I Kings Chapter 3

I Kings Chapter 3
1 Solomon then 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 the 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 ordinances of David his father:
only he sacrificed and offered incense in
the high places.
4 And the king went to Gibeon to
sacrifice there, for that was the chief
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 showed
unto thy servant David my father great
mercy, when he walked before thee in
truth, and in righteousness, and in
uprightness of heart with thee: and thou
hast kept for him this great mercy, and
hast given him a son, to sit on his throne,
as appeareth 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 young child, and know not how
to go out and in. 8 And thy servant is in
the midst of thy people, which thou hast
chosen, even a great people which
cannot be told nor numbered for
multitude. 9 Give therefore unto 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 mighty people?
10 And this pleased the Lord well, that
Solomon had desired 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 hear judgment,
12 Behold, I have done according to thy
words: lo, I have given thee a wise and
an understanding heart, so that there hath
been none like thee before thee, neither
after thee shall arise the like unto thee.
13 And I have also given thee that,
which thou hast not asked, both riches
and honor, so that among the kings there
shall be none like unto thee all thy days.
14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to
keep mine ordinances and my
commandments, as thy father David did
walk, I will prolong thy days. 15 And
when Solomon awoke, 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 made a feast
to all his servants.
16 Then came two harlots unto the king,
and stood before him.
17 And the one woman said, Oh my lord,
I and this woman dwell in one house,
and I was delivered of a child with her
in the house.
18 And the third day after that I was
delivered, this woman was delivered
also: and we were in the house together:
no stranger was with us in the house,
save we twain.
19 And this woman's son died in the
night: for she overlay him. 20 And she
rose at midnight, and took my son from
my side, while thine handmaid slept, and
laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead
son in my bosom.
21 And when I rose in the morning to
give my son suck, behold, he was dead:
and when I had well considered him in
the morning, behold, it was not my son,
whom I had born.
22 Then the other woman said, Nay, but
my son liveth, and thy son is dead. Again
she said, No, but thy son is dead, and
mine alive: thus they spake before the
king.
23 Then said the king, She saith, This
that liveth is my son, and the dead is thy
son: and the other saith, Nay, but the
dead is thy son, and the living is my son.
24 Then the king said, Bring me a
sword: and they brought out a sword
before the king.
25 And the king said, Divide ye the
living child in twain, and give the one
half to the one, and the other half to the
other.
26 Then spake the woman, whose the
living child was, unto the king, for her
compassion was kindled toward her son,
and she said, Oh my lord, give her the
living child, and slay him not: 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 slay him
not: this is his mother.
28 And all Israel heard 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 justice.