Then aSolomon 1formed
a marriage
alliance
with Pharaoh
king
of Egypt
, and took
Pharaoh's
daughter
band brought
her to the city
of David
cuntil
he had finished
building
his own house
and the house
of the LORD
and dthe wall
around
Jerusalem
.
aThe people were still
sacrificing
on the high
places
, because
there was no
house
built
for the name
of the LORD
until
those
days
.
Now aSolomon loved
the LORD
, bwalking
in the statutes
of his father
David
, except
he sacrificed
and burned
incense
on the high
places
.
aThe king went
to bGibeon
to sacrifice
there
, cfor that was the great
high
place
; Solomon
offered
a thousand
burnt
offerings
on that altar
.
aIn Gibeon the LORD
appeared
to Solomon
bin a dream
at night
; and God
said
, " cAsk
what
you wish me to give
you."
Then Solomon said
, " aYou have shown
great
lovingkindness
to Your servant
David
my father
, baccording
as he walked
before
You in 1truth
and righteousness
and uprightness
of heart
toward
You; and cYou have 2reserved
for him this
great
lovingkindness
, that You have given
him a son
to sit
on his throne
, as it is this
day
.
"Now, O LORD
my God
, aYou have made
Your servant
king
in place
of my father
David
, yet bI am but a little
child
; cI do not know
how to go
out or come
in.
" aYour servant is in the midst
of Your people
which
You have chosen
, ba great
people
who
are too
many
to be numbered
or counted
.
"So agive Your servant
1an understanding
heart
to judge
Your people
bto discern
between
good
and evil
. For who
is able
to judge
this
2great
people
of Yours?"
1It was pleasing in the sight
of the Lord
that Solomon
had asked
this
thing
.
God said
to him, "Because
you have asked
this
thing
and have anot asked
for yourself 1long
life
, nor
have asked
riches
for yourself, nor
have you asked
for the life
of your enemies
, but have asked
for yourself 2discernment
to understand
justice
,
behold, aI have done
according to your words
. Behold
, bI have given
you a wise
and discerning
heart
, so
that there has been
no
one like
you before
you, nor
shall one like
you arise
after
you.
" aI have also given
you what
you have not asked
, both
briches
and honor
, so
that there will not be any
among the kings
like
you all
your days
.
" aIf you walk
in My ways
, keeping
My statutes
and commandments
, as your father
David
walked
, then I will bprolong
your days
."
Then aSolomon 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
burnt
offerings
and made
peace
offerings
, and bmade
a feast
for all
his servants
.
Then two
women
who were harlots
came
to the king
and stood
before
him.
The one woman
said
, "Oh
, my lord
, 1this
woman
and I live
in the same
house
; and I gave
birth
to a child
while
she was in the house
.
"It happened on the third
day
after I gave
birth
, that this
woman
also
gave
birth
to a child
, and we were together
. There
was no
stranger
with us in the house
, only
the two
of us in the house
.
"This woman's
son
died
in the night
, because
she lay
on it.
"So she arose in the middle
of the night
and took
my son
from beside
me while your maidservant
slept
, and laid
him in her bosom
, and laid
her dead
son
in my bosom
.
"When I rose in the morning
to nurse
my son
, behold
, he was dead
; but when I looked
at him carefully
in the morning
, behold
, he was not my son
, whom
I had borne
."
Then the other woman
said
, "No
! For the living
one
is my son
, and the dead
one is your son
." But 1the first
woman
said
, "No
! For the dead
one is your son
, and the living
one
is my son
." Thus they spoke
before
the king
.
Then the king said
, " 1The one
says
, `This
is my son
who is living
, and your son
is the dead
one'; and 1the other
says
, `No
! For your son
is the dead
one, and my son
is the living
one
.' "
The king said
, "Get
me a sword
." So they brought
a sword
before
the king
.
The king said
, "Divide
the living
child
in two
, and give
half
to the one
and half
to the other
."
Then the woman whose
child
was the living
one
spoke
to the king
, for 1 ashe was deeply
stirred
over
her son
and said
, "Oh
, my lord
, give
her the living
child
, and by no
means
kill
him." But the other
said
, "He shall be neither
mine nor
yours; divide
him!"
Then the king said
, "Give
1the first woman the living
child
, and by no
means
kill
him. She is his mother
."
When all Israel
heard
of the judgment
which
the king
had 1handed
down
, they feared
the king
, for athey saw
that the wisdom
of God
was in him to 2administer
justice
.