1 And Solomon made himself son-in-law to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaohs daughter; and he brought her into the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall all around Jerusalem.2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Jehovah until those days.3 And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he was sacrificing and burning incense at the high places.4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.5 At Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask; what shall I give you?6 And Solomon said: You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son sitting on his throne, as it is this day.7 Now, O Jehovah my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted for multitude.9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?10 And the word was good in the eyes of Jehovah, that Solomon had asked this thing.11 And God said to him: Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,12 behold, I have done according to your words; behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David has walked, then I will prolong your days.15 And Solomon awoke; and behold it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.16 Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him.17 And one woman said, O my lord, this woman and I are dwelling in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house.18 Then it happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no one was with us in the house, except the two of us in the house.19 And this womans son died in the night, because she had lain on him.20 So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.21 And when I arose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, behold, he was not my son whom I had borne.22 And the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son. And the first woman said, No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.23 And the king said, The one says, This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one; and the other says, No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. So they brought a sword before the king.25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.26 Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for her womb yearned for her son; and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and do not put him to death! But the other said, Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.27 So the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and do not put him to death; she is his mother.28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, and they feared his presence; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to execute justice.
1 Therfor the rewme was confermyd in to the hondis of Salomon; and bi affynyte, `ether aliaunce, he was ioyned to Pharao, kyng of Egipt; for he took the douyter of Farao, and brouyte in to the citee of Dauid, til he `fillide bildynge his hows, and the hows of the Lord, and the wal of Jerusalem bi cumpas.2 Netheles the puple offride in hiye places; for the temple was not bildid to the name of the Lord til in to that dai.3 Forsothe Salomon louyde the Lord, and yede in the comaundementis of Dauid, his fadir, out takun that Salomon offride in hiye placis, and brente encense `in hiye places.4 Therfor Salomon yede in to Gabaon, to offre there; for thilke was the moost hiy place. Salomon offride on that auter in Gabaon a thousynde offryngis in to brent sacrifice.5 Sotheli the Lord apperide to Salomon bi sleep in the nyyt, and seide, Axe thou `that, that thou wolt, that Y yyue to thee.6 And Salomon seide, Thou hast do greet merci with thi seruaunt Dauid, my fadir, as he yede in thi siyt, in treuthe, and riytfulnesse, and riytful herte with thee; thou hast kepte to hym thi greet merci, and hast youun to hym a sone, sittynge on his trone, as it is to dai.7 And now, Lord God, thou hast maad thi seruaunt to regne for Dauid, my fadir; forsothe Y am a litil child, and not knowynge myn outgoynge and entryng.8 And thi seruaunt is in the myddis of the puple, which thou hast chose, of puple with outen noumbre, that may not be noumbrid and rikened, for multitude.9 Therfor thou schalt yyue to thi seruaunt an herte able to be tauyt, `that is, liytned of thee, that he may deme the puple, and iuge bitwixe good and yuel; for who may deme this puple, thi puple, this miche puple?10 Therfor the world pleside bifore the Lord, that Salomon hadde axid sich a thing.11 And the Lord seide to Salomon, For thou axidist this word, and axidist not to thee many daies, nether richessis, nether the lyues of thin enemyes, but thou axidist to thee wisdom to deme doom, lo!12 Y haue do to thee vpe thi wordis, and Y haue youe to thee a wyse herte and vndirstondynge, in so myche that no man bifor thee was lijk thee, nether schal rise aftir thee.13 But also Y haue youe to thee these thingis, whiche thou axidist not, that is, richessis, and glorie, that no man be lijk thee in kyngis in alle tymes aftirward.14 Forsothe if thou goist in my weies, and kepist my biddyngis and comaundementis, as thi fadir yede, Y schal make thi daies long.15 Therfor Salomon wakide, and vndirstood what the sweuen was. And whanne he hadde come to Jerusalem, he stood bifor the arke of boond of pees of the Lord, and he offride brent sacrifices, and made pesible sacrifices, and a greet feeste to alle hise meynees.16 Thanne twei wymmen hooris camen to the kyng, and stoden bifor hym;17 of whiche oon seide, My lord, Y biseche, Y and this womman dwelliden in oon hows, and Y childide at hir in a couche.18 Sotheli in the thridde dai aftir that Y childide, also this womman childide; and we weren togidere in the hows, and noon other was with vs in the hows, outakun vs tweyne.19 Forsothe the sone of this womman was deed in the nyyt, for sche slepte, and oppresside hym;20 and sche roos in the fourthe part of the nyyt in silence, and took my sone fro the side of me, thin handmaide slepynge, and settide in hir bosum; forsothe sche puttide in my bosum hir sone, that was deed.21 And whanne Y hadde ryse eerli, to yyue mylk to my sone, he apperide deed; whom Y bihelde diligentlier bi cleer liyt, and Y perseyuede, that he was not myn, whom Y hadde gendrid.22 The tother womman answeride, It is not so as thou seist, but thi sone is deed; forsothe `my sone lyueth. Ayenward sche seide, Thou liest; for my sone lyueth, and thi sone is deed. And bi this maner thei stryueden bifore the kyng.23 Thanne the kyng seide, This womman seith, My sone lyueth, and thi sone is deed; and this womman answerith, Nay, but thi sone is deed; forsothe my sone lyueth.24 Therfor the kyng seide, Brynge ye to me a swerd. And whanne thei hadden brouyt a swerd bifor the kyng,25 he seide, Departe ye the quyk yong child in to twei partis, and yyue ye the half part to oon, and the half part to the tother.26 Forsothe the womman, whos sone was quik, seide to the kyng; for her entrailis weren mouyd on hir sone; Lord, Y biseche, yyue ye to hir the quik child, and nyle ye sle hym. Ayenward sche seide, Be he nethir to me, nether to thee, but be he departid.27 The kyng answeride, and seide, Yyue ye to this womman the yong child quyk, and be he not slayn; forsothe this is `his modir.28 Therfor al Israel herde the doom, which the kyng hadde demyd; and thei dredden the kyng, and sien, that the wisdom of God was in hym, to make doom.