Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 3
3
1And Shelomoh joined in marriage with Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim, and took the daughter of Pharaoh, and brought her to the City of Dawiḏ until he had completed building his own house, and the House of יהוה, and the wall all around Yerushalayim.
2Only, the people slaughtered at the high places, for a house for the Name of יהוה had not been built until those days.
3And Shelomoh loved יהוה, walking in the laws of his father Dawiḏ, except that he slaughtered and burned incense at the high places.
4And the sovereign went to Gib‛on to slaughter there, for that was the great high place. Shelomoh offered a thousand ascending offerings on that slaughter-place.
5At Gib‛on יהוה appeared to Shelomoh in a dream by night, and Elohim said, “Ask what I should give you.”
6And Shelomoh said, “You have shown great loving-commitment to your servant Dawiḏ my father, as he walked before You in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You. And You have guarded for him this great loving-commitment, and did give him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7“And now, O יהוה my Elohim, You have set up Your servant to reign instead of my father Dawiḏ. But I am a little child, I do not know how to go out or to come in.
8“And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
9“Shall You then give to Your servant an understanding heart to rule Your people, to discern between good and evil? For who is able to rule this great people of Yours?”
10And the word was good in the eyes of יהוה, that Shelomoh had asked this.
11So Elohim said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand right-ruling,
12see, I shall do according to your words. See, I shall give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like you before you, and none like you shall arise after you.
13“And I shall also give you what you have not asked: both riches and esteem, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the sovereigns all your days.
14“And if you walk in My ways, to guard My laws and My commands, as your father Dawiḏ walked, then I shall prolong your days.”
15And Shelomoh awoke, and see, it was a dream! And he came into Yerushalayim and stood before the ark of the covenant of יהוה, and offered up ascending offerings and made peace offerings. And he made a feast for all his servants.
16Then two women, whores, came to the sovereign, and stood before him.
17And one woman said, “O my master, this woman and I dwell in the same house. And I gave birth while she was in the house.
18“And it came to be, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together. There was no one else with us in the house, only the two of us in the house.
19“Then this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.
20“And she rose up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your female servant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21“And I rose up in the morning to nurse my son and saw he was dead. But I looked at him closely in the morning, and saw he was not my son whom I had borne.”
22And the other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” And the first woman said, “No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” And they spoke before the sovereign.
23And the sovereign said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one,’ while the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ”
24And the sovereign said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the sovereign.
25And the sovereign said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”
26And the woman whose son was living spoke to the sovereign, for she was overcome with compassion for her son. And she said, “O my master, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.”
27And the sovereign answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him – she is his mother.”
28And all Yisra’ĕl heard of the right-ruling which the sovereign had rendered. And they feared the sovereign, for they saw that the wisdom of Elohim was in him to do right-ruling.
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Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 3: TS2009
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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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