1 Kings 3

However, the people were burning incense on the high places, because a house had not been built for the name of the Lord until now.

And Salomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father; only he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

And he arose and went to Gabaon to sacrifice there, for that was the highest and greatest high place; Salomon offered up a thousand whole burnt offerings upon the altar at Gabaon.

And the Lord appeared to Salomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Salomon, "Ask some request for yourself."

And Salomon said, "You dealt with your servant David my father in great mercy, according 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 mercy, to give him his son upon his throne, as it is this day.

And now, O Lord my God, you have given your servant in place of David my father; and I am a little child and do not know my going out or my coming in.

And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you chose, a numerous people that cannot be numbered.

And you shall give your servant a heart to hear and to judge your people in righteousness, to discern between good and evil; for who will be able to judge this weighty people of yours?"

And it was pleasing before the Lord that Salomon asked this thing.

And the Lord said to him, "Because you asked this thing of me, and did not ask for yourself many days, nor ask for riches, nor ask for the lives of your enemies, but asked for yourself understanding to hear a case,

behold, I have done according to your word; behold, I have given you a shrewd and wise heart, such as has not been before you, and after you there shall not arise one like you.

And what you did not ask I have also given you, both riches and glory, so that there has not been a man like you among kings.

And if you walk in my way, keeping my commandments and my statutes, as David your father walked, then I will multiply your days."

And Salomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he arose and came to Jerusalem and stood before the altar that is before the ark of the covenant of the Lord in Sion, and he offered up whole burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and he made a great feast for himself and for all his servants.

Then two women who were prostitutes appeared before the king and stood before him.

And the one woman said, "By your leave, my lord: I and this woman dwell in one house, and we gave birth in the house.

And it happened on the third day after I gave birth that this woman also gave birth; and we were together, and there was no one with us in the house except the two of us.

And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay upon him.

And she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my arms and laid him to sleep in her bosom, and her dead son she laid to sleep in my bosom.

And I arose in the morning to nurse my son, and he was dead; and behold, I examined him closely in the morning, and behold, he was not my son whom I bore."

And the other woman said, "No, but the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son." And they spoke before the king.

And the king said to them, "You say, 'This living one is my son, and the son of this woman is the dead one'; and you say, 'No, but the living one is my son, and your son is the dead one.'"

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

And the king said, "Divide the living nursing child in two, and give half of him to this one and half of him to that one."

And the woman whose son was the living one answered and said to the king, for her womb yearned over her son, "By your leave, my lord: give her the child, and by no means put him to death." But the other said, "Let him be neither mine nor hers; divide him."

And the king answered and said, "Give the child to the woman who said, 'Give him to her, and by no means put him to death'; she is his mother."

And all Israel heard this judgment that the king had judged, and they feared before the face of the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to execute justice.