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.