1 Kings 3
3
Solomon Asks God for Wisdom
1Solomon and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, agreed to help each other. So Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David. She stayed there until he finished building his palace, the Lord’s temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2But the people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places where they worshiped. That’s because a temple hadn’t been built yet where the Lord would put his Name. 3Solomon showed his love for the Lord. He did it by obeying the laws his father David had taught him. But Solomon offered sacrifices at the high places. He also burned incense there.
4King Solomon went to the city of Gibeon to offer sacrifices. That’s where the most important high place was. There he offered 1,000 burnt offerings on the altar. 5The Lord appeared to Solomon at Gibeon. He spoke to him in a dream during the night. God said, “Ask for anything you want me to give you.”
6Solomon answered, “You have been very kind to my father David, your servant. That’s because he was faithful to you. He did what was right. His heart was honest. And you have continued to be very kind to him. You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
7“Lord my God, you have now made me king. You have put me in the place of my father David. But I’m only a little child. I don’t know how to carry out my duties. 8I’m here among the people you have chosen. They are a great nation. They are more than anyone can count. 9So give me a heart that understands. Then I can rule over your people. I can tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Who can possibly rule over this great nation of yours?”
10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for that. 11So God said to him, “You have not asked to live for a long time. You have not asked to be wealthy. You have not even asked to have your enemies killed. Instead, you have asked for wisdom. You want to do what is right and fair when you judge people. Because that is what you have asked for, 12I will give it to you. I will give you a wise and understanding heart. So here is what will be true of you. There has never been anyone like you. And there never will be. 13And that is not all. I will give you what you have not asked for. I will give you wealth and honor. As long as you live, no other king will be as great as you are. 14Live the way I want you to. Obey my laws and commands, just as your father David did. Then I will let you live for a long time.” 15Solomon woke up. He realized he had been dreaming.
He returned to Jerusalem. He stood in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his officials.
A Wise Ruling
16Two prostitutes came to the king. They stood in front of him. 17One of them said, “Pardon me, my master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. 18Three days after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone. There wasn’t anyone in the house but the two of us.
19“During the night this woman’s baby died. It happened because she was lying on top of him. 20So she got up in the middle of the night. She took my son from my side while I was asleep. She put him by her breast. Then she put her dead son by my breast. 21The next morning, I got up to nurse my son. But he was dead! I looked at him closely in the morning light. And I saw that it wasn’t my baby.”
22The other woman said, “No! The living baby is my son. The dead one belongs to you.”
But the first woman said, “No! The dead baby is yours. The living one belongs to me.” So they argued in front of the king.
23The king said, “One of you says, ‘My son is alive. Your son is dead.’ The other one says, ‘No! Your son is dead. Mine is alive.’ ”
24He continued, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to him. 25Then he gave an order. He said, “Cut the living child in two. Give half to one woman and half to the other.”
26The woman whose son was alive was filled with deep love for her son. She said to the king, “My master, please give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him. Cut him in two!”
27Then the king made his decision. He said, “Give the living baby to the first woman. Don’t kill him. She’s his mother.”
28All the Israelites heard about the decision the king had given. That gave them great respect for him. They saw that God had given him wisdom. They knew that Solomon would do what was right and fair when he judged people.
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1 Kings 3: NIrV
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1 Kings 3
3
The Lord Appears to Solomon
1Solomon made an alliance#3:1 Lit Solomon made himself a son-in-law with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter.#Dt 7:3; 1Kg 7:8; 9:24; Ezr 9:14 Solomon brought her to the city of David#2Sm 5:7; 7:8; 9:10 until he finished building his palace,#2Sm 7:1–2 the Lord’s temple,#2Sm 6:1,14; 1Kg 6:37; 7:51 and the wall surrounding Jerusalem.#1Kg 9:15 2However, the people were sacrificing on the high places,#Dt 12:13–14 because until that time a temple for the Lord’s name#Dt 14:23 had not been built. 3Solomon loved the Lord#Dt 6:5 by walking in the statutes of his father David,#1Kg 3:14 but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
4The king went to Gibeon#Jos 9:3–27; 21:17 to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.#2Ch 1:3,6 5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon#2Ch 1:7–13 in a dream at night.#Nm 12:6; 1Kg 9:2; 11:9 God said, “Ask.#Mt 7:7; Jn 15:7 What should I give you?”
6And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and faithful love to your servant, my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity.#3:6 Lit and uprightness of heart with you You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne,#1Kg 1:48 as it is today.#1Kg 2:4; 9:4; 2Ch 1:8
7“Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place.#2Ch 1:8 Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership.#3:7 Lit am a little youth and do not know to go out or come in#1Ch 29:1; Jr 1:6–7 8Your servant is among your people you have chosen,#Ex 19:5–6; Dt 7:6 a people too many to be numbered or counted.#Gn 15:5; 22:17 9So give your servant a receptive heart to judge#Dt 1:16–17 your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?” #2Ch 1:10
10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this. 11So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life#3:11 Lit for many days or riches for yourself,#Jms 4:3 or the death#3:11 Lit life of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice,#1Ch 22:12 12I will therefore do what you have asked.#1Jn 5:14–15 I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again.#1Kg 4:29–31; 10:23–24 13In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor,#Mt 6:33; Lk 12:31 so that no king will be your equal during your entire life.#1Kg 10:23 14If you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and commands just as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”#1Kg 3:6; Pr 3:1–2
15Then Solomon woke up#Gn 41:7 and realized it had been a dream.#Dn 2:3; 4:5 He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant,#2Sm 6:12 and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.#1Sm 11:15 Then he held a feast#1Kg 8:65 for all his servants.
Solomon’s Wisdom
16Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.#Dt 16:18–19; 2Sm 15:2–4 17One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was in the house. 18On the third day after I gave birth, she also had a baby and we were alone. No one else#3:18 Lit No stranger was with us in the house; just the two of us were there. 19During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while your servant was asleep. She laid him in her arms, and she put her dead son in my arms. 21When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. That morning, when I looked closely at him I realized that he was not the son I gave birth to.”
22“No,” the other woman said. “My son is the living one; your son is the dead one.”
The first woman said, “No, your son is the dead one; my son is the living one.” So they argued before the king.
23The king replied, “This woman says, ‘This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead, and my son is alive.’” 24The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought the sword to the king. 25And the king said, “Cut the living boy in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
26The woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she felt great compassion#3:26 Lit because her compassion grew hot#Gn 43:30; Jr 31:20; Hs 11:8 for her son. “My lord, give her the living baby,” she said, “but please don’t have him killed!”
But the other one said, “He will not be mine or yours. Cut him in two!”
27The king responded, “Give the living baby to the first woman, and don’t kill him. She is his mother.” 28All Israel heard about the judgment the king had given, and they stood in awe of the king because they saw that God’s wisdom#2Sm 14:20; 1Kg 3:9,11–12 was in him to carry out justice.
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