1 Kings 3
3
1Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into David’s city until he had finished building his own house, Yahweh’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for Yahweh’s name. 3Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places. 4The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”
6Solomon said, “You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, because he walked before you in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you. You have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today. 7Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father. I am just a little child. I don’t know how to go out or come in. 8Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude. 9Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”
10This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have you asked for riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, 12behold, I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, and after you none will arise like you. 13I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you for all your days. 14If you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
15Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him. 17The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. I delivered a child with her in the house. 18The third day after I delivered, this woman delivered also. We were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, just us two in the house. 19This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it. 20She arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me while your servant slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead; but when I had looked at him in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I bore.”
22The other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.”
The first one said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” They argued like this before the king.
23Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is my son who lives, and your son is the dead one;’ and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”
24The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.
25The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”
26Then the woman whose the living child was spoke to the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no way kill him!”
But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide him.”
27Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”
28All 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 justice.
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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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