3 Kingdoms 3

Βασιλειῶν Γ´

1 [Τῆς δὲ βασιλείας ἑδρασθείσης ἐν χειρὶ Σαλωμὼν ἐπιγαμίαν ἐποιήσατο Σαλωμὼν πρὸς Φαραὼ βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἔλαβε τὴν θυγατέρα Φαραὼ καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὴν πόλιν Δαυίδ, ἕως οὗ συνετέλεσεν οἰκοδομῶν τὸν οἶκον ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου καὶ τὸ τεῖχος Ἱερουσαλὴμ κύκλῳ.]

And the wisdom of Solomon abounded exceedingly beyond the wisdom of all the ancients, and beyond all the wise men of Egypt: and he took the daughter of Pharao, and brought her into the city of David, until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord first, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. In seven years he made and finished [them]. And Solomon had seventy thousand bearers of burdens, and eight thousand hewers of stone in the mountain: and Solomon made the sea, and the bases, and the great lavers, and the pillars, and the fountain of the court, and the brazen sea— and he built the citadel as a defence above it, he made a breach in the wall of the city of David: thus the daughter of Pharao went up out of the city of David to her house which he built for her. Then he built the citadel: and Solomon offered up three whole burnt offerings in the year, and peace-offerings on the altar which he built to the Lord, and he burnt incense before the Lord, and finished the house. And these are the chief persons who presided over the works of Solomon; three thousand and six hundred masters of the people that wrought the works. And he burit Assur, and Magdo, and Gazer, and upper Baethoron, and Ballath: only after he had built the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about, afterwards he built these cities. And when David was yet living, he charged Solomon, saying, Behold, there is with you Semei the son of Gera, of the seed of Benjamin out of Chebron: he cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went into the camp; and he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, He shall not be slain with the sword. But now do not you hold him guiltless, for you are a man of understanding, and you will know what you shall do to him, and you shall bring down his grey hairs with blood to the grave. And the king called Semei, and said to him, Build you a house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and you shall not go out thence any whither. And it shall come to pass in the day that you shall go forth and cross over the brook Kedron, know assuredly that you shall certainly die: your blood shall be upon your head. And the king caused him to swear in that day. And Semei said to the king, Good [is] the word that you have spoken, my lord O king: thus will your servant do. And Semei lived in Jerusalem three years. And it came to pass after the three years, that two servants of Semei ran away to Anchus son of Maacha king of Geth: and it was told Semei, saying, Behold, your servants [are] in Geth. And Semei rose up, and saddled his ass, and went to Geth to Anchus to seek out his servants: and Semei went, and brought his servants out of Geth. And it was told Solomon, saying, Semei is gone out of Jerusalem to Geth, and has brought back his servants. And the king sent and called Semei, and said to him, Did I not adjure you by the Lord, and testify to you, saying, In whatever day you shall go out of Jerusalem, and go to the right or left, know certainly that you shall assuredly die? And why have you not kept the oath of the Lord, and the commandment which I commanded you? And the king said to Semei, You know all your mischief which your heart knows, which you did to David my father: and the Lord has recompensed your mischief on your [own] head. And king Solomon [is] blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord for ever. And Solomon commanded Banaeas the son of Jodae, and he went forth and killed him. And king Solomon was very prudent and wise: and Juda and Israel [were] very many, as the sand which is by the sea for multitude, eating, and drinking, and rejoicing: and Solomon was chief in all the kingdoms, and they brought gifts, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon began to open the domains of Libanus, and he built Thermae in the wilderness. And this was the daily provision of Solomon, thirty measures of fine flour, and sixty measures of ground meal, ten choice calves, and twenty oxen from the pastures, and one hundred sheep, besides stags, and does, and choice fed birds. For he ruled in all the country on this side the river, from Raphi to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the river: and he was at peace on all sides round about; and Juda and Israel lived safely, every one under his vine and under his fig tree, eating and drinand feasting, from Dan even to Bersabee, all the days of Solomon. And these [were] the princes of Solomon; Azariu son of Sadoc the priest, and Orniu son of Nathan chief of the officers, and he went to his house; and Suba the scribe, and Basa son of Achithalam recorder, and Abi son of Joab commander-in-chief, and Achire son of Edrai [was] over the levies, and Banaeas son of Jodae over the household and over the brick work, and Cachur the son of Nathan [was] counsellor. And Solomon had forty thousand brood mares for his chariots, and twelve thousand horses. And he reigned over all the kings from the river and to the land of the Philistines, and to the borders of Egypt: so Solomon the son of David reigned over Israel and Juda in Jerusalem.

2 ΠΛΗΝ ὁ λαὸς ἦσαν θυμιῶντες ἐπὶ τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς, ὅτι οὐκ ᾠκοδομήθη οἶκος τῷ Κυρίῳ ἕως τοῦ νῦν.

Nevertheless the people burnt incense on the high places, because a house had not yet been built to the Lord.

3 καὶ ἠγάπησε Σαλωμὼν τὸν Κύριον πορεύεσθαι ἐν τοῖς προστάγμασι Δαυὶδ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, πλὴν ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς ἔθυε καὶ ἐθυμία.

And Solomon loved the Lord, [so as] to walk in the ordinances of David his father; only he sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.

4 καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Γαβαὼν θῦσαι ἐκεῖ, ὅτι αὕτη ὑψηλοτάτη καὶ μεγάλη· χιλίαν ὁλοκαύτωσιν ἀνήνεγκε Σαλωμὼν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἐν Γαβαών.

And he arose and went to Gabaon to sacrifice there, for that [was] the highest place, and great: Solomon offered a whole burnt offering of a thousand [victims] on the altar in Gabaon.

5 καὶ ὤφθη Κύριος τῷ Σαλωμὼν ἐν ὕπνῳ τὴν νύκτα, καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Σαλωμών· αἴτησαί τι αἴτημα σεαυτῷ.

And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Solomon, Ask some petition for yourself.

6 καὶ εἶπεν Σαλωμών· σὺ ἐποίησας μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου Δαυὶδ τοῦ πατρός μου ἔλεος μέγα, καθὼς διῆλθεν ἐνώπιόν σου ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἐν εὐθύτητι καρδίας μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ ἐφύλαξας αὐτῷ τὸ ἔλεος τὸ μέγα τοῦτο δοῦναι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη·

And Solomon said, You have dealt very mercifully with your servant David my father according as he walked before you in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you, and you have kept for him this great mercy, to set his son upon his throne, as [it is] this day.

7 καὶ νῦν, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, σὺ ἔδωκας τὸν δοῦλόν σου ἀντὶ Δαυὶδ τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι παιδάριον μικρὸν καὶ οὐκ οἶδα τὴν ἔξοδόν μου καὶ τὴν εἴσοδόν μου,

And now, O Lord my God, you have appointed your servant in the room of David my father; and I am a little child, and know not my going out and my coming in.

8 ὁ δὲ δοῦλός σου ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου, ὃν ἐξελέξω λαὸν πολύν, ὃς οὐκ ἀριθμηθήσεται.

But your servant [is] in the midst of your people, whom you have chosen, a great people, which as this day can’t be numbered.

9 καὶ δώσεις τῷ δούλῳ σου καρδίαν ἀκούειν καὶ διακρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ τοῦ συνιεῖν ἀνὰ μέσον ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κακοῦ· ὅτι τίς δυνηθήσεται κρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου τὸν βαρὺν τοῦτον;

You shall give therefore to your servant a heart to hear and to judge your people justly, and to discern between good and evil: for who will be able to judge this your great people?

10 καὶ ἤρεσεν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, ὅτι ᾐτήσατο Σαλωμὼν τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο,

And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.

11 καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς αὐτόν· ἀνθ᾿ ὧν ᾐτήσω παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο καὶ οὐκ ᾐτήσω σεαυτῷ ἡμέρας πολλὰς καὶ οὐκ ᾐτήσω πλοῦτον, οὐδὲ ᾐτήσω ψυχὰς ἐχθρῶν σου, ἀλλ᾿ ᾐτήσω σεαυτῷ τοῦ συνιεῖν τοῦ εἰσακούειν κρίμα,

And the Lord said to him, Because you have asked this thing of me, and have not asked for yourself long life, and have not asked wealth, nor have asked the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to hear judgement;

12 ἰδοὺ πεποίηκα κατὰ τὸ ρῆμά σου· ἰδοὺ δέδωκά σοι καρδίαν φρονίμην καὶ σοφήν, ὡς σὺ οὐ γέγονεν ἔμπροσθέν σου καὶ μετὰ σὲ οὐκ ἀναστήσεται ὅμοιός σοι.

behold, I have done according to your word: behold, I have given you an understanding and wise heart: there has not been [any one] like you before you, and after you there shall not arise one like you.

13 καὶ ἃ οὐκ ᾐτήσω, δέδωκά σοι, καὶ πλοῦτον καὶ δόξαν, ὡς οὐ γέγονεν ἀνὴρ ὅμοιός σοι ἐν βασιλεῦσι·

And I have given you what you have not asked, wealth and glory, so that there has not been any one like you amongst kings.

14 καὶ ἐὰν πορευθῇς ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ μου φυλάσσειν τὰς ἐντολάς μου καὶ τὰ προστάγματά μου, ὡς ἐπορεύθη Δαυὶδ ὁ πατήρ σου, καὶ πληθυνῶ τὰς ἡμέρας σου.

And if you will walk in my way, to keep my commandments and my ordinances, as David your father walked, then will I multiply your days.

15 καὶ ἐξυπνίσθη Σαλωμών, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐνύπνιον· καὶ ἀνέστη καὶ παραγίνεται εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἔστη κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ κατὰ πρόσωπον κιβωτοῦ διαθήκης Κυρίου ἐν Σιὼν καὶ ἀνήγαγεν ὁλοκαυτώσεις καὶ ἐποίησεν εἰρηνικὰς καὶ ἐποίησε πότον μέγα ἑαυτῷ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς παισὶν αὐτοῦ.

And Solomon awoke, and, behold, [it was] a dream: and he arose and came to Jerusalem, and stood before the altar that was in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord in Sion: and he offered whole burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings, and made a great banquet for himself and all his servants.

16 Τότε ὤφθησαν δύο γυναῖκες πόρναι τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ ἔστησαν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ.

Then there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him.

17 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ μία· ἐν ἐμοί, κύριε· ἐγὼ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὕτη ᾠκοῦμεν ἐν οἴκῳ ἑνὶ καὶ ἐτέκομεν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ.

And the one woman said, Hear me, [my] lord; I and this woman lived in one house, and we were delivered in the house.

18 καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ τεκούσης μου, ἔτεκε καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὕτη· καὶ ἡμεῖς κατὰ τὸ αὐτό, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐθεὶς μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν πάρεξ ἀμφοτέρων ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ.

And it came to pass on the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered: and we [were] together; and there was no one with us besides our two selves in the house.

19 καὶ ἀπέθανεν ὁ υἱὸς τῆς γυναικὸς ταύτης τὴν νύκτα, ὡς ἐπεκοιμήθη ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν·

And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

20 καὶ ἀνέστη μέσης τῆς νυκτὸς καὶ ἔλαβε τὸν υἱόν μου ἐκ τῶν ἀγκαλῶν μου καὶ ἐκοίμισεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτῆς καὶ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν τεθνηκότα ἐκοίμισεν ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ μου.

and she arose in the middle of the night, and took my son from my arms, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom.

21 καὶ ἀνέστην τὸ πρωΐ θηλάσαι τὸν υἱόν μου, καὶ ἐκεῖνος ἦν τεθνηκώς· καὶ ἰδοὺ κατενόησα αὐτὸν πρωΐ, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν ὁ υἱός μου, ὃν ἔτεκον.

and I arose in the morning to suckle my son, and he was dead: and, behold, I considered him in the morning, and, behold, it was not my son whom I bore.

22 καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἑτέρα· οὐχί, ἀλλὰ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ζῶν, ὁ δὲ υἱός σου ὁ τεθνηκώς. καὶ ἐλάλησαν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως.

And the other woman said, No, but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] your son. So they spoke before the king.

23 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐταῖς· σὺ λέγεις· οὗτος ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ζῶν, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς ταύτης ὁ τεθνηκώς. καὶ σὺ λέγεις· οὐχί, ἀλλὰ ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ζῶν, καὶ ὁ υἱός σου ὁ τεθνηκώς.

and the king said to them, You say, This [is] my son, [even] the living [one], and this woman's son [is] the dead one: and you say, No, but the living [is] my son, and the dead [is] your son.

24 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· λάβετέ μοι μάχαιραν· καὶ προσήνεγκαν τὴν μάχαιραν ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως.

And the king said, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

25 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· διέλετε τὸ παιδίον τὸ ζῶν τὸ θηλάζον εἰς δύο καὶ δότε τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ ταύτῃ.

And the king said, Divide the live child, the suckling, in two; and give half of it to one, and half of it to the other.

26 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ἡ γυνή, ἧς ἦν ὁ υἱὸς ὁ ζῶν, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ὅτι ἐταράχθη ἡ μήτρα αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτῆς, καὶ εἶπεν· ἐν ἐμοί, κύριε, δότε αὐτῇ τὸ παιδίον καὶ θανάτῳ μὴ θανατώσητε αὐτό· καὶ αὕτη εἶπε· μήτε ἐμοὶ μήτε αὐτῇ ἔστω, διέλετε.

And the woman whose the living child was, answered and said to the king, (for her bowels yearned over her son) and she said, I pray you, [my] lord, give her the child, and in nowise kill it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor hers; divide [it].

27 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπε· δότε τὸ παιδίον τῇ εἰπούσῃ· δότε αὐτῇ αὐτὸ καὶ θανάτῳ μὴ θανατώσητε αὐτό· αὕτη ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ.

Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her that said, 'Give it to her, and by no means kill it:' she [is] its mother.

28 καὶ ἤκουσαν πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ τὸ κρίμα τοῦτο, ὃ ἔκρινεν ὁ βασιλεύς, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ βασιλέως, ὅτι εἶδον ὅτι φρόνησις Θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ τοῦ ποιεῖν δικαίωμα.

and all Israel heard this judgement which the king judged, and they feared before the king; because they saw that the wisdom of God [was] in him, to execute judgement.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.