| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Later, Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying his daughter. Solomon brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his palace and the house of the LORD, as well as 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 on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built. | 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. |
| 3And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed 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. |
| 4Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there. | 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. |
| 5One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” | 5One night in Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, "Tell me what I should give you." |
| 6Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving 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. |
| 7And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. | 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 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. |
| 9Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. 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." |
| 10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request. | 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. |
| 11So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer 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, |
| 12behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you. | 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 did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. | 13Furthermore, I am giving you what you did not request--riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. |
| 14So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.” | 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 indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants. | 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. |
| 16At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. | 16Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. |
| 17One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house. | 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. |
| 18On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also had a baby. We were alone, with 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. |
| 19During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over 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 was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom. | 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, when I got up to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I examined him, I realized that he was not 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." |
| 22“No,” said the other woman, “the living one is my son and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman insisted, “No, the dead one is yours and the living one is mine.” 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. |
| 23Then the king replied, “This woman says, ‘My son is alive and yours is dead,’ but that woman 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.'" |
| 24The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword, | 24The king ordered, "Get me a sword!" So they placed a sword before the king. |
| 25and the king declared, “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!" |
| 26Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she yearned with compassion for her son. “Please, my lord,” she said, “give her the living baby. Do not kill him!” But the other woman said, “He will be neither mine nor yours. 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. By no means should you 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 of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him 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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