| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. | 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. |
| 2Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. | 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, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in 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. |
| 4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon 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. |
| 5In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. | 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 said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this 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, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not 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. |
| 8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. | 8Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. |
| 9Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? | 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?" |
| 10And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. | 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. |
| 11And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; | 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 have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. | 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. |
| 13And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. | 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. |
| 14And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy 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." |
| 15And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to 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 came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. | 16Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. |
| 17And the 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. | 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. |
| 18And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. | 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. |
| 19And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. | 19"During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. |
| 20And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in 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. |
| 21And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. | 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." |
| 22And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake 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 said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. | 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.'" |
| 24And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. | 24Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. |
| 25And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the 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 spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. | 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 answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. | 27Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." |
| 28And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment. | 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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