1 Kings 3 Clementine Vulgate
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Confirmatum est igitur regnum in manu Salomonis, et affinitate conjunctus est Pharaoni regi Ægypti: accepit namque filiam ejus, et adduxit in civitatem David, donec compleret ædificans domum suam, et domum Domini, et murum Jerusalem per circuitum.
1 Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into David’s city until he had finished building his own house, Yahweh’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.
2 Attamen populus immolabat in excelsis: non enim ædificatum erat templum nomini Domini usque in diem illum.
2 However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for Yahweh’s name.
3 Dilexit autem Salomon Dominum, ambulans in præceptis David patris sui, excepto quod in excelsis immolabat, et accendebat thymiama.
3 Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.
4 Abiit itaque in Gabaon, ut immolaret ibi: illud quippe erat excelsum maximum: mille hostias in holocaustum obtulit Salomon super altare illud in Gabaon.
4 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 Apparuit autem Dominus Salomoni per somnium nocte, dicens: Postula quod vis ut dem tibi.
5 In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”
6 Et ait Salomon: Tu fecisti cum servo tuo David patre meo misericordiam magnam, sicut ambulavit in conspectu tuo in veritate et justitia, et recto corde tecum: custodisti ei misericordiam tuam grandem, et dedisti ei filium sedentem super thronum ejus, sicut est hodie.
6 Solomon said, “You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, because he walked before you in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you. You have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.
7 Et nunc Domine Deus, tu regnare fecisti servum tuum pro David patre meo: ego autem sum puer parvulus, et ignorans egressum et introitum meum.
7 Now, Yahweh my God, you have made 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.
8 Et servus tuus in medio est populi quem elegisti, populi infiniti, qui numerari et supputari non potest præ multitudine.
8 Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.
9 Dabis ergo servo tuo cor docile, ut populum tuum judicare possit, et discernere inter bonum et malum. Quis enim poterit judicare populum istum, populum tuum hunc multum?
9 Give your servant therefore 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 Placuit ergo sermo coram Domino, quod Salomon postulasset hujuscemodi rem.
10 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 Et dixit Dominus Salomoni: Quia postulasti verbum hoc, et non petisti tibi dies multos, nec divitias, aut animas inimicorum tuorum, sed postulasti tibi sapientiam ad discernendum judicium:
11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have you asked for riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,
12 ecce feci tibi secundum sermones tuos, et dedi tibi cor sapiens et intelligens, in tantum ut nullus ante te similis tui fuerit, nec post te surrecturus sit.
12 behold, I have done according to your word. Behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, and after you none will arise like you.
13 Sed et hæc quæ non postulasti, dedi tibi: divitias scilicet, et gloriam, ut nemo fuerit similis tui in regibus cunctis retro diebus.
13 I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you for all your days.
14 Si autem ambulaveris in viis meis, et custodieris præcepta mea et mandata mea, sicut ambulavit pater tuus, longos faciam dies tuos.
14 If you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
15 Igitur evigilavit Salomon, et intellexit quod esset somnium: cumque venisset Jerusalem, stetit coram arca fœderis Domini, et obtulit holocausta, et fecit victimas pacificas, et grande convivium universis famulis suis.
15 Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Tunc venerunt duæ mulieres meretrices ad regem, steteruntque coram eo:
16 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.
17 quarum una ait: Obsecro, mi domine: ego et mulier hæc habitabamus in domo una, et peperi apud eam in cubiculo.
17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. I delivered a child with her in the house.
18 Tertia autem die postquam ego peperi, peperit et hæc: et eramus simul, nullusque alius nobiscum in domo, exceptis nobis duabus.
18 The third day after I delivered, this woman delivered also. We were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, just us two in the house.
19 Mortuus est autem filius mulieris hujus nocte: dormiens quippe oppressit eum.
19 This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.
20 Et consurgens intempestæ noctis silentio, tulit filium meum de latere meo, ancillæ tuæ dormientis, et collocavit in sinu suo: suum autem filium, qui erat mortuus, posuit in sinu meo.
20 She arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me while your servant slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 Cumque surrexissem mane ut darem lac filio meo, apparuit mortuus: quem diligentius intuens clara luce, deprehendi non esse meum quem genueram.
21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead; but when I had looked at him in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I bore.”
22 Responditque altera mulier: Non est ita ut dicis, sed filius tuus mortuus est, meus autem vivit. E contrario illa dicebat: Mentiris: filius quippe meus vivit, et filius tuus mortuus est. Atque in hunc modum contendebant coram rege.
22 The other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” The first one said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” They argued like this before the king.
23 Tunc rex ait: Hæc dicit: Filius meus vivit, et filius tuus mortuus est: et ista respondit: Non, sed filius tuus mortuus est, meus autem vivit.
23 Then the king said, “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 Dixit ergo rex: Afferte mihi gladium. Cumque attulissent gladium coram rege,
24 The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.
25 Dividite, inquit, infantem vivum in duas partes, et date dimidiam partem uni, et dimidiam partem alteri.
25 The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”
26 Dixit autem mulier, cujus filius erat vivus, ad regem (commota sunt quippe viscera ejus super filio suo): Obsecro, domine, date illi infantem vivum, et nolite interficere eum. E contrario illa dicebat: Nec mihi nec tibi sit, sed dividatur.
26 Then the woman whose the living child was spoke to the king, for her heart yearned over her son, and she said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no way kill him!” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide him.”
27 Respondit rex, et ait: Date huic infantem vivum, et non occidatur: hæc est enim mater ejus.
27 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”
28 Audivit itaque omnis Israël judicium quod judicasset rex, et timuerunt regem, videntes sapientiam Dei esse in eo ad faciendum judicium.
28 All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Pharaoh's daughter (wife of Solomon)
The daughter of Pharaoh king of Egypt, whom Solomon married to seal an alliance and for whom he built a house.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 3:1; 1 Kings 7:8; 1 Kings 9:24
Solomon
David's son who built the temple and became famous for God-given wisdom.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 1-11; 1 Chron. 3:5; Matt. 1:6-7
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Kings 9:24; 1 Kings 11:1; 2 Chronicles 8:11; 2 Chronicles 2:1–4; 2 Samuel 5:7
- 2 1 Kings 22:43; 2 Chronicles 33:17; Deuteronomy 12:2–5; Leviticus 26:30; Acts 7:47–49
- 3 1 Corinthians 8:3; Psalm 31:23; Deuteronomy 30:16; Deuteronomy 6:5; 1 Kings 3:6
- 4 2 Chronicles 1:3; 1 Chronicles 16:39; 2 Chronicles 7:5; 2 Chronicles 1:6–12; 1 Chronicles 21:29
- 5 1 Kings 9:2; James 1:5–6; Numbers 12:6; 2 Chronicles 1:7–12; John 14:13–14
- 6 1 Kings 9:4; 1 Kings 1:48; 1 Kings 2:4; 2 Corinthians 9:11; 2 Samuel 7:8–12
- 7 1 Chronicles 29:1; Numbers 27:17; Jeremiah 1:6; Matthew 18:3–4; Daniel 4:32
- 8 Genesis 15:5; Genesis 13:16; 1 Chronicles 21:2; Genesis 22:17; 1 Chronicles 27:23–24
- 9 James 1:5; Hebrews 5:14; Proverbs 16:16; John 5:30; Proverbs 2:3–9
- 10 Proverbs 15:8
- 11 1 Kings 3:9; James 4:2–3; Proverbs 16:31; Romans 8:26; Psalm 4:6
- 12 1 John 5:14–15; Ecclesiastes 1:16; Matthew 12:42; 1 Kings 5:12; 1 Kings 10:23–24
- 13 Ephesians 3:20; Matthew 6:33; Proverbs 3:16; Psalm 84:11–12; Romans 8:32
- 14 Proverbs 3:2; Psalm 91:16; 1 Kings 15:5; Zechariah 3:7; 2 Chronicles 34:2
- 15 Genesis 41:7; 1 Kings 8:65; Esther 1:3; Daniel 5:1; 1 Chronicles 16:1–2
- 16 Exodus 18:16; Judges 11:1; Leviticus 19:29; Joshua 2:1; Numbers 27:2
- 20 John 3:20; Matthew 13:25; Job 24:13–17; Psalm 139:11
- 21 Genesis 21:7; 1 Samuel 1:23
- 25 Proverbs 25:8
- 26 Isaiah 49:15; Jeremiah 31:20; 1 John 3:17; Genesis 43:30; Hosea 11:8
- 28 Colossians 2:3; 1 Kings 3:9–12; Daniel 2:47; 1 Corinthians 1:24; Ecclesiastes 7:19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Do thou also therefore ask nothing worldly, but all things spiritual, and thou wilt surely receive. For so Solomon, because he asked what he ought, behold how quickly he received.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)