God Asks Solomon What He Would Like From Him |
1 Kings 3:1-34 1 Kings [in Smaller Chunks] |
Solomon [became the ally of] Pharaoh, [Egypt’s] king & [married] Pharaoh’s daughter & brought her into the city of David, until he [finished] building his own house, the house of the Lord & the wall [around] Jerusalem. |
[Still] the people sacrificed in high places, because the house to the Name of the Lord wasn’t built, until those days. And Solomon loved the Lord & [walked] in the [mandates of] David, his father: [except] he sacrificed in high places. |
And king [Solomon] went to Gibeah to sacrifice there, for it was the [most prominent of the] high [places.] Solomon [offered] 1,000 burnt offerings upon that altar. In Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream [at] night. |
God said, What shall I give you? Ask. Solomon said, You have shown Your servant, David, my father, great mercy, according to [his walking] before You in truth, righteousness & [with an upright] heart, with You. |
You have [done] this great kindness for him & that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is [today.] And now, O Lord my God, You have made [me,] Your servant, king instead of David, my father. |
I am [just] a little child & I [don’t] know how to go out or come in [as a ruler.] Your servant is in the midst of Your people [that] You have chosen. A [large amount of] people, a multitude that can’t be numbered [or] counted. |
Therefore, give [me,] Your servant, an understanding heart to judge Your people, [so] I may [distinguish between] good & bad. For who is able to judge this [large amount] of Your people? |
[It] pleased the Lord that Solomon asked this thing. And God said to [Solomon,] Because you asked [for] this & [didn’t] ask for yourself, long life, riches [or] the [lives] of your enemies, but has asked for understanding for yourself [to judge fairly.] |
[Look,] I have done according to your words & I have given you a wise & understanding heart, so there was [no one] before you [or will be] after you [as wise as you are.] |
I have also given you [what] you [didn’t] ask [for:] both riches & honor, so there [won’t] be any king like you all [your life,] among all the kings. If you will walk in My [mandates] & My commandments, [like] David, your father [walked,] then I will lengthen your [life.] |
Solomon awoke & [realized] it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem & stood before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord [God] & offered up burnt offerings, Peace Offerings & made a feast [for] all his servants. |
Then, 2 women [who] were [prostitutes] came to the king & stood [in front of] him. The one woman said, O my lord, this woman & I [live] in 1 house together & I delivered a child with her in the house. |
[It happened] the 3rd day after I delivered, this woman also delivered [a child.] We were together & no [one else was] with us in the house, [except the] 2 [of] us. |
This woman’s child died in the night, because she [laid on him.] She arose at midnight & took my son from beside me while [I,] your hand maid, slept. She laid it [on] her bosom & laid her dead child [on] my bosom. |
When I rose [up] in the morning to [nurse] my child, it was dead. But when I [thought about] it in the morning, [I saw] it wasn’t my son, which I [had given birth to.] |
The other woman said, [No,] the living [child] is my son & the dead [child] is your son. And this [lady] said, No, but the dead [child] is your son & the living is my son. They said [this] before the king. |
Then, king [Solomon] said, The 1 says my son lives & your son is dead & the other says, [No,] your son is dead & my son is living. The king said, Bring me a sword & they brought a sword before the king. |
And king [Solomon] said, Divide the living child in 2 & give 1/2 to one & 1/2 to the other. Then, the woman [who gave birth to the living child spoke] to the king, [because] she yearned [for] her son, O my lord, give her the living child & [don’t kill] it. |
The other [woman] said, Let it be neither [my son or] yours, but divide it. Then, king [Solomon] answered & said, Give her the living child & don’t kill it. She is the mother [of it.] |
And all Israel heard of the [wise] judgment [of] the king & they feared [respected] the king: for they saw [that] the wisdom of God was in [Solomon,] to do [justice.] |