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Solomon Prays for Wisdom(A)

Later, Solomon intermarried with the family of[a] Pharaoh, the king of Egypt by taking his daughter and bringing her to the City of David to live until he had completed building his own palace, the Lord’s Temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. The people were sacrificing at various high places because the Temple had not yet been built and dedicated to[b] the Lord.

Solomon loved the Lord, and lived according to the statutes that his father David obeyed, except that he sacrificed and burned offerings at the high places. The king used to go to Gibeon to sacrifice, since there was a famous high place there, where Solomon once offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar. The Lord appeared to Solomon one night in a dream and told him, “Ask me for whatever you want and I’ll give it to you.”

So Solomon said:

“You have demonstrated abundant gracious love to your servant David, my father, as he lived in your presence truthfully, righteously, and uprightly in his heart. In addition, you have kept on showing this abundant gracious love by giving him a son to sit on his throne today. Now, Lord my God, you have set me as king to replace my father David, but I’m still young. I don’t have any leadership skills.[c] Your servant lives in the midst of your people that you have chosen, a great people that is too numerous to be counted. So give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, so I can discern between good and evil. Otherwise, how will I be able to govern this great people of yours?”

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this, 11 so God told him:

“Because you asked for this, and you didn’t ask for a long life for yourself, and you didn’t ask for the lives of your enemies, but instead you’ve asked for discernment so you can understand how to govern, 12 look how I’m going to do precisely what you asked. I’m giving you a wise and discerning mind, so that there will have been no one like you before you and no one will arise after you like you. 13 I’m also giving you what you haven’t requested: both riches and honor, so that no other king will be comparable to you during your lifetime. 14 If you will live life my way, keeping my statutes and my commands, just like your father David did, I’ll also increase the length of your life.”

15 Then Solomon woke up and realized that he had dreamed a dream. Then he went back to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and threw a party for all of his servants.

Solomon’s Wisdom is Tested

16 Right about then, two prostitutes approached the king and requested an audience with him. 17 One woman said, “Your majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18 Three days later, this woman also gave birth. We lived alone there. There was nobody else with us in the house. It was just the two of us. 19 This woman’s son died overnight because she laid on top of him. 20 She got up in the middle of the night, took my son from me while your servant was asleep, and laid him to her breast after laying her dead son next to me. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son, and he was dead. But when I examined him carefully in the light of day, he turned out not to be my son whom I had borne!”

22 “Not so,” claimed the other woman. “The living child is my son, and the dead one is yours.”

But the first woman said, “Not so! The dead child is your son and the living one is my son.” This is what they testified before the king.

23 The king said, “One of them claims, ‘This living son is mine, and your son is the dead one’ and the other claims ‘No. Your son is the dead one and my son is the living one.’ 24 “Somebody get me a sword.” So they brought a sword to the king. 25 “Divide the living child in two!” he ordered. “Give half to the one and half to the other.”

26 The woman whose child was still alive cried out to the king, because her heart yearned for her son. “Oh no, your majesty!” she said. “Give her the living child. Please don’t kill him.”

But the other woman said, “Cut him in half! That way, he’ll belong to neither one of us.”

27 The king announced his decision: “Give the living child to the first woman. Don’t kill him. She is his mother.” 28 When this decision that the king had handed down was announced, everybody in Israel was amazed at[d] the king, because they all saw that God’s wisdom was in him, enabling him to administer justice.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 3:1 Lit. The Heb. lacks the family of
  2. 1 Kings 3:2 Lit. built for the name of
  3. 1 Kings 3:7 Lit. I’m only a youth and don’t know how to come and go
  4. 1 Kings 3:28 Lit. Israel feared

Solomon first meets God

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. Unfortunately, the people were sacrificing at the shrines because a temple hadn’t yet been built for the Lord’s name in those days. 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.

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. 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.”

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. 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. 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. 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.

Nagpangayo si Solomon sang Kaalam(A)

Paagi sa pagpangasawa ni Solomon sa anak sang Faraon, ang hari sang Egipto, nangin kadampig siya sang amo nga nasyon. Gindala niya ang iya asawa sa Banwa ni David[a] hasta nga natapos niya ang pagpatindog sang iya palasyo, sang templo sang Ginoo, kag sang mga pader sa palibot sang Jerusalem. Sadto nga tiyempo wala pa sing templo para sa kadungganan sang Ginoo, gani ang mga tawo nagahalad sa mga simbahan sa mataas nga mga lugar. Ginpakita ni Solomon ang iya paghigugma sa Ginoo paagi sa pagtuman sang mga pagsulundan nga ginbilin sang iya amay nga si David. Ugaling naghalad siya sang mga halad kag nagsunog sang mga insenso sa mga simbahan sa mataas nga mga lugar.

Isa ka tion, nagkadto si Haring Solomon sa Gibeon sa paghalad, kay ato didto ang pinakabantog nga simbahan sa mataas nga lugar. Naghalad siya sa halaran sing 1,000 ka mga halad nga ginasunog. Pagkagab-i, nagpakita sa iya ang Ginoo paagi sa damgo. Nagsiling ang Dios sa iya, “Pangayo sang bisan ano nga gusto mo nga ihatag ko sa imo.” Nagsabat si Solomon, “Ginpakitaan mo sang dako nga kaayo ang akon amay nga si David, nga imo alagad, tungod kay matutom siya sa imo, matarong, kag husto ang iya pagkabuhi. Padayon mo nga ginpakita sa iya ang imo dako nga kaayo paagi sa paghatag sa iya sang isa ka anak nga amo ang nagbulos sa iya bilang hari subong. Ginoo nga akon Dios, ako nga imo alagad amo ang ginbulos mo sa akon amay nga si David bilang hari, bisan tuod bataon pa ako kag indi makahibalo magpangulo. Kag karon ari ako upod sa katawhan nga imo ginpili nga indi maisip sa puwerte nga kadamo. Gani hatagi ako sang kaalam sa pagdumala sang imo katawhan kag sa paghibalo kon ano ang maayo kag ang malain. Kay sin-o bala ang makasarang sa pagdumala sining imo katawhan nga puwerte kadamo?”

10 Nalipay ang Ginoo sa ginpangayo ni Solomon. 11 Gani nagsiling ang Dios sa iya, “Tungod nga nagpangayo ka sang kaalam sa pagdumala sa akon katawhan kag wala ka nagpangayo sang malawig nga kabuhi ukon manggad ukon kamatayon sang imo mga kaaway, 12 ihatag ko sa imo ang imo ginpangayo. Hatagan ko ikaw sang kaalam kag pag-intiendi nga wala pa maangkon ni bisan sin-o sang una kag sa palaabuton nga panahon. 13 Hatagan ko man ikaw sang wala mo ginpangayo, nga amo ang manggad kag dungog, agod wala sing hari nga makapareho sa imo sa bug-os mo nga kabuhi. 14 Kag kon magsunod ka sa akon mga pamaagi kag magtuman sa akon mga pagsulundan kag mga sugo pareho sang ginhimo sang imo amay nga si David, hatagan ko ikaw sang malawig nga kabuhi.”

15 Nagbugtaw si Solomon, kag nareyalisar niya nga nagpakighambal ang Ginoo sa iya paagi sa damgo. Pagbalik ni Solomon sa Jerusalem, nagtindog siya sa atubangan sang Kahon sang Kasugtanan sang Ginoo, kag naghalad sang mga halad nga ginasunog kag mga halad nga para sa maayo nga relasyon. Nagpapunsyon siya dayon para sa tanan niya nga mga opisyal.

Ang Maalamon nga Paghukom ni Solomon

16 Karon, may duha ka babayi nga nagabaligya sang ila lawas nga nagkadto kay Haring Solomon. 17 Nagsiling ang isa sa ila, “Mahal nga Hari, ako kag ang babayi nga ini nagaestar sa isa lang ka balay. Kag samtang didto siya sa balay nagbata ako. 18 Pagkaligad sang tatlo ka adlaw, siya naman ang nagbata. Kami lang gid nga duha sa balay kag wala na sing iban. 19 Isa ka gab-i, nahigdaan niya ang iya bata kag napatay ini. 20 Dayon sang mga tungang gab-i nagbangon siya kag ginkuha niya ang akon bata sa akon tupad samtang nagakatulog ako. Ginbutang niya ang akon bata sa iya tupad, kag ang iya bata nga patay na amo ang iya ginbutang sa akon tupad. 21 Pagkaaga, sang magbangon ako sa pagpatiti sang akon bata, nakita ko nga patay na ini. Pero sang ginhimutaran ko ang bata sa masanag, nasapwan ko nga indi gali siya ang akon bata.”

22 Nagsabat ang isa ka babayi, “Indi ina matuod! Akon ang buhi nga bata, kag ang patay imo.” Pero nagsiling ang una nga babayi, “Indi ina matuod! Imo ang patay nga bata, kag ang buhi akon.” Gani nagbaisay sila nga duha sa atubangan sang hari.

23 Nagsiling ang hari, “Ang kada isa sa inyo gusto mag-angkon sa buhi nga bata, kag wala sing isa sa inyo nga gusto mag-angkon sa patay nga bata.” 24 Gani nagmando ang hari nga dal-an siya sang espada. Kag sang gindal-an siya sang espada, 25 nagmando siya, “Pihaka ang buhi nga bata kag ang kada pihak ihatag sa ila nga duha.”

26 Tungod sa kaluoy sang matuod nga iloy sa iya bata, nagsiling siya sa hari, “Maluoy ka, Mahal nga Hari, indi pagpatya ang bata. Ihatag na lang siya sa sina nga babayi.” Pero nagsiling ang isa ka babayi, “Pihaka ang bata agod wala sing isa sa amon nga makaangkon sa iya.”

27 Dayon nagsiling ang hari, “Indi pagpihaka ang bata. Ihatag ini sa babayi nga nagpakitluoy nga indi ini pagpatyon, kay siya ang matuod niya nga iloy.”

28 Sang mabatian sang katawhan sang Israel ang desisyon ni Haring Solomon, dako gid ang ila pagtahod sa iya, tungod kay nakita nila nga may kaalam siya nga halin sa Dios sa paghukom sing husto.

Footnotes

  1. 3:1 Banwa ni David: Ini isa ka lugar nga parte sang Jerusalem. Tan-awa sa 2 Sam. 5:7 kag 1 Har. 8:1 kag 9:24.