1Kgs 3
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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 Gr. give set his son upon his throne, Gr. as this day is
as it is this day.
7
And now, O Lord my God, you have Gr. given 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.
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But your servant is in the midst of your people, whom you have chosen, a great people,
which Gr. shall or will not cannot 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
Gr. heavy great people?
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And it was pleasing before the Lord, that Solomon asked this thing.
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And the Lord said to him, Because you have asked this thing of me, and have not asked
for yourself Gr. many days long life, and have not asked wealth, nor have asked the lives of your enemies, but
have asked for yourself understanding to hear judgement;
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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.
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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.
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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 Gr. comes 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.
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And the one woman said, Hear me, my lord; I and this woman dwelt in one house, and
we were delivered in the house.
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And it came to pass on the third day after I was delivered, this woman also was delivered:
and we were together; and there Gr. is was no one with us besides our two selves in the house.
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And this woman’s child died in the night; because she Gr. slept upon it overlaid it.
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and she arose in the middle of the night, Heb. and Alex. +’while your handmaid slept’ and took my son from my arms, and laid
him in her bosom, and Gr. caused to sleep laid her dead son in my bosom.
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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.
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And the other woman said, No, but the living is my son, and the dead is your son.
So they spoke before the king.
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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.
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And the woman whose the living child was, answered and said to the king, (for Gr. her womb was troubled her bowels yearned
over her son) and she said, I pray you, my lord, give her the
child, and in nowise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor hers;
divide it.
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Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her that said, «Give it to her,
and by no means slay it:’ she is its mother.
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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.