| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall all around Jerusalem. | 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. |
| 2Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days. | 2The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built. |
| 3And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. | 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. |
| 4Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. | 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. |
| 5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” | 5One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” |
| 6And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. | 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. |
| 7Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. | 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. |
| 8And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. | 8Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. |
| 9Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” | 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?” |
| 10The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. | 10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request. |
| 11Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, | 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— |
| 12behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. | 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. |
| 13And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. | 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. |
| 14So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen 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.” |
| 15Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. | 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. |
| 16Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him. | 16At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. |
| 17And one woman said, “O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. | 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. |
| 18Then it happened, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no one was with us in the house, except the two of us 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. |
| 19And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. | 19During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him. |
| 20So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him 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 was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom. |
| 21And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne.” | 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.” |
| 22Then the other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” And the first woman said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king. | 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. |
| 23And the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ” | 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.’ ” |
| 24Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. | 24The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword, |
| 25And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.” | 25and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” |
| 26Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!” But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.” | 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!” |
| 27So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.” | 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.” |
| 28And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice. | 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. |
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