1 Kings 3 ISV BSB Parallel

◄ 1 Kings 3 ►

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Berean Study Bible

1Later, Solomon intermarried with the family of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt by taking his daughter and bringing her to the City of David to live until he had completed building his own palace, the LORD's Temple, and the wall around Jerusalem.

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.

2The people were sacrificing at various high places because the Temple had not yet been built and dedicated to the LORD.

2The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.

3Solomon loved the LORD, and lived according to the statutes that his father David obeyed, except that he sacrificed and burned offerings at the high places.

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.

4The king used to go to Gibeon to sacrifice, since there was a famous high place there, where Solomon once offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar.

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.

5The LORD appeared to Solomon one night in a dream and told him, "Ask me for whatever you want and I'll give it to you."

5One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”

6So Solomon said: "You have demonstrated abundant gracious love to your servant David, my father, as he lived in your presence truthfully, righteously, and uprightly in his heart. In addition, you have kept on showing this abundant gracious love by giving him a son to sit on his throne today.

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.

7Now, LORD my God, you have set me as king to replace my father David, but I'm still young. I don't have any leadership skills.

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.

8Your servant lives in the midst of your people that you have chosen, a great people that is too numerous to be counted.

8Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.

9So give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, so I can discern between good and evil. Otherwise, how will I be able to govern this great people of yours?"

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?”

10The LORD was pleased that Solomon had asked for this,

10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.

11so God told him: "Because you asked for this, and you didn't ask for a long life for yourself, and you didn't ask for the lives of your enemies, but instead you've asked for discernment so you can understand how to govern,

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—

12look how I'm going to do precisely what you asked. I'm giving you a wise and discerning mind, so that there will have been no one like you before you and no one will arise after you like you.

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.

13I'm also giving you what you haven't requested: both riches and honor, so that no other king will be comparable to you during your lifetime.

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.

14If you will live life my way, keeping my statutes and my commands, just like your father David did, I'll also increase the length of your life."

14So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”

15Then Solomon woke up and realized that he had dreamed a dream. Then he went back to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the LORD's covenant, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and threw a party for all of his servants.

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.

16Right about then, two prostitutes approached the king and requested an audience with him.

16At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

17One woman said, "Your majesty, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.

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.

18Three days later, this woman also gave birth. We lived alone there. There was nobody else with us in the house. It was just the two of us.

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.

19This woman's son died overnight because she laid on top of him.

19During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.

20She got up in the middle of the night, took my son from me while your servant was asleep, and laid him to her breast after laying her dead son next to me.

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.

21The next morning, I got up to nurse my son, and he was dead. But when I examined him carefully in the light of day, he turned out not to be my son whom I had borne!"

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.”

22"Not so," claimed the other woman. "The living child is my son, and the dead one is yours." But the first woman said, "Not so! The dead child is your son and the living one is my son." This is what they testified before the king.

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.

23The king said, "One of them claims, 'This living son is mine, and your son is the dead one' and the other claims 'No. Your son is the dead one and my son is the living one.'

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.’ ”

24"Somebody get me a sword." So they brought a sword to the king.

24The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword,

25"Divide the living child in two!" he ordered. "Give half to the one and half to the other."

25and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26The woman whose child was still alive cried out to the king, because her heart yearned for her son. "Oh no, your majesty!" she said. "Give her the living child. Please don't kill him." But the other woman said, "Cut him in half! That way, he'll belong to neither one of us."

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!”

27The king announced his decision: "Give the living child to the first woman. Don't kill him. She is his mother."

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.”

28When this decision that the king had handed down was announced, everybody in Israel was amazed at the king, because they all saw that God's wisdom was in him, enabling him to administer justice.

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.

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