Salomón pide sabiduría
3:4-15 – 2Cr 1:2-13
1Salomón entró en alianza con el faraón, rey de Egipto, casándose con su hija, a la cual llevó a la Ciudad de David mientras terminaba de construir su palacio, el templo del Señor y el muro alrededor de Jerusalén. 2Como aún no se había construido un templo en honor al nombre del Señor, el pueblo seguía ofreciendo sacrificios en los lugares altos. 3Salomón amaba al Señor y cumplía los decretos de su padre David. Sin embargo, también iba a los santuarios locales para ofrecer sacrificios y quemar incienso.
4Como en Gabaón estaba el santuario más importante, Salomón acostumbraba a ir al lugar para ofrecer sacrificios. Allí ofreció mil holocaustos; 5y en ese mismo sitio se apareció el Señor en un sueño y le dijo:
—Pídeme lo que quieras.
6Salomón respondió:
—Tú trataste con mucho amor a tu siervo David, mi padre, pues se condujo delante de ti con lealtad, justicia y honestidad.3:6 honestidad. Lit. con un corazón recto. En la Biblia, corazón se usa para designar el asiento de las emociones, pensamientos y voluntad, es decir, el proceso de toma de decisiones del ser humano. Y como hoy se puede ver, has reafirmado tu gran amor al concederle que un hijo suyo lo suceda en el trono.
7»Ahora, Señor mi Dios, me has hecho rey en lugar de mi padre David. No soy más que un muchacho y apenas sé cómo comportarme. 8Sin embargo, aquí me tienes, un siervo tuyo en medio del pueblo que has escogido, un pueblo tan numeroso que es imposible contarlo. 9Yo te ruego que des a tu siervo discernimiento para gobernar a tu pueblo y para distinguir entre el bien y el mal. De lo contrario, ¿quién podrá gobernar a este gran pueblo tuyo?».
10Al Señor le agradó que Salomón hubiera hecho esa petición. 11Y Dios le dijo:
—Como has pedido esto, y no larga vida ni riquezas para ti, ni has pedido la muerte de tus enemigos, sino discernimiento para administrar justicia, 12voy a concederte lo que has pedido. Te daré un corazón sabio y prudente, como nadie antes de ti lo ha tenido ni lo tendrá después. 13Además, aunque no me lo has pedido, te daré tantas riquezas y esplendor que en toda tu vida ningún rey podrá compararse contigo. 14Si andas por mis caminos y obedeces mis estatutos y mandamientos, como lo hizo tu padre David, te daré una larga vida.
15Cuando Salomón despertó y se dio cuenta del sueño que había tenido, regresó a Jerusalén. Se presentó ante el arca del pacto del Señor y ofreció holocaustos y sacrificios de comunión. Luego ofreció un banquete para toda su corte.
Un gobernante sabio
16Tiempo después, dos prostitutas fueron a presentarse ante el rey. 17Una de ellas le dijo:
—Mi señor, esta mujer y yo vivimos en la misma casa. Mientras ella estaba allí conmigo, yo di a luz 18y a los tres días también ella dio a luz. No había en la casa nadie más que nosotras dos.
19»Pues bien, una noche esta mujer se acostó encima de su hijo y el niño murió. 20Pero ella se levantó a medianoche, mientras yo dormía, y, tomando a mi hijo, lo acostó junto a ella y puso a su hijo muerto a mi lado. 21Cuando amaneció, me levanté para amamantar a mi hijo, ¡y me di cuenta de que estaba muerto! Pero, al clarear el día, lo observé bien y pude ver que no era el hijo que yo había dado a luz».
22—¡No es cierto! —exclamó la otra mujer—. ¡El niño que está vivo es el mío y el muerto es el tuyo!
—¡Mientes! —insistió la primera—. El niño muerto es el tuyo y el que está vivo es el mío.
Y se pusieron a discutir delante del rey.
23El rey deliberó: «Una dice: “El niño que está vivo es el mío y el muerto es el tuyo”. Y la otra dice: “¡No es cierto! El niño muerto es el tuyo y el que está vivo es el mío”».
24Entonces ordenó:
—Tráiganme una espada.
Cuando se la trajeron, 25dijo:
—Partan en dos al niño que está vivo y denle una mitad a esta y la otra mitad a aquella.
26La verdadera madre, angustiada por su hijo, dijo al rey:
—¡Por favor, mi señor! ¡Dele usted a ella el niño que está vivo, pero no lo mate!
En cambio, la otra exclamó:
—¡Ni para mí ni para ti! ¡Que lo partan!
27Entonces el rey ordenó:
—No lo maten. Entréguenle a la primera el niño que está vivo, pues ella es la madre.
28Cuando todos los israelitas se enteraron de la sentencia que el rey había pronunciado, sintieron un gran respeto por él, pues vieron que tenía sabiduría de Dios para administrar justicia.
Solomon Asks God for Wisdom
1Solomon and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, agreed to help each other. So Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David. She stayed there until he finished building his palace, the Lord’s temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2But the people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places where they worshiped. That’s because a temple hadn’t been built yet where the Lord would put his Name. 3Solomon showed his love for the Lord. He did it by obeying the laws his father David had taught him. But Solomon offered sacrifices at the high places. He also burned incense there.
4King Solomon went to the city of Gibeon to offer sacrifices. That’s where the most important high place was. There he offered 1,000 burnt offerings on the altar. 5The Lord appeared to Solomon at Gibeon. He spoke to him in a dream during the night. God said, “Ask for anything you want me to give you.”
6Solomon answered, “You have been very kind to my father David, your servant. That’s because he was faithful to you. He did what was right. His heart was honest. And you have continued to be very kind to him. You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
7“Lord my God, you have now made me king. You have put me in the place of my father David. But I’m only a little child. I don’t know how to carry out my duties. 8I’m here among the people you have chosen. They are a great nation. They are more than anyone can count. 9So give me a heart that understands. Then I can rule over your people. I can tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Who can possibly rule over this great nation of yours?”
10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for that. 11So God said to him, “You have not asked to live for a long time. You have not asked to be wealthy. You have not even asked to have your enemies killed. Instead, you have asked for wisdom. You want to do what is right and fair when you judge people. Because that is what you have asked for, 12I will give it to you. I will give you a wise and understanding heart. So here is what will be true of you. There has never been anyone like you. And there never will be. 13And that is not all. I will give you what you have not asked for. I will give you wealth and honor. As long as you live, no other king will be as great as you are. 14Live the way I want you to. Obey my laws and commands, just as your father David did. Then I will let you live for a long time.” 15Solomon woke up. He realized he had been dreaming.
He returned to Jerusalem. He stood in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his officials.
A Wise Ruling
16Two prostitutes came to the king. They stood in front of him. 17One of them said, “Pardon me, my master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. 18Three days after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone. There wasn’t anyone in the house but the two of us.
19“During the night this woman’s baby died. It happened because she was lying on top of him. 20So she got up in the middle of the night. She took my son from my side while I was asleep. She put him by her breast. Then she put her dead son by my breast. 21The next morning, I got up to nurse my son. But he was dead! I looked at him closely in the morning light. And I saw that it wasn’t my baby.”
22The other woman said, “No! The living baby is my son. The dead one belongs to you.”
But the first woman said, “No! The dead baby is yours. The living one belongs to me.” So they argued in front of the king.
23The king said, “One of you says, ‘My son is alive. Your son is dead.’ The other one says, ‘No! Your son is dead. Mine is alive.’ ”
24He continued, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to him. 25Then he gave an order. He said, “Cut the living child in two. Give half to one woman and half to the other.”
26The woman whose son was alive was filled with deep love for her son. She said to the king, “My master, please give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him. Cut him in two!”
27Then the king made his decision. He said, “Give the living baby to the first woman. Don’t kill him. She’s his mother.”
28All the Israelites heard about the decision the king had given. That gave them great respect for him. They saw that God had given him wisdom. They knew that Solomon would do what was right and fair when he judged people.
