Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:1–13; Psalm 45:1–17; Psalm 72:1–20)
1 DBY And Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had ended building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, 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 DBY Only, the people sacrificed on the high places; for there was no house built to the name of Jehovah, 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 DBY And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he sacrificed and burned 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 DBY And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer up upon 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 DBY In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 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 DBY And Solomon said, Thou hast shewn unto thy servant David my father great loving-kindness, 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 loving-kindness, that thou hast given him a son who sits 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 DBY And now, Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child: I know not to go out and to 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 DBY And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast 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 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? 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 DBY And the word pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. BSB BSB: Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.
11 DBY And God said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself discernment to understand 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 DBY behold, I have done according to thy word: behold, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there hath been none like unto thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto 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 DBY And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and glory; so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy 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 DBY And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will prolong 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 DBY And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, 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 DBY Then came two women, harlots, to the king, and stood before him. BSB BSB: At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 DBY And the first woman said, Ah, my lord! I and this woman abode 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 DBY And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also; and we were together; no stranger was with us in the house, only we two were 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 DBY And this woman's child died in the night; because she had lain upon it. BSB BSB: During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.
20 DBY And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it 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 DBY And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; and I considered it 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 DBY And the other woman said, No, for the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this one said, No, but the dead is thy 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 DBY Then said the king, The one says, This that is living is my son, and thy son is the dead; and the other says, No, for thy 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 DBY 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 DBY 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 DBY Then spoke the woman whose was the living child to the king, for her bowels yearned over her son, and she said, Ah, my lord! give her the living child, and in no wise put it to death. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine; 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 DBY And the king answered and said, Give this one the living child, and in no wise put it to death: 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 DBY 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 justice. 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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