القراءة بلغتين

وصاهَرَ سُلَيمانُ فِرعونَ، مَلِكَ مِصْر، وتَزَوَّجَ ٱبنَةَ فِرعَونَ وأَتى بِها إِلى مَدينَةِ داوُد، رَيثَما يُتِمُّ بِناءَ بَيتِه وبَيتِ الرَّبِّ وسورِ أُورَشَليمَ المُحيطِ بِها

وأَمَّا الشَّعبُ فكان يُقَرِّبُ ذَبائِحَه على المَشارِف، لِأَنَّه لم يَكُنْ قد بُنِيَ بَيتٌ لِٱسمِ الرَّبِّ إِلى تِلكَ الأَيَّام

وأَحَبَّ سُلَيمانُ الرَّبَّ سائِرًا على سُنَنِ داوُدَ أَبيه، ولٰكِنَّه كانَ يَذبَحُ ويُحرِقُ البَخورَ على المَشارِف

وذَهَبَ المَلِكُ إِلى جِبْعونَ لِيَذبَحَ هُناكَ، لِأَنَّها هي المَشرَفُ الأَعظَم، وأَصعَدَ سُلَيمانُ أَلفَ مُحرَقَةٍ على ذٰلِكَ المَذبَح

وفي جِبْعونَ تَراءَى الرَّبُّ لِسُلَيمانَ في الحُلْمِ لَيلًا وقالَ الله: «أُطلُبْ ما تُريدُ أَن أُعطِيَكَ»

فقال سُلَيمان: «أَنتَ صَنَعتَ إِلى عَبدِكَ داوُدَ أَبي رَحمَةً عَظيمةً بِحَسَبِ سُلوكِه أَمامَكَ بِالحَقِّ والبِرِّ وٱستِقامةِ القَلبِ مَعَكَ، وحَفِظتَ لَه تِلكَ الرَّحمَةَ العَظيمة، وأَعطَيتَه ٱبنًا يَجلِسُ على عَرشِه كما هو اليَوم

والآنَ أَيُّها الرَّبُّ إِلٰهي، أَنتَ مَلَّكتَ عَبدَكَ مَكانَ داوُدَ أَبي، وأَنا صَبِيٌّ صَغيرُ السِّنِّ، لا أَعرِفُ أَن أَخرُجَ وأَدخُل

وعَبدُكَ في وَسْطِ شَعبِكَ الَّذي ٱختَرتَه، شَعبٍ عَظيمٍ لا يُحْصى ولا يُعَدُّ لِكَثرَتِه

فَهَبْ عَبدَكَ قَلبًا فَهيمًا لِيَحكُمَ شَعبَكَ ويُمَيِّزَ بينَ الخَيرِ والشَّرّ، لِأَنَّه مَن يَقدِرُ أَن يَحكُمَ شَعبَكَ هٰذا الكَثير؟»

فحَسُنَ في عَينَيِ الرَّبِّ أن يكونَ سُلَيمانُ قد سَأَل هٰذا الأَمْر

فقالَ لَه الله: «بِما أَنَّكَ سَأَلتَ هٰذا الأَمرَ، ولم تَسأَلْ لَكَ أَيَّامًا كَثيرة، ولا سَأَلتَ لَكَ الغِنى، ولَم تَطلُبْ نُفوسَ أَعْدائِكَ، بل سَأَلتَ لَكَ التَّمْييزَ لإِجراءِ الحُكْمِ

فهاءَنَذا قد فَعَلتُ بِحَسَبِ كَلامِكَ. هاءَنَذا قد أَعطَيتُكَ قَلبًا حَكيمًا فَهيمًا، حتَّى إِنَّه لم يَكُنْ قَبلَكَ مِثلُكَ ولا يَقومُ بَعدَكَ مِثلُكَ

وحتَّى ما لَم تَسأَلْه قد أَعطَيتُكَ إِيَّاه مِنَ الغِنى والمَجْد، فلا يَكونُ رَجُلٌ مِثلُكَ في المُلوكِ كُلَّ أَيَّامِكَ

وإِن أَنتَ سِرتَ في طَريقي حافِظًا فَرائضي ووَصايايَ، كما سارَ داوُدُ أَبوكَ، أُطيلُ أَيَّامَكَ»

فٱستَيقَظَ سُلَيمان، فإِذا هو حُلْم. فجاءَ إِلى أُورَشَليمَ ووَقَفَ أَمامَ تابوتِ عَهدِ الرَّبّ، وأَصعَدَ مُحرَقاتٍ وقَرَّبَ ذَبائِحَ سَلامِيَّة، وأَقامَ مأدُبَةً لِجَميعِ حاشِيَتِه

حينَئذٍ جاءَت إِلى المَلِكِ ٱمرَأَتانِ بَغِيَّان، ووَقَفَتا بَينَ يَدَيه

وقالَت إِحْداهما: «أَرْجوكَ يا سَيِّدي. إِنِّي وهٰذه المَرأَةُ مُقيمَتانِ في بَيتٍ واحِد. فوَلَدتُ وأَنا في البَيتِ معَها

وفي ثالِثِ يَومٍ من وِلادَتي، وَلَدَت هٰذه المَرأَةُ أَيضًا، وكُنَّا مَعًا، ولَيسَ معَنا غَريبٌ في البَيتِ غَيرُنا نَحنُ كِلتَينا في البَيت

فماتَ ٱبنُ هٰذه المَرأَةِ في اللَّيل، لِأَنَّها ٱضَّجَعَت علَيه

فقامَت عِندَ نِصفِ اللَّيل، فأَخَذَتِ ٱبْني مِن جانِبي، وكانَت أَمَتُكَ راقِدَة، وأَضجَعَتِ ٱبني في حِضنِها، وٱبنُها المَيتُ أَضجَعَته في حِضْني

فلَمَّا قُمتُ في الصَّباحِ لِأُرضِعَ ٱبْني، إِذا هو مَيت. فتَفَرَّستُ فيه في الصَّباح، فإِذا هو لَيسَ بِٱبْنيَ الَّذي وَلَدتُه»

فقالَتِ المَرأَةُ الأُخْرى: «كَلَّا، بلِ الحَيُّ هو ٱبْني والمَيتُ هو ٱبنُكِ». فقالَت تِلكَ: «لا، بلِ ٱبنُكِ هو المَيتُ وٱبني هو الحَيّ». وكانَتا تَتَجادَلانِ هٰكذا أَمامَ المَلِك

فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ: «هذِهِ تَقُولُ: هذَا ابْنِيَ الْحَيُّ وَابْنُكِ الْمَيْتُ، وَتِلْكَ تَقُولُ: لاَ، بَلِ ابْنُكِ الْمَيْتُ وَابْنِيَ الْحَيُّ».

فأَضافَ المَلِك: «علَيَّ بِسَيف». فأَتَوا بِسَيفٍ إِلى أَمامِ المَلِك

فقالَ المَلِك: «أُشطُروا الوَلَدَ الحَيَّ شَطرَين، وأَعْطوا الواحِدَةَ شَطرًا والأُخْرى شَطرًا»

فكَلَّمَتِ المَلِكَ المَرأَةُ الَّتي ٱبنُها الحَيّ، لِأَنَّ أَحْشاءَها تَحَرَّكَت على ٱبنِها، وقالَت: «أَرجوكَ يا سَيِّدي. أَعْطوها الوَلَدَ حَيًّا ولا تَقْتُلوه». فقالَتِ الأُخرى: «بل لا يَكونُ لي ولا لَكِ. أُشطُروه»

فأَجابَ المَلِكُ وقال: «أَعْطوا هٰذه الوَلَدَ الحيَّ ولا تَقْتُلوه، لِأَنَّها هي أُمُّه»

فسَمِعَ إِسْرائيلُ كُلُّه بِالحُكمِ الَّذي أَصدَرَه المَلِك، فهابوا وَجهَ المَلِك، لِأَنَّهم رَأوا فيه حِكمَةَ اللهِ في إِجراءِ الحُكم

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, the LORD’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.

However, the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was not yet a house built for the LORD’s name.

Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.

The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

In Gibeon, the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”

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.

Now, LORD 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.

Your servant is among your people which you have chosen, a great people, that can’t be numbered or counted for multitude.

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?”

This request pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

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,

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.

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.

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.”

Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the LORD’s covenant, and offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king, and stood before him.

The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house. I delivered a child with her in the house.

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.

This woman’s child died in the night, because she lay on it.

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.

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.”

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.

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.’”

The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.”

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.”

Then the king answered, “Give the first woman the living child, and definitely do not kill him. She is his mother.”

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.