1 Kings 3
3
1 AND SOLOMON made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the City of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem.
2 But the people sacrificed [to God] in the high places [as the heathen did to their idols], for there was no house yet built to the Name of the Lord.
3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking [at first] in the statutes and practices of David his father, only he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon [near Jerusalem, where stood the tabernacle and the bronze altar] to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. One thousand burnt offerings Solomon offered on that altar.
5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, Ask what I shall give you.
6 Solomon said, You have shown to Your servant David my father great mercy and loving-kindness, according as he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart with You; and You have kept for him this great kindness and steadfast love, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of David my father, and I am but a lad [in wisdom and experience]; I know not how to go out (begin) or come in (finish).
8 Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who cannot be counted for multitude.
9 So give Your servant an understanding mind and a hearing heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge and rule this Your great people? [James 1:5.]
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
11 God said to him, Because you have asked this and have not asked for long life or for riches, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize what is just and right,
12 Behold, I have done as you asked. I have given you a wise, discerning mind, so that no one before you was your equal, nor shall any arise after you equal to you.
13 I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings equal to you all your days.
14 And if you will go My way, keep My statutes and My commandments as your father David did, then I will lengthen your days.
15 Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Then two women who had become mothers out of wedlock came and stood before the king.
17 And one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18 And the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered. And we were together; no stranger was with us, just we two in the house.
19 And this woman's child died in the night because she lay on him.
20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me while your handmaid slept and laid him in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 And when I rose to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I had considered him in the morning, behold, it was not the son I had borne.
22 But the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son! And this one said, No! But the dead son is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.
23 The king said, One says, This is my son that is alive and yours is the dead one. The other woman says, No! But your son is the dead one and mine is the living one.
24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword to the king.
25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two and give half to the one and half to the other.
26 Then the mother of the living child said to the king, for she yearned over her son, O my lord, give her the living baby, and by no means slay him. But the other said, Let him not be mine or yours, but divide him.
27 Then the king said, Give her [who pleads for his life] the living baby, and by no means slay him. She is the child's mother.
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had made, and they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
1 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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