| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD. |
| 3And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. | 3Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at 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. | 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. |
| 5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” | 5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give 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. | 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. |
| 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 place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know 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. | 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. |
| 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?” | 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?” |
| 10The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. | 10It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. |
| 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, | 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, |
| 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 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 16Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him. | 16Then 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 19And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. | 19And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay 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. | 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. |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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 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.’” |
| 24Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. | 24And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. |
| 25And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.” | 25And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the 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 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.” |
| 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 answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; 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. | 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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. |
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