1 Kings
Chapter 3
1 Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the city of David until he finished building his palace, God’s house, and the wall around Jerusalem.
2 People offered sacrifices on high places because no house for God’s name had been built at that time.
3 Solomon loved God and followed his father David’s laws, but he also offered sacrifices and burned incense on high hills.
4 The king went to Gibeon to make sacrifices, because that was the most important worship place. Solomon gave a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
5 In Gibeon, God appeared to Solomon in a dream at night and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
6 Solomon said, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he lived honestly and rightly, and was true-hearted with you; and you have kept this kindness for him by giving him a son to take his place as king, just like today.”
7 God, you have made me king after my father David, but I am like a little child and do not know how to lead.
8 Your servant is among your chosen people, a great number that can’t be counted.
9 Give me, your servant, a wise heart to govern your people and to know right from wrong, for who can govern this great people of yours?
10 God was happy that Solomon asked for this.
11 God said to him, because you asked for this, and did not ask for a long life, nor for wealth, nor for the death of your enemies, but for understanding to make the right decisions;
12 Look, I did what you asked for: I gave you a wise and understanding heart. There has been no one like you before, and there will be no one like you after.
13 I have also given you what you did not ask for—wealth and honor—so no king will be like you all your life.
14 If you follow my ways, obey my laws and commands, like your father David did, I will make your life longer.
15 Solomon woke up and realized it was a dream. He went to Jerusalem, stood in front of God’s covenant chest, gave burnt offerings and peace offerings, and threw a big dinner for all his workers.
16 Two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 One woman said, “Oh sir, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a baby while she was there.”
18 Three days after I gave birth, this woman also had her baby. We were alone in the house; just the two of us, with no one else there.
19 This woman’s baby died at night because she lay on it too much.
20 She got up at midnight, took my son while I, your servant, was sleeping, placed him in her arms, and put her dead baby in my arms.
21 When I got up in the morning to feed my baby, I saw it was dead. But when I looked closely later, I saw it wasn’t the son I had given birth to.
22 The other woman said, “No, the living child is mine and the dead one is yours.” The first woman insisted, “No, the dead child is yours and the living child is mine.” This is how they argued before the king.
23 Then the king said, “One woman claims, ‘This living boy is mine, and your son is dead,’ while the other says, ‘No, your son is dead, and mine is alive.’”
24 The king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword to the king.
25 The king said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other.”
26 The woman with the living baby spoke to the king because she deeply cared for her son and begged, “Please, sir, give her the living baby, don’t kill it.” But the other woman said, “It should belong to neither of us. Cut it in two.”
27 The king replied, “Give her the baby that’s alive, do not kill it; she’s its mother.”
28 All of Israel heard about the king’s decision and they respected the king because they realized God’s wisdom was with him to make fair decisions.