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.

By now, Solomon’s power was firmly established, and he allied himself by mar-riage to the king of Egypt, whose daughter he wedded. He took her to live in the Keep of David; not yet had he built his own palace, or the Lord’s house; not yet had he finished walling in Jerusalem.

And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon, and he made affinity with Pharao the king of Egypt: for he took his 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 round about.

Attamen populus immolabat in excelsis: non enim ædificatum erat templum nomini Domini usque in diem illum.

In those days, the Lord had no temple built for him, and men used to sacrifice on hill-tops.

But yet the people sacrificed in the high places: for there was no temple built to the name of the Lord until that day.

Dilexit autem Salomon Dominum, ambulans in præceptis David patris sui, excepto quod in excelsis immolabat, et accendebat thymiama.

Great love had Solomon for the Lord, and followed the counsel of his father David, though indeed he too went to mountain shrines, to sacrifice and offer up incense.

And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the precepts of David his father, only he sacrificed in the high places: and burnt incense.

Abiit itaque in Gabaon, ut immolaret ibi: illud quippe erat excelsum maximum: mille hostias in holocaustum obtulit Salomon super altare illud in Gabaon.

Once he had betaken himself to Gabaon, where there was a famous mountain shrine, to worship there; a thousand victims king Solomon offered in burnt-sacrifice, there on the altar at Gabaon.

He went therefore to Gabaon, to sacrifice there: for that was the great high place: a thousand victims for holocausts did Solomon offer upon that altar in Gabaon.

Apparuit autem Dominus Salomoni per somnium nocte, dicens: Postula quod vis ut dem tibi.

And that night the Lord appeared to him in a dream, bidding him choose what gift he would.

And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee.

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.

Thou hast been very merciful, answered Solomon, to my father David, a servant of thine that ever shewed himself loyal and observant, and kept his heart true to thee; and one great mercy thou didst keep till the last; thou hast granted the succession to a son of his own, the man thou seest.

And Solomon said: Thou hast shewn great mercy to thy servant David my father, even as he walked before thee in truth, and justice, and an upright heart with thee: and thou hast kept thy great mercy for him, and hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

Et nunc Domine Deus, tu regnare fecisti servum tuum pro David patre meo: ego autem sum puer parvulus, et ignorans egressum et introitum meum.

Yes, Lord God, thou hast bidden this servant of thine reign where his father reigned; but, Lord, what am I? No better than a little child, that has no skill to find its way back and forth.

And now, O Lord God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a child, and know not how to go out and come in.

Et servus tuus in medio est populi quem elegisti, populi infiniti, qui numerari et supputari non potest præ multitudine.

And here am I, thy servant, lost among the thousands of the people thou hast chosen, a people whose numbers are beyond all count and reckoning.

And thy servant is in the midst of the people which thou hast chosen, an immense people, which cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

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?

Be this, then, thy gift to thy servant, a heart quick to learn, so that I may be able to judge thy people’s disputes, and discern between good and ill. How else should a man sit in judgement over such a people as this, great as thy people is great?

Give therefore to thy servant an understanding heart, to judge thy people, and discern between good and evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, thy people which is so numerous?

Placuit ergo sermo coram Domino, quod Salomon postulasset hujuscemodi rem.

The Lord listened well pleased, and looked with favour on the choice he had made.

And the word was pleasing to the Lord that Solomon had asked such a thing.

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:

For this request of thine, he told Solomon, thou shalt be rewarded. Thou didst not ask for a long life, or riches, or vengeance upon thy enemies, but for wisdom to administer justice.

And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life or riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment,

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.

Thy prayer is granted; hereby I grant thee a heart full of wisdom and discernment, beyond all that went before thee or shall come after thee.

Behold I have done for thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise and understanding heart, insomuch that there hath been no one like thee before thee, nor shall arise after thee.

Sed et hæc quæ non postulasti, dedi tibi: divitias scilicet, et gloriam, ut nemo fuerit similis tui in regibus cunctis retro diebus.

And I grant thee moreover all thou didst not ask for; in wealth, in glory, no king that ever was may compare with thee.

Yea and the things also which thou didst not ask, I have given thee: to wit, riches and glory, so that no one hath been like thee among the kings in all days heretofore.

Si autem ambulaveris in viis meis, et custodieris præcepta mea et mandata mea, sicut ambulavit pater tuus, longos faciam dies tuos.

And if thou wilt follow the paths I have chosen for thee, as thy father did, keeping charge and commandment of mine, long life thou shalt have too.

And if thou wilt walk in my ways, and keep my precepts, and my commandments, as thy father walked, I will lengthen thy days.

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.

With that, Solomon awoke; it was a dream. But when he came back to Jerusalem, he stood before the ark that bears record of the Lord’s covenant, and brought burnt-sacrifice, and made welcome-offerings, with a great feast for all his servants.

And Solomon awaked, and perceived that it was a dream: and when he was come to Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered holocausts, and sacrificed victims of peace offerings, and made a great feast for all his servants.

Tunc venerunt duæ mulieres meretrices ad regem, steteruntque coram eo:

And now two women, harlots both of them, came and stood in the royal presence.

Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him:

quarum una ait: Obsecro, mi domine: ego et mulier hæc habitabamus in domo una, et peperi apud eam in cubiculo.

Justice, my lord! said one of them. This woman and I share a single house, and there, in her presence, I gave birth to a child;

And one of them said: I beseech thee, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delivered of a child with her in the chamber.

Tertia autem die postquam ego peperi, peperit et hæc: et eramus simul, nullusque alius nobiscum in domo, exceptis nobis duabus.

three days after my delivery, she too gave birth. We were still living together; none else was in the house but we two.

And the third day, after that I was delivered, she also was delivered, and we were together, and no other person with us in the house, only we two.

Mortuus est autem filius mulieris hujus nocte: dormiens quippe oppressit eum.

Then, one night, she overlay her child as she slept, and it died.

And this woman’s child died in the night: for in her sleep she overlaid him.

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.

So, rising at dead of night, when all was still, she took my son from beside me, my lord, while I slept, put him in her own bosom, and her dead son in mine.

And rising in the dead time of the night, she took my child from my side, while I thy handmaid was asleep, and laid it in her bosom: and laid her dead child in my bosom.

Cumque surrexissem mane ut darem lac filio meo, apparuit mortuus: quem diligentius intuens clara luce, deprehendi non esse meum quem genueram.

In the morning, when I raised myself to give my child suck, a dead child was there; and it was not till I looked at it more closely under the full light of day that I found this was never the child I bore.

And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold it was dead: but considering him more diligently when it was clear day, I found that it was not mine which I bore.

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.

And when the other woman said, No, it is thy child that is dead, mine that is alive, she persisted in answering, Thou liest; it is my child that lives, thine that is dead. Such was the angry debate they held in the king’s presence.

And the other woman answered: It is not so as thou sayest, but thy child is dead, and mine is alive. On the contrary she said: Thou liest: for my child liveth, and thy child is dead. And in this manner they strove before the king.

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.

See, said the king, it is all, My child lives and thine is dead, on the one side, and Thy child is dead and mine lives, on the other.

Then said the king: The one saith, My child is alive, and thy child is dead. And the other answereth: Nay, but thy child is dead, and mine liveth.

Dixit ergo rex: Afferte mihi gladium. Cumque attulissent gladium coram rege,

Bring me a sword. So a sword was brought out before the king.

The king therefore said: Bring me a sword. And when they had brought a sword before the king,

Dividite, inquit, infantem vivum in duas partes, et date dimidiam partem uni, et dimidiam partem alteri.

Cut the living child in two, he said, and give half to one, half to the other.

Divide, said he, the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

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.

Whereupon the true mother of the living child, whose heart went out to her son, cried out, No, my lord, give her the living child; never kill it! Not so the other; Neither mine nor thine, she said; let it be divided between us.

But the woman whose child was alive, said to the king, (for her bowels were moved upon her child,) I beseech thee, my lord, give her the child alive, and do not kill it. But the other said: Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

Respondit rex, et ait: Date huic infantem vivum, et non occidatur: hæc est enim mater ejus.

No, said the king, do not kill the living child, give It to the first; she is its mother.

The king answered, and said: Give the living child to this woman, and let it not be killed, for she is the mother thereof.

Audivit itaque omnis Israël judicium quod judicasset rex, et timuerunt regem, videntes sapientiam Dei esse in eo ad faciendum judicium.

This award was talked of throughout all Israel, and men feared the king, that was so inspired by divine wisdom in the judgements he gave.

And all Israel heard the judgment which the king had judged, and they feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.