1Kgs 3
1
And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh`s daughter,
and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own
house, and the house of YHWH, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2
Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because there was no house built for
the name of YHWH until those days.
3
And Solomon loved YHWH, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed
and burnt incense in the high places.
4
And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place:
a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
5
In Gibeon YHWH appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall
give you.
6
And Solomon said, You have showed to your servant David my father great lovingkindness,
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 lovingkindness, that you have
given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7
And now, O YHWH my God, you have made your servant king instead of David my father:
and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.
8
And your servant is in the midst of your people which you have chosen, a great people,
that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9
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 your great people?
10
And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11
And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself
long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your
enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;
12
behold, I have done according to your word: behold, I have given you a wise and an
understanding heart; so that there has been none like you before you, neither after
you shall any arise like to you.
13
And I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so
that there shall not be any among the kings like to you, all your days.
14
And if you will walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your
father David did walk, then I will lengthen your days.
15
And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream: and he came to Jerusalem, and stood
before the ark of the covenant of YHWH, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered
peace-offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16
Then there came two women that were harlots, to the king, and stood before him.
17
And the one woman said, Oh, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was
delivered of a child with her in the house.
18
And it came to pass the third day after 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`s child died in the night, because she lay upon it.
20
And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while your handmaid slept,
and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21
And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but when
I had looked at it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, whom I did bear.
22
And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is your son.
And this said, No; but the dead is your son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke
before the king.
23
Then said the king, The one says, This is my son that lives, and your son is the dead:
and the other says, Nay; but your son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24
And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25
And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half
to the other.
26
Then spoke the woman whose the living child was to the king, for her heart yearned
over her son, and she said, Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise
slay it. But the other said, It shall be neither mine nor yours; divide it.
27
Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it:
she is its mother.
28
And 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.