1
And Solomon made affinity with Pharaohking of Egypt, and tookPharaoh'sdaughter, 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.
2
Only the peoplesacrificed in high places, because there was no housebuilt unto the name of the LORD, until those days.
3
And Solomonloved the LORD,walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
4
And the kingwent to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomonoffer upon that altar.
5
In Gibeon the LORDappeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and Godsaid, Ask what I shall give thee.
6
And Solomonsaid, Thou hast shewed unto thy servantDavid my fathergreatmercy,[a] according as he walkedbefore thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this greatkindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7
And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servantking instead of David my father: and I am but a littlechild: I know not how to go out or come in.
8
And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a greatpeople, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9
Give therefore thy servant an understanding[b]heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
10
And the speechpleased* the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11
And Godsaid unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself longlife;[c] neither hast askedriches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discernjudgment;
12
Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understandingheart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
14
And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy fatherDavid did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
15
And Solomonawoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stoodbefore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16
Then came there twowomen, that were harlots, unto the king, and stoodbefore him.
17
And the onewomansaid, O my lord, I and this womandwell in onehouse; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
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And it came to pass the thirdday after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house,save we two in the house.
19
And this woman'schilddied in the night; because she overlaid it.
20
And she arose at midnight*, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaidslept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her deadchild in my bosom.
21
And when I rose in the morning to give my childsuck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
22
And the otherwomansaid, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spakebefore the king.
23
Then said the king, The onesaith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the othersaith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24
And the kingsaid, Bring me a sword. And they brought a swordbefore the king.
25
And the kingsaid, Divide the livingchild in two, and givehalf to the one, and half to the other.
26
Then spake the woman whose the livingchild was unto the king, for her bowelsyearned[d] upon her son, and she said, O my lord,give her the livingchild, and in no wiseslay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
27
Then the kinganswered and said, Give her the livingchild, and in no wiseslay it: she is the mother thereof.
28
And all Israelheard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him,[e] to dojudgment.