| Berean Study Bible | New International 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 an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married his daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace and the temple 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, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not 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 showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on 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. | 4The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered 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 during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to 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. | 6Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very 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. | 7"Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. |
| 8Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. | 8Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. |
| 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?” | 9So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" |
| 10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request. | 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for 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— | 11So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, |
| 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. | 12I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. |
| 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. | 13Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for--both wealth and honor--so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. |
| 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 walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life." |
| 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. | 15Then Solomon awoke--and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court. |
| 16At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. | 16Now 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. | 17One of them said, "Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. |
| 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. | 18The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. |
| 19During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him. | 19"During the night this woman's son died 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. | 20So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by 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.” | 21The next morning, I got up to nurse my son--and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son 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. | 22The other woman said, "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours." But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine." And so they argued 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.’ ” | 23The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.'" |
| 24The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword, | 24Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. |
| 25and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” | 25He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to 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!” | 26The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!" But the other said, "Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!" |
| 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 gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; 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. | 28When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice. |
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