¶ And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an¹ end of building his own⁴ house, and the house⁵ of the LORD, and the wall⁶ of Jerusalem round about.

Only the people⁷ sacrificed in high places, because there was no⁸ house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

And Solomon loved⁹ the LORD, walking¹⁰ in the statutes of David his father: only he¹¹ sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.

And the king went to Gibeon¹² to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand¹³ burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

¶ In Gibeon the LORD¹⁴ appeared to Solomon in a dream¹⁵ by night: and God said, Ask what¹⁶ I shall give thee.

And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant¹⁷ David my father great¹⁸ mercy¹⁹, according²⁰ as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that²¹ thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

And now, O LORD my God, thou hast²² made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little²³ child: I know not how to go²⁴ out or come in.

And thy servant is in the midst of thy people²⁵ which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot²⁶ be numbered nor counted for multitude.

Give therefore²⁷ thy servant an understanding²⁸ heart to judge²⁹ thy people, that I may discern³⁰ between good and bad: for who is able³¹ to judge this thy so great a people?

¶ And the speech pleased³² the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not³³ asked for thyself long life³⁴; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

Behold, I have done³⁵ according to thy words: lo, I have given³⁶ thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither³⁷ after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

And I³⁸ have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches³⁹, and honour: so that there shall not be⁴⁰ any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

And if thou⁴¹ wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy⁴² father David did walk, then I will lengthen⁴³ thy days.

And Solomon awoke⁴⁴; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before⁴⁵ the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings⁴⁶, and made a feast⁴⁷ to all his servants.

¶ Then came there two women⁴⁸, that were harlots⁴⁹, unto the king, and stood⁵⁰ before him.

And the one woman said, O my lord⁵¹, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

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.

And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

¶ And she arose at midnight⁵², and took⁵³ my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

And when I rose in the morning to give⁵⁴ 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.

And the other woman said, Nay;⁵⁵ but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

And the king said, Divide⁵⁶ the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels⁵⁷ yearned⁵⁸ upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her⁵⁹ the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared⁶⁰ the king: for they saw that the wisdom⁶¹ of God was in him⁶², to do judgment.