1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh' 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 to 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 on that altar.
5 In Gibeon the LORD 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 mercy, 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 kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O LORD 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 middle of your people which you have chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Give therefore your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this your so great a 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 judgment;
12 Behold, I have done according to your words: see, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was 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 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, to 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' child died in the night; because she overlaid 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 considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
22 And the other woman said, No; 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 said, This is my son that lives, and your son is the dead: and the other said, No; but your 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 spoke the woman whose the living child was to the king, for her bowels yearned on 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 my nor yours, 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.
1 And Solomon made himself son-in-law to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaohs daughter; and he brought her into the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall all around Jerusalem.
2 The people were sacrificing at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of Jehovah until those days.
3 And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he was sacrificing and burning incense at the high places.
4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
5 At Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask; what shall I give you?
6 And Solomon said: You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son sitting on his throne, as it is this day.
7 Now, O Jehovah my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a people too numerous to be numbered or counted for multitude.
9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?
10 And the word was good in the eyes of Jehovah, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 And God said to him: Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor 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 words; behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.
13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.
14 So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David has walked, then I will prolong 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 Jehovah, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him.
17 And one woman said, O my lord, this woman and I are dwelling in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house.
18 Then it happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no one was with us in the house, except the two of us in the house.
19 And this womans son died in the night, because she had lain on him.
20 So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 And when I arose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, behold, he was not my son whom I had borne.
22 And the other woman said, No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son. And the first woman said, No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son. Thus they spoke before the king.
23 And the king said, The one says, This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one; and the other says, No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.
24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. So they brought a sword before the king.
25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.
26 Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for her womb yearned for her son; and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and do not put him to death! But the other said, Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.
27 So the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and do not put him to death; she is his mother.
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, and they feared his presence; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to execute justice.