Solomon’s Marriage and Sacrifices

1Then Solomon [†]formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had completed building his own house and the house of Yahweh and the wall around Jerusalem. 2The people were still sacrificing on the high places because there was no house built for the name of Yahweh until those days.

3And Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered one thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what I should give to you.”

God Gives Wisdom to Solomon

6Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your slave David my father, according to how he walked before You in [†]truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have kept for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7So now, O Yahweh my God, You have made Your slave king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And Your slave is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a numerous people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9So give Your slave a listening heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to [†]judge this glorious people of Yours?”

10[†]And it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11And God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself [†]long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to listen to justice, 12behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I 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. 13I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 14Now if you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.”

15Then 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 burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

Solomon Wisely Judges

16Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. 17And the one woman said, “Oh, my lord, [†]this woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18And 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. 19And this woman’s son died in the night because she lay on him. 20So 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. 21When 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.” 22Then the other woman said, “No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” But [†]the first woman said, “No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king.

23Then the king said, “[†]The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and [†]the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’” 24And the king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25Then the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26Then the woman whose son was the living one spoke to the king, for [†]she was deeply stirred with compassion over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” 27Then the king said, “Give [†]the first woman the living child, and by no means put him to death. She is his mother.” 28Then all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had [†]handed down, and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.