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, & took Pharaoh’s daughter [to be his wife,] & brought her into the city of David, until he [finished] building his own house, the house of the Lord, & the wall [all 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, a.k.a. followed,] in the [mandates] of David, his father: [except] he sacrificed, & burnt incense in high places. |
And king [Solomon] went to Gibeah to sacrifice there, for that was the great, [a.k.a. 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. |
And God said, Ask [for] what shall I give you? And Solomon said, You [have shown] Your servant, David, my father, great mercy, according [like] he walked before You in truth, righteousness, & [with an] [upright] heart, with You. |
And 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.] And [I,] Your servant is in the midst of Your people, [whom] 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? |
[His] speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon asked [for] this thing. And God said to [Solomon,] Because you asked [for] this, & [didn’t ask] for yourself: long life, riches, nor the [lives] of your enemies; but [have] asked for understanding for yourself to discern, [a.k.a. distinguish,] [fairly in] judgment. |
[See,] I have done according to your words. [Look,] I have given you a wise & understanding heart, so there there was [no one] before you, [or will be] after you, any [similar] to you, [in wisdom.] |
And I have also given you [what] you [haven’t] asked [for:] both riches, & honor, so there [won’t] be any among the kings [similar to] you all your [life.] And if you [will] walk in My ways, & keep My [mandates,] & My commandments, [like] David, your father [walked,] then I will lengthen your [life.] |
And Solomon awoke; & [saw,] it was a dream. And [Solomon] 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. |
And [it happened] the 3rd day after I delivered, this woman also delivered [a child.] We were together; & there was no [one else] with us in the house, [except the] 2 [of] us. |
And this woman’s child died in the night, because she overlaid, [a.k.a. laid on him.] And 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. |
And when I rose [up] in the morning to [nurse] my child, & [saw] it was dead. But when I [thought about] it in the morning, & [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 in front of] the king. |
Then, king [Solomon] said, The 1 [says,] This is my son [who lives,] & your son is dead; & the other [says, No,] your son is dead, & my son is living. And 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, & said, O my lord, give her the living child, & in no [way, kill] it. |
But 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 & in no [way, kill] it. She is the mother [of it.] |
And all Israel heard of the [wise] judgment [of] the king, & they feared, [a.k.a. respected,] the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in [Solomon,] to do judgment, [a.k.a. justice.] |