1 Then A1 Kin 7:8; 9:16, 24; 2 Chr 8:11Solomon 1Lit made himself a son-in-law of Pharaohformed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter B1 Kin 9:24and brought her to the city of David C1 Kin 7:1; 9:10until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Loʀᴅ and D1 Kin 9:15the wall around Jerusalem. 2 ALev 17:3-5; Deut 12:2, 13, 14; 1 Kin 22:43The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Loʀᴅ until those days.

3 Now ADeut 6:5; 10:12, 13; 11:13; 30:16; Ps 31:23; 145:20; 1 Cor 8:3Solomon loved the Loʀᴅ, B1 Kin 2:3; 9:4; 11:4, 6, 38walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4 A2 Chr 1:3The king went to BJosh 18:21-25Gibeon to sacrifice there, C1 Chr 16:39; 21:29for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 A1 Kin 9:2; 11:9In Gibeon the Loʀᴅ appeared to Solomon BNum 12:6; Matt 1:20; 2:13in a dream at night; and God said, “CJohn 15:7Ask what you wish Me to give you.”

6 Then Solomon said, “A2 Sam 7:8-17; 2 Chr 1:8You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, B1 Kin 9:4according as he walked before You in 1Or faithfulnesstruth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and C1 Kin 1:48You have 2Lit keptreserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7  “Now, O Loʀᴅ my God, A1 Chr 22:9-13You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet B1 Chr 29:1; Jer 1:6, 7I am but a little child; CNum 27:17I do not know how to go out or come in. 8  “AEx 19:6; Deut 7:6Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, BGen 15:5; 22:17a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9  “So A2 Chr 1:10; Ps 72:1, 2; Prov 2:3-9; James 1:5give Your servant 1Lit a hearingan understanding heart to judge Your people B2 Sam 14:17; Heb 5:14to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this 2Lit heavygreat people of Yours?”

10 1Lit the thingIt was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have AJames 4:3not asked for yourself 1Lit many dayslong life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself 2Lit hearingdiscernment to understand justice, 12 behold, A1 John 5:14, 15I have done according to your words. Behold, B1 Kin 4:29-31; 5:12; 10:23, 24; Eccl 1:16I 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. 13  “A1 Kin 4:21-24; 10:23, 27; Matt 6:33; Eph 3:20I have also given you what you have not asked, both BProv 3:16riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 14  “A1 Kin 3:6If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will BPs 91:16; Prov 3:2prolong your days.”

15 Then AGen 41:7Solomon 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 B1 Kin 8:65made a feast for all his servants.

16 Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. 17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord, 1Lit I and this womanthis woman and I live in the same house; and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house. 18  “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. 19  “This woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on it. 20  “So 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. 21  “When 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.” 22 Then the other woman said, “No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” But 1Lit this one was sayingthe first woman said, “No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king.

23 Then the king said, “1Lit this oneThe one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and 1Lit this onethe other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ” 24 The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25 The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for 1Lit her compassion grew warmAGen 43:30; Is 49:15; Jer 31:20; Hos 11:8she was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” 27 Then the king said, “Give 1Lit her the living childthe first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” 28 When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had 1Lit judgedhanded down, they feared the king, for A1 Kin 3:9, 11, 12; Dan 1:17; Col 2:2, 3they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to 2Lit doadminister justice.