English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

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.

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

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

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

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

3Solomon loved the LORD by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

8Your servant is among your people you have chosen, a people too many to be numbered or counted.

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?”

9So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?"

10It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this.

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,

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 administer justice,

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.

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.

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.

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

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.”

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."

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

19During 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 your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.

20She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while your servant was asleep. She laid him in her arms, and she put her dead son in my arms.

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.”

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."

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.

22"No," 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.

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.’”

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.'"

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

24The king continued, "Bring me a sword." So they brought the sword to the king.

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

25And the king said, "Cut the living boy in two and give half to one and half to the other."

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.”

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!"

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.”

27The king responded, "Give the living baby to the first woman, and don't kill him. She is his mother."

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.

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.

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.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.