Parallel Bible results for "1 kings 3"

1 Kings 3

New Century Version NCV

1 Solomon made an agreement with the king of Egypt by marrying his daughter and bringing her to Jerusalem. At this time Solomon was still building his palace and the Temple of the Lord, as well as a wall around Jerusalem.

2 The Temple for the worship of the Lord had not yet been finished, so people were still sacrificing at altars in many places of worship.

3 Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the commands his father David had given him, except many other places of worship were still used to offer sacrifices and to burn incense.

4 King Solomon went to Gibeon to offer a sacrifice, because it was the most important place of worship. He offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

5 While he was at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him in a dream during the night. God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

6 Solomon answered, "You were very kind to your servant, my father David. He obeyed you, and he was honest and lived right. You showed great kindness to him when you allowed his son to be king after him.

7 Lord my God, now you have made me, your servant, king in my father's place. But I am like a little child; I don't know how to do what must be done.

8 I, your servant, am here among your chosen people, and there are too many of them to count.

9 I ask that you give me an obedient heart so I can rule the people in the right way and will know the difference between right and wrong. Otherwise, it is impossible to rule this great people of yours."

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked this.

11 So God said to him, "You did not ask for a long life, or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies. Since you asked for wisdom to make the right decisions,

12 I will do what you asked. I will give you wisdom and understanding that is greater than anyone has had in the past or will have in the future.

13 I will also give you what you did not ask for: riches and honor. During your life no other king will be as great as you.

14 If you follow me and obey my laws and commands, as your father David did, I will also give you a long life."

15 After Solomon woke up from the dream, he went to Jerusalem. He stood before the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord, where he made burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. After that, he gave a feast for all his leaders and officers.

16 One day two women who were prostitutes came to Solomon. As they stood before him,

17 one of the women said, "My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was there with me.

18 Three days later this woman also gave birth to a baby. No one else was in the house with us; it was just the two of us.

19 One night this woman rolled over on her baby, and he died.

20 So she took my son from my bed during the night while I was asleep, and she carried him to her bed. Then she put the dead baby in my bed.

21 The next morning when I got up to feed my baby, I saw that he was dead! When I looked at him more closely, I realized he was not my son."

22 "No!" the other woman cried. "The living baby is my son, and the dead baby is yours!" But the first woman said, "No! The dead baby is yours, and the living one is mine!" So the two women argued before the king.

23 Then King Solomon said, "One of you says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead.' Then the other one says, 'No! Your son is dead and my son is alive.'"

24 The king sent his servants to get a sword. When they brought it to him,

25 he said, "Cut the living baby into two pieces, and give each woman half."

26 The real mother of the living child was full of love for her son. So she said to the king, "Please, my master, don't kill him! Give the baby to her!" But the other woman said, "Neither of us will have him. Cut him into two pieces!"

27 Then King Solomon said, "Don't kill him. Give the baby to the first woman, because she is the real mother."

28 When the people of Israel heard about King Solomon's decision, they respected him very much. They saw he had wisdom from God to make the right decisions.

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 Shlomo formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. He brought her into the City of David, [where she lived] until he had finished building his own palace, the house of ADONAI and the wall around Yerushalayim.

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

3 Shlomo loved ADONAI, living according to the regulations set forth by David his father; nevertheless, he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places.

4 One time the king went to Giv'on to sacrifice there, because that was the main high place. Shlomo offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar there.

5 At Giv'on ADONAI appeared to Shlomo in a dream at night; God said, "Tell me what I should give you."

6 Shlomo said, "You showed your servant David my father much grace, as he lived before you honestly and righteously, having an upright heart with you. You preserved this great grace for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, as is the case today.

7 So now, ADONAI my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father; but I am a mere child - I don't know how to lead!

8 Moreover your servant is among your people, whom you chose, a great people so numerous that they cannot be counted.

9 Therefore, give your servant an understanding heart able to administer justice to your people, so that I can discern between good and bad - for who is equal to judging this great people of yours?"

10 What Shlomo had said in making this request pleased Adonai.

11 God said to him, "Because you have made this request instead of asking long life or riches for yourself, or your enemies' death, but rather asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

12 I am doing what you requested. I am giving you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever again be anyone like you.

13 I am also giving you what you didn't ask for, riches and honor greater than that of any other king throughout your life.

14 More than that, if you will live according to my ways, obeying my laws and mitzvot like your father David, I will give you a long life."

15 Shlomo awoke and found it had been a dream. But he went to Yerushalayim, stood before the ark for the covenant of ADONAI and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. He also made a feast for all his servants.

16 After this, there came to the king two women who were prostitutes. After presenting themselves to him,

17 one of the women said, "My lord, I and this woman live in the same house; and when she was in the house, I gave birth to a baby.

18 Three days after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were there together; there was no one else with us in the house except the two of us.

19 During the night this woman's child died, because she rolled over on top of it.

20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from next to me, while your servant was sleeping, and put it in her arms; and she laid her dead child in my arms.

21 When I awoke in the morning to feed my child from my breast, there it was, dead. But when I took a closer look later in the morning, why, it wasn't my son at all - not the one I gave birth to!"

22 The other woman broke in, "No! The living one is my son, and the dead one is your son!" The first one said, "No! The dead one is your son and the living one is my son!" This is how they spoke in the presence of the king.

23 Then the king said, "This woman says, 'The living one is my son; your son is the dead one'; while the other says, 'No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.'

24 Bring me a sword," said the king. They brought a sword to the king.

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

26 At this, the woman to whom the living child belonged addressed the king, because she felt so strongly toward her son: "Oh, my lord, give her the living child; you mustn't kill it!" But the other one said, "It will be neither yours nor mine. Divide it up!"

27 Then the king answered, "Give the living child to the first woman, don't kill it, because she is its mother."

28 All Isra'el heard of the decision the king had made and held the king in awe, for they saw that God's wisdom was in him, enabling him to render justice properly.