1 Kings 3

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Solomon became the son-in-law of Pharaoh king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh's daughter, and took herto the City of David until he could complete the building of his palace, the Temple of Yahweh and the ramparts ofJerusalem.	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.
2 The people, however, were stil sacrificing on the high places, because at that time a dwel ing-place forthe name of Yahweh had not yet been built.	2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.
3 Solomon loved Yahweh: he fol owed the precepts of his father David, except that he offered sacrificeand incense on the high places.	3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he sacrificed and burnt incense at the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, since that was the principal high place -- Solomon presenteda thousand burnt offerings on that altar.	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 upon that altar.
5 At Gibeon Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream during the night. God said, 'Ask what you wouldlike me to give you.'	5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."
6 Solomon replied, 'You showed most faithful love to your servant David, my father, when he lived his lifebefore you in faithfulness and uprightness and integrity of heart; you have continued this most faithful love to himby al owing a son of his to sit on his throne today.	6 And Solomon said, "Thou hast shown great and steadfast love to thy servant David my father, because he walked before thee in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward thee; and thou hast kept for him this great and steadfast love, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
7 Now, Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king in succession to David my father. But I am avery young man, unskilled in leadership.	7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy 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.
8 And here is your servant, surrounded with your people whom you have chosen, a people so numerousthat its number cannot be counted or reckoned.	8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people whom thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude.
9 So give your servant a heart to understand how to govern your people, how to discern between goodand evil, for how could one otherwise govern such a great people as yours?'	9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding mind to govern thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to govern this thy great people?"
10 It pleased Yahweh that Solomon should have asked for this.	10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
11 'Since you have asked for this,' God said, 'and not asked for long life for yourself or riches or the livesof your enemies but have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself,	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,
12 here and now I do what you ask. I give you a heart wise and shrewd as no one has had before and noone will have after you.	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.
13 What you have not asked I shal give you too: such riches and glory as no other king can match.	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.
14 And I shal give you a long life, if you fol ow my ways, keeping my laws and commandments, as yourfather David followed them.'	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."
15 Then Solomon woke up; it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the ark ofthe covenant of Yahweh; he presented burnt offerings and communion sacrifices and held a banquet for allthose in his service.	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.
16 Later two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.	16 Then two harlots came to the king, and stood before him.
17 'If it please you, my lord,' one of the women said, 'this woman and I live in the same house, and whileshe was in the house I gave birth to a child.	17 The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.
18 Now it happened on the third day after my delivery that this woman also gave birth to a child. We werealone together; there was no one else in the house with us; just the two of us in the house.	18 Then on the third day after I was delivered, 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.
19 Now one night this woman's son died; she overlaid him.	19 And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on it.
20 And in the middle of the night she got up and took my son from beside me while your servant wasasleep; she took him in her arms and put her own dead son in mine.	20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your maidservant slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.
21 When I got up to suckle my child, there he was, dead. But in the morning I looked at him carefully, andhe was not the child I had borne at al .'	21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead; but when I looked at it closely in the morning, behold, it was not the child that I had borne."
22 Then the other woman spoke. 'That is not true! My son is the live one, yours is the dead one'; and thefirst retorted, 'That is not true! Your son is the dead one, mine is the live one.' And so they wrangled before theking.	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.
23 'This one says,' the king observed, ' "My son is the one who is alive; your son is dead," while the other says, "That is not true! Your son is the dead one, mine is the live one."	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.'"
24 Bring me a sword,' said the king; and a sword was brought into the king's presence.	24 And the king said, "Bring me a sword." So a sword was brought before the king.
25 'Cut the living child in two,' the king said, 'and give half to one, half to the other.'	25 And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other."
26 At this the woman who was the mother of the living child addressed the king, for she felt acutely for herson. 'I beg you, my lord,' she said, 'let them give her the live child; on no account let them kil him!' But the othersaid, 'He shal belong to neither of us. Cut him in half!'	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 slay it." But the other said, "It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it."
27 Then the king gave his decision. 'Give the live child to the first woman,' he said, 'and do not kill him.She is his mother.'	27 Then the king answered and said, "Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means slay it; she is its mother."
28 Al Israel came to hear of the judgement which the king had pronounced and held the king in awe,recognising that he possessed divine wisdom for dispensing justice.	28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him, to render justice.