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
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.
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