Open English Translation 1KI Chapter 3

3 Shelomoh made himself the son-in-law of Egypt’s king Far-oh by taking Far-oh’s daughter as a wife and bringing her into the city of David (where she stayed until the completion of the construction of his palace and of Yahweh’s temple, and the wall around Yerushalem). 2 However, the people were sacrificing on various hills because at that time, a temple hadn’t yet been built for Yahweh. 3 Shelomoh demonstrated his love for Yahweh by obeying the instructions of his father David. However, he would offer sacrifices and burn incense on various hills.

4 One time, the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because it was the most popular high place. Shelomoh offered up a thousand burnt up sacrifices on that altar, 5 and that night in Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Shelomoh in a dream and asked, “What would you like me to give you?”

6 Shelomoh replied, “You yourself showed incredible loyalty to your servant David, my father, because he walked in faithfulness and obedience in front of you, and did what he believed was rightyou wanted. And you’ve maintained this loyalty towards him and you allowed him to have a son sitting on his throne as I am today. 7 So now, Yahweh my God, you yourself have caused your servant to reign in place of my father David, but I’m still young—I don’t really know much about anything. 8 Yet your servant is among your chosen people—a numerous people who can’t be counted because there’s so many of us. 9 So please give your servant the ability to listen to your people and to judge them well—discerning between good and evil, because who’s able to judge your people—that’s a heavy task.”

10 Yahweh was very pleased that Shelomoh had requested that 11 and told him, “Because you requested that and didn’t request a long life or riches for yourself, or requested the lives of your enemies, but you requested discernment for yourself when listening and dispensing justice, 12 then I’ve done what you requested. Listen, I’ve given you a wise and discerning mind unlike anyone who’s lived before you or who will live in the future after you. 13 So I’ve also given you what you didn’t request: both riches and honour—there’ll be no other king like you for as long as you live, 14 and if you’ll obey my statutes and commands like your father David did, then I’ll also lengthen your life.”

15 Then Shelomoh woke up, and wow, it had been a dream, and he went into Yerushalem and stood in front of the sacred chest. Then he offered up burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and he held a feast for all his servants.

16 One day two prostitutes came to the king and stood in front of him, 17 and one of them said, “Please, my master, us two women live in the same house, and while she was there in the house, I gave birth to a baby. 18 Three days later, this woman also gave birth to her baby. Only the two of us were there in the house—no one else was around. 19 But then in the night, her son died because she rolled over onto him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me, as your female servant was asleep. She left her dead son with me, and took my son to her bed. 21 When I woke up in the morning ready to breastfeed my son, to my horror he was dead. However when I examined him closely in the light, more shock, it wasn’t actually my son!”

22 “No, my son is the living one,” the other woman said, “and your son is the dead one.”

“No, your son is the dead one,” the first woman countered, “and my son is the living one!”

Then they continued to argue in front of the king.

23 The king spoke, “So both of you are claiming that your baby is the one that’s alive and that the dead one belongs to the other.” 24 Then he ordered, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword to the king. 25 Then the king commanded, “Cut the living child into two pieces and give them half each.”

26 But the mother of the surviving baby felt compassion for her son and yelled, “Please, my master, give the baby to her—you certainly mustn’t kill him!”

Meanwhile the other woman was saying, “Well then, neither of us will have him. Cut him in half!”

27 The king spoke up, “Don’t harm the baby. Give the living child to the first woman—she’s his mother.”

28 All Israel eventually heard about this case that the king had judged, and they felt an awesome respect for him because they saw that he had God’s wisdom to do justice within him.