Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

1Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as the wall around Jerusalem.

1Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He 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.

2The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.

2The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.

3And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

3Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.

4Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.

4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

5One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”

5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.”

6Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

6And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

7And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.

7And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.

8Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.

8And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.

9Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

9Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.

10It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

11So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice—

11And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,

12behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you.

12behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.

13Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal.

13I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.

14So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”

14And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

15Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants.

15And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

16At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

16Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

17One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house.

17The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.

18On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with no one in the house but the two of us.

18Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house.

19During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.

19And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.

20So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom.

20And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.

21The next morning, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not the son I had borne.”

21When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne.”

22“No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.” So they argued before the king.

22But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours.” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine.” Thus they spoke before the king.

23Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead and mine is alive.’ ”

23Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’”

24The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword,

24And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king.

25and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

25And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.”

26Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. Cut him in two!”

26Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him.”

27Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”

27Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother.”

28When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

28And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.