1 Kings 3
3
1 Kings 3
1¶ And Solomon became a relative of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, for he took Pharaoh’s daughter to wife 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 of Jerusalem round about.
2Until then the people sacrificed in high places because there was still no house built unto the name of the Lord until those days.
3And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David, his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
4And 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.
5¶ In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, Ask what you wish that I shall give thee.
6And Solomon said, Thou hast shown unto thy slave David, my father, great mercy, according to the way 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 that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy slave king instead of David my father; and I am but a tender young man; I do not know how to go out or come in.
8And thy slave is in the midst of thy people whom thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9Give, therefore, thy slave a hearing heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this thy so great a people?
10And the speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing.
11And 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 hear judgment,
12behold, I have done according to thy words: behold, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and glory so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee in all thy days.
14And if thou wilt walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments as thy father David walked, then I will lengthen thy days.
15And when Solomon awoke, he beheld 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 banquet for all his slaves.
16¶ In that season two women, that were harlots, came unto the king and stood before him.
17And 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.
18And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered that this woman was delivered also and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, except the two of us in the house.
19And this woman’s child died in the night because she lay on top of him.
20And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21And 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 had given birth to.
22And the other woman said, No, but my son is alive, and thy son is dead. And this one said, No, but thy son is dead, and my son is alive. Thus they spoke before the king.
23Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that is alive, and thy son is dead. And the other saith, No; but thy son is dead, and my son is alive.
24And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25And the king said, Divide the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other.
26Then the woman, of whom the living child was, spoke 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.
27Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it, for she is its mother.
28And all Israel heard of that judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to judge.
Currently Selected:
1 Kings 3: JUB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International
1 Kings 3
3
Solomon’s Walk with Yahweh
1Solomon intermarried with Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and he took the daughter of Pharaoh and brought her to the city of David until he finished building his house, the house of Yahweh, and the walls of Jerusalem all around. 2But the people were sacrificing on the high places, for the house for the name of Yahweh had not yet been built in those days. 3Solomon loved Yahweh, by walking in the statutes of David his father; only he was sacrificing and offering incense on the high places. 4So the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice, for the great high place was there. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
Solomon’s Request for Wisdom
5Yahweh appeared to Solomon at Gibeon in a dream at night, and God said, “Ask what I should give to you.” 6Then Solomon said, “You have shown great loyal love with your servant David my father, as he walked before you in faithfulness and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with you. You have shown for him this great loyal love, and you have given a son to him who is sitting on his throne as it is this day. 7So then, O Yahweh, you are my God. You have made your servant king in place of David my father though I am a young boy. I do not know going out or coming in. 8Your servant is in the middle of your people whom you have chosen; a great people who cannot be counted or numbered because of abundance. 9Give to your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad, because who is able to judge this, your difficult people?”
10The word was good in the eyes of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11And God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and you did not ask for yourself a long life#Literally “many days” and you did not ask riches for yourself and you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself the ability to make wise judgments;#Literally “understanding to hear judgment” 12behold, I do hereby do according to your word. I hereby give you a wise and discerning heart; there was no one like you before you, nor afterwards will one like you arise. 13Too, what you have not asked I give to you: both riches and honor, so that no man among the kings will be like you all of your days. 14If you will walk in my ways by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David your father walked, then I will lengthen your days.” 15Then Solomon awoke, and look, it was a dream, and he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and he offered burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings, and he held a feast for all of his servants.
Solomon’s Wisdom Tested: The Two Prostitutes
16Then two prostitutes came to the king, and they stood before him. 17The one woman said, “Please my lord, I and this woman are living in one house, and I gave birth, with her in the house. 18It happened on the third day after my giving birth, this woman also gave birth, and we were together. There was not anyone with us in the house, only the two of us were in the house. 19Then the son of this woman died in the night because she laid on him. 20So she got up in the middle of the night, and she took my son from beside me while your servant was asleep, and she put him in her lap, and she put her dead son in my lap. 21When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead! When I looked closely at him in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I had borne.” 22Then the other woman said, “No, for my son is the living one, and your son is the dead one.” The other kept on saying, “No, for your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one,” and so they argued in front of the king. 23Then the king said, “This one is saying, ‘This is my son, the living one, but your son is the dead one,’ and the other one keeps saying, ‘But no! Your son is the dead one, and my son is living!’ ” 24So the king said, “Bring me a sword,” and they brought the sword before the king. 25Then the king said, “Divide the living child into two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26Then the woman whose son was the living one spoke to the king because her compassion was aroused for her son, and she said, “Please, my lord, give her the living child, but certainly do not kill him!” The other one was saying, “As for me, so for you! Divide him!” 27Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to her, and do not kill him; she is his mother.” 28When all of Israel heard the judgment that the king had rendered, they stood in awe#Literally “feared the face” of the king, because they realized that the wisdom of God was in him to execute justice.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software