1KI 3:9 Parallel View

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The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Key: yellow:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And may you give to your servant a heart that hears to judge your people, to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge your people, this heavy one?”

UST So please enable me to think clearly, in order that I may rule your people well. Enable me to know what is good and what is evil. If you do not do that, I will never be able to rule this great group of people who belong to you.”

BSB § Therefore 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?”

OEB Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?’

WEB Give your servant therefore 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?”

NET 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.”

LSV and You have given an understanding heart to Your servant, to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

FBV So please give me a mind that's receptive so I can rule[fn] your people well, understanding the difference between right and wrong, for who can rule this difficult people of yours?”

3:9 Rule not so much in terms of imposing control but in governing wisely.

T4T So please enable me to think clearly, in order that I may rule your people well. Enable me to know what is good and what is evil. If you do not do that, I will never [RHQ] be able to rule this great group of people who belong to you.”

LEB Give to your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad, because who is able to judge this, your difficult people?”

BBE Give your servant, then, a wise heart for judging your people, able to see what is good and what evil; for who is able to be the judge of this great people?

MOF No MOF 1KI book available

JPS Give Thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?'

ASV Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?

DRA Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people which is so numerous?

YLT and Thou hast given to Thy servant an understanding heart, to judge Thy people, to discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?'

DBY Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this thy numerous people?

RV Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people?

WBS Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

KJB Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?[fn]
(Give therefore thy/your servant an understanding heart to judge thy/your people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy/your so great a people?)

3.9 understanding: Heb. hearing

BB Geue therfore thy seruaunt an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good & bad: For who is able to iudge this thy so mightie a people?
(Give therefore thy/your servant an understanding heart to judge thy/your people, that I may discerne between good and bad: For who is able to judge this thy/your so mighty a people?)

GNV Giue therefore vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart, to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good and bad: for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people?
(Give therefore unto thy/your servant an understanding heart, to judge thy/your people, that I may discerne between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy/your mighty people? )

CB Geue thy seruaunt therfore an obedient hert, that he maye iudge thy people, & vnderstonde what is good & bad: for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people?
(Give thy/your servant therefore an obedient hert, that he may judge thy/your people, and understood what is good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy/your mighty people?)

WYC Therfor thou schalt yyue to thi seruaunt an herte able to be tauyt, `that is, liytned of thee, that he may deme the puple, and iuge bitwixe good and yuel; for who may deme this puple, thi puple, this miche puple?
(Therefore thou/you shalt give to thy/your servant an heart able to be tauyt, `that is, lightned of thee, that he may deme the people, and judge between good and yuel; for who may deme this people, thy/your people, this miche people?)

LUT So wollest du deinem Knechte geben ein gehorsam Herz, daß er dein Volk richten möge und verstehen, was gut und böse ist. Denn wer vermag dies dein mächtig Volk zu richten?
(So wollest you deinem Knechte give a gehorsam Herz, that he your people richten möge and verstehen, was good and böse is. Because wer vermag dies your mächtig people to richten?)

CLV Dabis ergo servo tuo cor docile, ut populum tuum judicare possit, et discernere inter bonum et malum. Quis enim poterit judicare populum istum, populum tuum hunc multum?
(Dabis ergo servo tuo heart docile, as the_people your yudicare possit, and discernere between bonum and malum. Who because poterit yudicare the_people istum, the_people your this_one multum? )

BRN Thou shalt give therefore to thy servant a heart to hear and to judge thy people justly, and to discern between good and evil: for who will be able to judge this thy [fn]great people?

3:9 Gr. heavy.

BrLXX Καὶ δώσεις τῷ δούλῳ σου καρδίαν ἀκούειν καὶ διακρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ τοῦ συνιεῖν ἀναμέσον ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κακοῦ· ὅτι τίς δυνηθήσεται κρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου τὸν βαρὺν τοῦτον;
(Kai dōseis tōi doulōi sou kardian akouein kai diakrinein ton laon sou en dikaiosunaʸ, kai tou suniein anameson agathou kai kakou; hoti tis dunaʸthaʸsetai krinein ton laon sou ton barun touton? )

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Solomon’s Wisdom

When God gave Solomon the opportunity to ask for anything he wanted, Solomon chose wisdom, so that he could “govern [God’s] people well and know the difference between right and wrong” (1 Kgs 3:9). In response to this unselfish choice, God granted the wisdom he desired (3:12) and the rewards of its proper use (3:13-14; 2 Chr 1:14-17).

Solomon’s subsequent behavior provided immediate evidence of his wisdom. He resolved an argument over a child with such insight that the people were “in awe of the king” (1 Kgs 3:16-28). Later, the queen of Sheba came to test him with difficult questions and found his wisdom exceeding all that she had heard about it (10:1-9). His administration (4:1-28), his diplomacy (5:1-9), his building projects (5:10–7:51), and his commerce (9:26-28; 10:14-29) all demonstrated his wisdom. Solomon accumulated vast knowledge (4:29-33) and wrote proverbs (much of the book of Proverbs), songs (Pss 72; 127), love poetry (the Song of Songs), and philosophical literature (Ecclesiastes). He used his wisdom to build the Temple (2 Chr 2:12), even as Bezalel had previously been endowed with wisdom to build the Tabernacle (Exod 31:1-3).

Jesus noted Solomon’s great wisdom and reminded his hearers that someone even greater than Solomon was among them (Matt 12:42). Jesus is the true wisdom of God in whom one can find ultimate wisdom (1 Cor 1:24). A life of wisdom is centered in Christ (1 Cor 1:18-25; Col 3:16; 2 Pet 3:18) and in Scripture (2 Tim 3:14-17).

Passages for Further Study

Exod 31:1-6; 1 Kgs 3:5-14; 3:16-28; 4:29-34; 5:2-7; 10:1-13; 2 Chr 1:7-12; Pss 72:1-20; 111:10; 127:1-5; Eccl 12:9-14; Isa 11:1-5; Jer 9:23-24; Matt 12:42; Jas 1:5

Parallel 1KI 3:9