1 Kings 3 HCSB NIV Parallel

◄ 1 Kings 3 ►

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Holman Christian Standard Bible

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1Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. Solomon brought her to live in the city of David until he finished building his palace, the LORD's temple, and the wall surrounding 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.

2However, the people were sacrificing on the high places, because until that time a temple for the LORD's name had not 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.

3Solomon loved the LORD by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also 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.

4The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar.

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.

5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask. What should I give 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."

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. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today."

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.

7 LORD my God, You have now made Your servant king in my father David's place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership.

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 among Your people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted.

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

9So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge 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 requested this.

10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.

11So God said to him, "Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to understand 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,

12I will therefore do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again.

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.

13In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no man in any kingdom will be your equal during your entire life.

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.

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."

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 woke up and realized it had been a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship 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.

16Then two women who were 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 had a baby 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, she also had a baby and we were alone. No one else was with us in the house; just the two of us were there.

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 lay on him.

19"During 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 at her breast, and she put her dead son in my arms.

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.

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.""

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."

22No," 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.

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.

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.'"

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 the sword to the king.

24Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king.

25Solomon said, "Cut the living boy 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."

26The woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she felt great compassion 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!"

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!"

27The king responded, "Give the living baby to the first woman, and don't 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."

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 was in him to carry out 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.

New International Version (NIV)

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