3:1 And Solomon had forty thousand brood
mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horses. And he reigned over all
the kings from the river and to the land of the Philistines, and to the
borders of Egypt: so Solomon the son of David reigned over Israel and Juda
in Jerusalem.
3:2 Nevertheless the people burnt incense on the high places, because a
house had not yet been built to the Lord.
3:3 And Solomon loved the Lord, [so as] to walk in the ordinances of David
his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.
3:4 And he arose and went to Gabaon to sacrifice there, for that [was] the
highest place, and great: Solomon offered a whole-burnt-offering of a
thousand [victims] on the altar in Gabaon.
3:5 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said
to Solomon, Ask some petition for thyself.
3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast dealt very mercifully with thy servant David
my father according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness,
and in uprightness of heart with thee, and thou hast kept for him this great
mercy, to set his son upon his throne, as [it is] this day.
3:7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast appointed thy servant in the room of
David my father; and I am a little child, and know not my going out an my
coming in.
3:8 But thy servant [is] in the midst of thy people whom thou hast chosen, a
great people, which cannot be numbered.
3:9 Thou shalt give therefore to thy servant a heart to hear and to judge
thy people justly, and to discern between good and evil: for who will be
able to judge this thy great people?
3:10 And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.
3:11 And the Lord said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing of me, and
hast not asked for thyself long life, and hast not asked wealth, nor hast
asked the lives of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding
to hear judgement;
3:12 behold, I have done according to thy word: behold, I have given thee an
understanding and wise heart: there has not been [any one] like thee before
thee, and after thee there shall not arise one like thee.
3:13 And I have given thee what thou hast not asked, wealth and glory, so
that there has not been any one like thee among kings.
3:14 And if thou wilt walk in my way, to keep my commandments and my
ordinances, as David thy father walked, then will I multiply thy days.
3:15 And Solomon awoke, and, behold, [it was] a dream: and he arose and came
to Jerusalem, and stood before the altar that was in front of the ark of the
covenant of the Lord in Sion: and he offered whole-burnt-offerings, and
sacrificed peace-offerings, and made a great banquet for himself and all his
servants.
3:16 Then there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before
him.
3:17 And the one woman said, Hear me, [my] lord; I and this woman dwelt in
one house, and we were delivered in the house.
3:18 And it came to pass on the third day after I was delivered, this woman
also was delivered: and we [were] together; and there was no one with us
besides our two selves in the house.
3:19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
3:20 and she arose in the middle of the night, and took my son from my arms,
and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.
3:21 and I arose in the morning to suckle my son, and he was dead: and,
behold, I considered him in the morning, and, behold, it was not my son whom
I bore.
3:22 And the other woman said, No, but the living [is] my son, and the dead
[is] thy son. So they spoke before the king.
3:23 and the king said to them, Thou sayest, This [is] my son, [even] the
living [one], and this woman's son [is] the dead one: and thou sayest, No,
but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] thy son.
3:24 And the king said, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the
king.
3:25 And the king said, Divide the live child, the suckling, in two; and
give half of it to one, and half of it to the other.
3:26 And the woman whose the living child was, answered and said to the
king, (for her bowels yearned over her son) and she said, I pray thee, [my]
lord, give her the child, and in nowise slay it. But the other said, Let it
be neither mine nor hers; divide [it].
3:27 Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her that said, 'Give
it to her, and by no means slay it:' she [is] its mother.
3:28 and all Israel heard this judgement which the king judged, and they
feared before the king; because they saw that the wisdom of God [was] in
him, to execute judgement. |
3:1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh
king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the 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.
3:2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house
built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.
3:3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father:
only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
3:4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great
high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God
said, Ask what I shall give thee.
3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father
great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for
him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his
throne, as it is this day.
3:7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David
my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
3:8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a
great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people,
that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy
so great a people?
3:10 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.
3:11 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 enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to
discern judgment;
3:12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a
wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before
thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
3:13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches,
and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all
thy days.
3:14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my
commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to
Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered
up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his
servants.
3:16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood
before him.
3:17 And the 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.
3:18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this
woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with
us in the house, save we two in the house.
3:19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
3:20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine
handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my
bosom.
3:21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was
dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my
son, which I did bear.
3:22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead
is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my
son. Thus they spake before the king.
3:23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy
son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my
son is the living.
3:24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before
the king.
3:25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the
one, and half to the other.
3:26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her
bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living
child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine
nor thine, but divide it.
3:27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no
wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
3:28 And all Israel heard of 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
judgment. |