Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:1–13; Psalm 45:1–17; Psalm 72:1–20)
1 ULT And Solomon made himself a son- in- law to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And he took the daughter of Pharaoh and brought her into the City of David until his finishing to build his house and the house of Yahweh 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 ULT However, the people were sacrificing at the high places because a house had not been built for the name of Yahweh up to 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 ULT And Solomon loved Yahweh, to walk in the statutes of David his father, but at the high places he was sacrificing and burning incense. 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 ULT And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for it was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings 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 ULT At Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream that night. And God said,“Ask! What shall I give to 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 ULT And Solomon said,“You, you did great covenant faithfulness with your servant David, my father because he walked to your face in faithfulness and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with you. And you have kept for him this great covenant faithfulness, and you have given to him a son sitting 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 ULT And now, Yahweh my God, you, you have made your servant reign in place of David my father, but I{ am} a little child. I do not know going out or 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 ULT And your servant{ is} in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, an abundant people who can not be numbered and can not be counted from abundance. BSB BSB: Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number.
9 ULT So may you give to your servant a hearing heart to judge your people, to discern between good to evil. For who is able to judge this your heavy 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 ULT And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, that Solomon had requested this thing. BSB BSB: Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request.
11 ULT And God said to him,“Because you have requested this thing and you have not requested for yourself many days, and you have not requested riches for yourself, and you have not requested the life of your enemies, but you have requested for yourself to discern to hear justice, 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 ULT behold, I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given to you a wise and discerning heart, that one like you has not been to your face and one like you will not arise after 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 ULT And also, what you have not requested, I have given to you, both riches and honor, so that there will not be a man like you among kings all of 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 ULT And if you walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments, just as David your father walked, 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 ULT And Solomon awoke, and behold,{ it had been} a dream. And he entered Jerusalem, and he stood to the face of the Box of the Covenant of the Lord. And he offered burnt offerings, and he made peace offerings. And he made a feast for all of 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 ULT Then two women, prostitutes, came to the king, and they stood to his face. BSB BSB: At that time two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 ULT And one woman said,“Please, my lord, I and this woman are dwelling in one house, and I gave birth 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 ULT And it happened on the third day of my giving birth that this woman also gave birth. 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 ULT And the son of this woman died{ at} night, because she lay on him. BSB BSB: During the night this woman’s son died because she rolled over on him.
20 ULT And she arose in the middle of the night, and she took my son from my side, and your female servant was asleep. And she laid him in her bosom. And her son, the one having died, she laid 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 ULT And I arose in the morning to nurse my son, and behold, he had died. But I looked carefully upon him in the morning, and behold, he was not my son whom I had borne.” 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 ULT And the other woman said,“No, for my son{ is} the living one, and your son{ is} the one having died.” But this one was saying,“No, for your son{ is} the one having died, and my son{ is} the living one.” And they spoke to the face of 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 ULT And the king said,“This one says,‘This{ is} my son, the living one, and your son{ is} the one having died,’ but that one says,‘No, but your son{ is} the one having died, and my son{ is} the living one.’” 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 ULT And the king said,“Get a sword for me.” And they brought the sword to the face of the king. BSB BSB: The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought him a sword,
25 ULT And the king said,“Divide the living child in two, and give half to 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 ULT And the woman whose son{ was} the living one spoke to the king, for her compassions for her son were kindled. And she said,“Please, my lord, give the living child to her, but killing, you must not kill him!” But this one was saying,“He will not be either for me or for you. Divide.” 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 ULT And the king answered and said,“Give the living child to her, and killing, you shall not kill him. She is his 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 ULT And all of Israel heard the judgment that the king had judged, and they were afraid from the face of the king, because they saw that the wisdom of God was within 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.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.