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 the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round
about.
2. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was
no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.
3. And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David
his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in 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 the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night:
and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
6. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my
father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in
truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart
with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness,
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 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 thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou
hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor
counted for multitude.
9. Give therefore thy servant an understanding 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 speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this
thing.
11. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing,
and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked
riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine
enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern
judgment;
12. Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given
thee a wise and an understanding heart; 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 father David did walk, then I will
lengthen thy 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
the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace
offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16. Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king,
and stood before him.
17. And the one woman said, O 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 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's child died in the night; because she
overlaid it.
20. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me,
while thine 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 considered it in the
morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
22. And the other woman said, 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 spake before the
king.
23. Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that
liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay;
but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24. And the king said, Bring 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 spake the woman whose the living child was unto the
king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O
my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it.
But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but
divide it.
27. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child,
and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
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 judgment.
