1 Kings · Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
1 Kings 3 Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem on every side.
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 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built to the name of the LORD, until those days.
2 However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for Yahweh’s name.
3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
3 Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.
4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that [was] the great high place: a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
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 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
5 In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”
6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shown to thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as [it is] this day.
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 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I [am but] a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
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 And thy servant [is] in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
8 Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.
9 Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
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 And the speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.
10 This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 And God said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thy enemies: but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
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 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like to thee.
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 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honor: so that there shall not be any among the kings like to thee all thy days,
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 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
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 And Solomon awoke; and behold, [it was] a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
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 Then came there two women, [that were] harlots, to the king, and stood before him.
16 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.
17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
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 And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we [were] together; [there was] no stranger with us in the house, save us two in the house.
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 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
19 This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.
20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
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 And when I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I bore.
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 And the other woman said, No; but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] thy son. And this said, No; but the dead [is] thy son, and the living [is] my son. Thus they spoke before the king.
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 Then said the king, The one saith, This [is] my son that liveth, and thy son [is] the dead; and the other saith, No; but thy son [is] the dead, and my son [is] the living.
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 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
24 The king said, “Get 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 the one, and half to the other.
25 The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”
26 Then spoke the woman whose the living child [was] to the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, [but] divide [it] .
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 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she [is] the mother of it.
27 Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”
28 And 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 judgment.
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)