M'lakhim Alef (1 Ki) 3
3
1Shlomo formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her into the City of David, [where she lived] until he had finished building his own palace, the house of Adonai and the wall around Yerushalayim. 2The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places, because no house had yet been built for the name of Adonai. 3Shlomo loved Adonai, living according to the regulations set forth by David his father; nevertheless, he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.
4One time the king went to Giv‘on to sacrifice there, because that was the main high place. Shlomo offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there. 5At Giv‘on Adonai appeared to Shlomo in a dream at night; God said, “Tell me what I should give you.” 6Shlomo said, “You showed your servant David my father much grace, as he lived before you honestly and righteously, having an upright heart with you. You preserved this great grace for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as is the case today. 7So now, Adonai my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father; but I am a mere child — I don’t know how to lead! 8Moreover your servant is among your people, whom you chose, a great people so numerous that they cannot be counted. 9Therefore, give your servant an understanding heart able to administer justice to your people, so that I can discern between good and bad — for who is equal to judging this great people of yours?”
10What Shlomo had said in making this request pleased Adonai. 11God said to him, “Because you have made this request instead of asking long life or riches for yourself, or your enemies’ death, but rather asked for yourself understanding to discern justice; 12I am doing what you requested. I am giving you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever again be anyone like you. 13I am also giving you what you didn’t ask for, riches and honor greater than that of any other king throughout your life. 14More than that, if you will live according to my ways, obeying my laws and mitzvot like your father David, I will give you a long life.”
15Shlomo awoke and found it had been a dream. But he went to Yerushalayim, stood before the ark for the covenant of Adonai and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. He also made a feast for all his servants.
16After this, there came to the king two women who were prostitutes. After presenting themselves to him, 17one of the women said, “My lord, I and this woman live in the same house; and when she was in the house, I gave birth to a baby. 18Three days after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were there together; there was no one else with us in the house except the two of us. 19During the night this woman’s child died, because she rolled over on top of it. 20So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from next to me, while your servant was sleeping, and put it in her arms; and she laid her dead child in my arms. 21When I awoke in the morning to feed my child from my breast, there it was, dead. But when I took a closer look later in the morning, why, it wasn’t my son at all — not the one I gave birth to!” 22The other woman broke in, “No! The living one is my son, and the dead one is your son!” The first one said, “No! The dead one is your son and the living one is my son!” This is how they spoke in the presence of the king.
23Then the king said, “This woman says, ‘The living one is my son; your son is the dead one’; while the other says, ‘No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.’ 24Bring me a sword,” said the king. They brought a sword to the king. 25The king said, “Cut the living child in two; give half to the one and half to the other.” 26At this, the woman to whom the living child belonged addressed the king, because she felt so strongly toward her son: “Oh, my lord, give her the living child; you mustn’t kill it!” But the other one said, “It will be neither yours nor mine. Divide it up!” 27Then the king answered, “Give the living child to the first woman, don’t kill it, because she is its mother.” 28All Isra’el heard of the decision the king had made and held the king in awe, for they saw that God’s wisdom was in him, enabling him to render justice properly.
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M'lakhim Alef (1 Ki) 3: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible1 Kings 3
3
The Lord Appears to Solomon
1Solomon made an alliance # 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 live in 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 1,000 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 # Lit and with You integrity. 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. # 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 # Lit chosen many people too numerous to be numbered or counted. # Gn 15:5; 22:17 9So give Your servant an obedient 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 # Lit for many days or riches for yourself, # Jms 4:3 or the death # Lit life of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to understand 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 man in any kingdom 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 # 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 at her breast, 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. 25Solomon 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 # 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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