1 Kings 3 Parallel Bible Translations

1 Kings 3 ▼
swipe to see more →
NET
New English Translation
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 Solomon 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. Solomon 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. Solomon 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.
2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the LORD. The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD. The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD.
3 Solomon 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. Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. Solomon 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.
4 The 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. And 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. The 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.
5 One night in Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, |Tell me what I should give you.| At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
6 Solomon 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. And 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. Solomon 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.
7 Now, 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. And 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. “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.
8 Your servant stands among your chosen people; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. And 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. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
9 So 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.| Give 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?” So 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?”
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
11 God 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, And 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, So 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,
12 I grant your request, and give you a wise and discerning mind superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. behold, 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. I 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.
13 Furthermore, I am giving you what you did not request--riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. Moreover, 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.
14 If you follow my instructions by obeying my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, then I will grant you long life.| And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” And 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.”
15 Solomon 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. And 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. Then 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.
16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 One 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. The 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. One 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.
18 Then 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. Then 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. The 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.
19 This woman's child suffocated during the night when she rolled on top of him. And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him. “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him.
20 She 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. And 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. So 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.
21 I 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.| When 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.” The 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.”
22 The 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. But 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. The 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.
23 The 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.'| Then 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.’” The 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.’”
24 The king ordered, |Get me a sword!| So they placed a sword before the king. And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king.
25 The king then said, |Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!| And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
26 The 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!| Then 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.” The 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!”
27 The king responded, |Give the first woman the living child; don't kill him. She is the mother.| Then 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.” Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”
28 When 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. And 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. When 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.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page