Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:1–13; Psalm 45:1–17; Psalm 72:1–20)
1 AKJV And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. BSB BSB: Later, 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.
2 AKJV Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built to the name of the LORD, until those days. BSB BSB: The people, however, were still sacrificing on the high places because a house for the Name of the LORD had not yet been built.
3 AKJV And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. BSB BSB: And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
4 AKJV And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer on that altar. BSB BSB: Now 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.
5 AKJV In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give you. BSB BSB: One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
6 AKJV And Solomon said, You have showed to your servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you; and you have kept for him this great kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. BSB BSB: Solomon 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.
7 AKJV And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. BSB BSB: And 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.
8 AKJV And your servant is in the middle of your people which you have chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. BSB BSB: Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.
9 AKJV Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this your so great a people? BSB 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?”
10 AKJV And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. BSB BSB: Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.
11 AKJV And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment; BSB BSB: So 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—
12 AKJV Behold, I have done according to your words: see, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, neither after you shall any arise like to you. BSB BSB: behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been another like you, nor will there ever be.
13 AKJV And I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like to you all your days. BSB BSB: Moreover, 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.
14 AKJV And if you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David did walk, then I will lengthen your days. BSB BSB: So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.”
15 AKJV And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. BSB BSB: Then 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.
Solomon Judges Wisely 16 AKJV Then came there two women, that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him. BSB BSB: At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 AKJV And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. BSB BSB: One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth while she was in the house.
18 AKJV And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. BSB BSB: On 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.
19 AKJV And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. BSB BSB: During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.
20 AKJV And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. BSB BSB: So 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.
21 AKJV And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. BSB BSB: The 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 AKJV And the other woman said, No; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son. And this said, No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king. BSB BSB: “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.
23 AKJV Then said the king, The one says, This is my son that lives, and your son is the dead: and the other says, No; but your son is the dead, and my son is the living. BSB BSB: Then 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 AKJV And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. BSB BSB: The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword,
25 AKJV And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. BSB BSB: and the king declared, “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
26 AKJV Then spoke the woman whose the living child was to the king, for her bowels yearned on her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither my nor yours, but divide it. BSB BSB: Then 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!”
27 AKJV Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. BSB BSB: Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. By no means should you kill him; she is his mother.”
28 AKJV And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment. BSB BSB: When 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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