| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 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. | 1Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh's daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. |
| 2The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD. | 2Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the LORD. |
| 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. | 3Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the LORD by following the practices of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. |
| 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. | 4The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places. Solomon would offer up a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. |
| 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." | 5One night in Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, "Tell me what I should give you." |
| 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. | 6Solomon replied, "You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. |
| 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. | 7Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in my father David's place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. |
| 8Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. | 8Your servant stands among your chosen people; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. |
| 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?" | 9So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours." |
| 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. | 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. |
| 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, | 11God said to him, "Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies, |
| 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. | 12I grant your request, and give you a wise and discerning mind superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. |
| 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. | 13Furthermore, I am giving you what you did not request--riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. |
| 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." | 14If you follow my instructions by obeying my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, then I will grant you long life." |
| 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. | 15Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, and held a feast for all his servants. |
| 16Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. | 16Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. |
| 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. | 17One of the women said, "My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me 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. | 18Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us. |
| 19"During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. | 19This woman's child suffocated during the night when she rolled on top of him. |
| 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. | 20She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. |
| 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." | 21I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was, dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby." |
| 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. | 22The other woman said, "No! My son is alive; your son is dead!" But the first woman replied, "No, your son is dead; my son is alive." Each presented her case before the king. |
| 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.'" | 23The king said, "One says, 'My son is alive; your son is dead,' while the other says, 'No, your son is dead; my son is alive.'" |
| 24Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. | 24The king ordered, "Get me a sword!" So they placed a sword before the king. |
| 25He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." | 25The king then said, "Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!" |
| 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!" | 26The real mother spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. She said, "My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don't kill him!" But the other woman said, "Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!" |
| 27Then the king gave his ruling: "Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother." | 27The king responded, "Give the first woman the living child; don't kill him. She is the mother." |
| 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. | 28When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected the king, for they realized that he possessed supernatural wisdom to make judicial decisions. |
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