1 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, the house of the LORD, and the wall surrounding Jerusalem.

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.

2 However, the people were still sacrificing on the high places because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.

Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking according to the statutes of his father David, yet he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there because it was the most prominent high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

5 At Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream during the night, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

6 Solomon replied, "You have shown great lovingkindness to your servant, my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. You have continued this great kindness to him by giving him a son to sit on his throne this day."

And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, 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 kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

7 Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, but I am only a young and inexperienced servant who does not know how to carry out his duties.

And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.

8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or record.

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.

9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between good and evil, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?

Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked this.

And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

11 God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life, wealth for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but for discernment in administering justice,

And God said unto 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 understanding to discern judgment;

12 behold, I have done what you asked. I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

13 I have also given you what you did not ask for: both wealth and honor, so that in your lifetime no king will compare to you.

And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

14 If you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commandments as your father David did, then I will prolong your days.

And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

15 Then Solomon awoke, and it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and held a feast for all his servants.

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.

16 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.

Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

17 One of them said, 'My lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was there with me.'

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.

18 On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were together, and there was no one else with us in the house—just the two of us.

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.

19 During the night, this woman's son died because she lay on him.

And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

20 So she got up in the middle of the night, took my son from my side while I was asleep, and laid him in her arms. She then placed her dead son in my arms.

And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

21 When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. But when I looked more closely at him in the morning light, I saw that it was not the son I had borne.

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.

22 The other woman said, 'No, the living one is my son, and the dead one is yours.' But the first woman insisted, 'No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is mine.' And so they argued before the king.

And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

23 The king said, 'This one says, “My son is the living one, and your son is the dead one,” while the other says, “No, your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.”'

Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

24 Then the king said, 'Bring me a sword.' So they brought a sword before the king.

And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

25 The king said, 'Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other.'

And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, 'Please, my lord, give her the living child! Do not kill him!' But the other said, 'Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!'

Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon 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 mine nor thine, but divide it.

27 Then the king gave his ruling: 'Give the living child to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.'

Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

28 When all Israel heard the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of the king, for they saw that he had the wisdom of God to administer justice.

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.