English Standard Version ESV
The Latin Vulgate VUL
1 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.
1
confirmatum est igitur regnum in manu Salomonis et adfinitate coniunctus est Pharaoni regi Aegypti accepit namque filiam eius et adduxit in civitatem David donec conpleret aedificans domum suam et domum Domini et murum Hierusalem per circuitum
2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.
2
et tamen populus immolabat in excelsis non enim aedificatum erat templum nomini Domini usque in die illo
3 Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.
3
dilexit autem Salomon Dominum ambulans in praeceptis David patris sui excepto quod in excelsis immolabat et accendebat thymiama
4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
4
abiit itaque in Gabaon ut immolaret ibi illud quippe erat excelsum maximum mille hostias in holocaustum obtulit Salomon super altare illud in Gabaon
5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you. ”
5
apparuit Dominus Salomoni per somnium nocte dicens postula quod vis ut dem tibi
6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
6
et ait Salomon tu fecisti cum servo tuo David patre meo misericordiam magnam sicut ambulavit in conspectu tuo in veritate et iustitia et recto corde tecum custodisti ei misericordiam tuam grandem et dedisti ei filium sedentem super thronum eius sicut et hodie
7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
7
et nunc Domine Deus tu regnare fecisti servum tuum pro David patre meo ego autem sum puer parvus et ignorans egressum et introitum meum
8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.
8
et servus tuus in medio est populi quem elegisti populi infiniti qui numerari et supputari non potest prae multitudine
9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people? ”
9
dabis ergo servo tuo cor docile ut iudicare possit populum tuum et discernere inter malum et bonum quis enim potest iudicare populum istum populum tuum hunc multum
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
10
placuit ergo sermo coram Domino quod Salomon rem huiuscemodi postulasset
11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,
11
et dixit Deus Salomoni quia postulasti verbum hoc et non petisti tibi dies multos nec divitias aut animam inimicorum tuorum sed postulasti tibi sapientiam ad discernendum iudicium
12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.
12
ecce feci tibi secundum sermones tuos et dedi tibi cor sapiens et intellegens in tantum ut nullus ante te similis tui fuerit nec post te surrecturus sit
13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.
13
sed et haec quae non postulasti dedi tibi divitias scilicet et gloriam ut nemo fuerit similis tui in regibus cunctis retro diebus
14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days. ”
14
si autem ambulaveris in viis meis et custodieris praecepta mea et mandata mea sicut ambulavit pater tuus longos faciam dies tuos
15 And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
15
igitur evigilavit Salomon et intellexit quod esset somnium cumque venisset Hierusalem stetit coram arca foederis Domini et obtulit holocausta et fecit victimas pacificas et grande convivium universis famulis suis
16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
16
tunc venerunt duae mulieres meretrices ad regem steteruntque coram eo
17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.
17
quarum una ait obsecro mi domine ego et mulier haec habitabamus in domo una et peperi apud eam in cubiculo
18 Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house.
18
tertia vero die postquam ego peperi peperit et haec et eramus simul nullusque alius in domo nobiscum exceptis nobis duabus
19 And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.
19
mortuus est autem filius mulieris huius nocte dormiens quippe oppressit eum
20 And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.
20
et consurgens intempesta nocte silentio tulit filium meum de latere meo ancillae tuae dormientis et conlocavit in sinu suo suum autem filium qui erat mortuus posuit in sinu meo
21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne. ”
21
cumque surrexissem mane ut darem lac filio meo apparuit mortuus quem diligentius intuens clara luce deprehendi non esse meum quem genueram
22 But the other woman said, “No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours. ” The first said, “No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine. ” Thus they spoke before the king.
22
responditque altera mulier non est ita sed filius tuus mortuus est meus autem vivit e contrario illa dicebat mentiris filius quippe meus vivit et filius tuus mortuus est atque in hunc modum contendebant coram rege
23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one. ’”
23
tunc rex ait haec dicit filius meus vivit et filius tuus mortuus est et ista respondit non sed filius tuus mortuus est et filius meus vivit
24 And the king said, “Bring me a sword. ” So a sword was brought before the king.
24
dixit ergo rex adferte mihi gladium cumque adtulissent gladium coram rege
25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other. ”
25
dividite inquit infantem vivum in duas partes et date dimidiam partem uni et dimidiam partem alteri
26 Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death. ” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him. ”
26
dixit autem mulier cuius filius erat vivus ad regem commota sunt quippe viscera eius super filio suo obsecro domine date illi infantem vivum et nolite interficere eum contra illa dicebat nec mihi nec tibi sit dividatur
27 Then the king answered and said, “Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother. ”
27
respondens rex ait date huic infantem vivum et non occidatur haec est mater eius
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
28
audivit itaque omnis Israhel iudicium quod iudicasset rex et timuerunt regem videntes sapientiam Dei esse in eo ad faciendum iudicium
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.