Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
And Solomon became son-in-law to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the city of David, until he finished building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem all around.
Only, the people were sacrificing at the high places — for no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD in those days.
And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he was sacrificing and burning incense at the high places.
And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; a thousand burnt offerings Solomon would offer up on that altar.
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream of the night; and God said, “Ask — what shall I give you?”
And Solomon said: “You yourself did great loyal love with your servant David my father, 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 loyal love, and have given him a son sitting on his throne, as at this day.
And now, LORD my God, you yourself have made your servant king in the place of David my father — and I am a small boy; I do not know how to go out or come in.
And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen — a great people, that cannot be numbered or counted for multitude.
So give your servant a listening heart, to judge your people, to discern between good and evil — for who is able to judge this weighty people of yours?”
And the word was good in the eyes of the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
And God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself many days, and have not asked riches for yourself, and have not asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to hear justice —
look, I have done according to your words. Look — I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been none like you before you, and after you none will arise like you.
And also what you did not ask I have given you — both riches and honor — so that there shall not be a man like you among the kings all your days.
And if you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David your father walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
And Solomon awoke — and look, a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and made peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
Solomon Judges Wisely
Then two women, prostitutes, came to the king and stood before him.
And the one woman said: “Please, my lord — I and this woman live in one house, and I gave birth, with her in the house.
And it was on the third day after I gave birth that this woman gave birth as well. And we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house — only the two of us in the house.
And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.
And she rose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me — while your servant was sleeping — and laid him in her bosom; and her dead son she laid in my bosom.
And I rose in the morning to nurse my son — and look, he was dead. But when I looked closely at him in the morning — look, he was not my son whom I had borne.”
And the other woman said, “No — for my son is the living one, and your son is the dead one.” And this one was saying, “No — for your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.” So they spoke before the king.
And the king said: “This one says, ‘This is my son, the living one, and your son is the dead one’; and this one says, ‘No — for your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’”
And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” And they brought the sword before the king.
And the king said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.”
And the woman whose son was the living one said to the king — for her compassion grew warm for her son — and she said, “Please, my lord, give her the living newborn; only do not put him to death!” But this one was saying, “He shall be neither mine nor yours — cut!”
And the king answered and said, “Give her the living newborn, and do not put him to death — she is his mother.”
And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had judged, and they were in awe before the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was within him, to do justice.