| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard 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. | 1Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. Solomon brought her to live in the city of David until he finished building his palace, the LORD's temple, and the wall surrounding Jerusalem. |
| 2Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days. | 2However, the people were sacrificing on the high places, because until that time a temple for the LORD's name had not 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. | 3Solomon loved the LORD by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also 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. | 4The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered 1,000 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 at night. God said, "Ask. What should I 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 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." |
| 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. | 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 numerous to be numbered or counted. | 8Your servant is among Your people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted. |
| 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?” | 9So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" |
| 10The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. | 10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested 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, | 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 understand 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 13In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no man in any kingdom will be your equal during your entire life. |
| 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.” | 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." |
| 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 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. |
| 16Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him. | 16Then two women who were 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 had a baby 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, 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. |
| 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. | 20She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while your servant was asleep. She laid him at her breast, and she put her dead son in my arms. |
| 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 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."" |
| 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. | 22No," 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. |
| 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.’ ” | 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.'" |
| 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 the sword to the king. |
| 25And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.” | 25Solomon said, "Cut the living boy 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.” | 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!" |
| 27So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; 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 which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer 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. |
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