom was in him so he could execute justice.
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.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
