| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. Solomon brought her to live in the city of David until he finished building his palace, the LORD's temple, and the wall surrounding 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. |
| 2However, the people were sacrificing on the high places, because until that time a temple for the LORD's name had not 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. |
| 3Solomon loved the LORD by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also 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. |
| 4The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered 1,000 burnt offerings on that altar. | 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. |
| 5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, "Ask. What should I give you?" | 5One night in Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, "Tell me what I should give you." |
| 6And Solomon replied, "You have shown great and faithful love to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today." | 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. |
| 7 LORD my God, You have now made Your servant king in my father David's place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership. | 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 among Your people You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted. | 8Your servant stands among your chosen people; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. |
| 9So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge 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 requested this. | 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. |
| 11So God said to him, "Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to understand 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, |
| 12I will therefore do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again. | 12I grant your request, and give you a wise and discerning mind superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. |
| 13In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no man in any kingdom will be your equal during your entire life. | 13Furthermore, I am giving you what you did not request--riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. |
| 14If you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commands just as your father David did, I will give you a long life." | 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 woke up and realized it had been a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant, and offered burnt offerings and fellowship 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. |
| 16Then two women who were 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 had a baby 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, she also had a baby and we were alone. No one else was with us in the house; just the two of us were there. | 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 lay on him. | 19This woman's child suffocated during the night when she rolled on top of him. |
| 20She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while your servant was asleep. She laid him at her breast, and she put her dead son in my arms. | 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. |
| 21When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. That morning, when I looked closely at him I realized that he was not the son I gave birth to."" | 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." |
| 22No," the other woman said. "My son is the living one; your son is the dead one." The first woman said, "No, your son is the dead one; my son is the living one." 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. |
| 23The king replied, "This woman says, 'This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,' but that woman says, 'No, your son is dead, and my son 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 the sword to the king. | 24The king ordered, "Get me a sword!" So they placed a sword before the king. |
| 25Solomon said, "Cut the living boy 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!" |
| 26The woman whose son was alive spoke to the king because she felt great compassion for her son. "My lord, give her the living baby," she said, "but please don't have him killed!" But the other one said, "He will not be mine or 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!" |
| 27The king responded, "Give the living baby to the first woman, and don't kill him. She is his mother." | 27The king responded, "Give the first woman the living child; don't kill him. She is the mother." |
| 28All Israel heard about the judgment the king had given, and they stood in awe of the king because they saw that God's wisdom was in him to carry out 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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