< Kings III 3 >
1 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.
2 Nevertheless the people burnt incense on the high places, because a house had not yet been built to the Lord.
3 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 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 And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Solomon, Ask some petition for yourself.
6 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 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 an my coming in.
8 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 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 And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.
11 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 judgment;
12 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 And I have given you what you have not asked, wealth and glory, so that there has not been any one like you among kings.
14 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 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 Then there appeared two harlots before the king, and they stood before him.
17 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 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 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20 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 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 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 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 And the king said, Fetch a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 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 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 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 and all Israel heard this judgment which the king judged, and they feared before the king; because they saw that the wisdom of God [was] in him, to execute judgment.
