Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:1–13; Psalm 45:1–17; Psalm 72:1–20)
2 Brenton Nevertheless the people burnt incense on the high places, because a house had not yet been built to the Lord. 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 Brenton And Solomon loved the Lord, so as to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the 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 Brenton And he arose and went to Gabaon to sacrifice there, for that was the highest place, and great: Solomon offered a whole-burnt-offering of a thousand victims on the altar in Gabaon. 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 Brenton And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Solomon, Ask some petition for thyself. 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 Brenton And Solomon said, Thou hast dealt very mercifully with thy servant David my father according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee, and thou hast kept for him this great mercy, to set his son upon 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 Brenton And now, O Lord my God, thou hast appointed thy servant in the room of David my father; and I am a little child, and know not my going out and my coming 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 Brenton But thy servant is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, a great people, which cannot be numbered. BSB BSB: Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.
9 Brenton 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 great 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 Brenton And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing. BSB BSB: Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.
11 Brenton And the Lord said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing of me, and hast not asked for thyself long life, and hast not asked wealth, nor hast asked the lives of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to hear 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 Brenton behold, I have done according to thy word: behold, I have given thee an understanding and wise heart: there has not been any one like thee before thee, and after thee there shall not arise one like thee. 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 Brenton And I have given thee what thou hast not asked, wealth and glory, so that there has not been any one like thee among kings. 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 Brenton And if thou wilt walk in my way, to keep my commandments and my ordinances, as David thy father walked, then will I multiply thy 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 Brenton And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream: and he arose and came to Jerusalem, and stood before the altar that was in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord in Sion: and he offered whole-burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings, and made a great banquet for himself and 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 Brenton Then there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him. BSB BSB: At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 Brenton And the one woman said, Hear me, my lord; I and this woman dwelt in one house, and we were delivered 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 Brenton And it came to pass on the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered: and we were together; and there was no one with us besides our two selves 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 Brenton 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 Brenton And she arose in the middle of the night, and took my son from my arms, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son 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 Brenton And I arose in the morning to suckle my son, and he was dead: and, behold, I considered him in the morning, and, behold, it was not my son whom I bore. 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 Brenton And the other woman said, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. So 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 Brenton And the king said to them, Thou sayest, This is my son, even the living one , and this woman's son is the dead one: and thou sayest, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. 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 Brenton And the king said, Fetch 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 Brenton And the king said, Divide the live child, the suckling, in two; and give half of it to one, and half of it 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 Brenton And the woman whose the living child was, answered and said to the king, (for her bowels yearned over her son) and she said, I pray thee, my lord, give her the child, and in nowise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor hers; 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 Brenton Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her that said, ‘Give it to her, and by no means slay it:’ she is its mother. 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 Brenton And all Israel heard this judgment which the king judged, and they feared before the king; because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to execute 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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