The Lord Appears to Solomon
1Solomon made an alliance3:1 Lit Solomon made himself a son-in-law with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter.3:1 Dt 7:3; 1Kg 7:8; 9:24; Ezr 9:14 Solomon brought her to the city of David3:1 2Sm 5:7; 7:8; 9:10 until he finished building his palace,3:1 2Sm 7:1–2 the Lord’s temple,3:1 2Sm 6:1,14; 1Kg 6:37; 7:51 and the wall surrounding Jerusalem.3:1 1Kg 9:15
2However, the people were sacrificing on the high places,3:2 Dt 12:13–14 because until that time a temple for the Lord’s name3:2 Dt 14:23 had not been built.
4The king went to Gibeon3:4 Jos 9:3–27; 21:17 to sacrifice there because it was the most famous high place. He offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.3:4 2Ch 1:3,6
6And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and faithful love to your servant, my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, righteousness, and integrity.3:6 Lit and uprightness of heart with you You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne,3:6 1Kg 1:48 as it is today.3:6 1Kg 2:4; 9:4; 2Ch 1:8
7“Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place.3:7 2Ch 1:8 Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership.3:7 Lit am a little youth and do not know to go out or come in3:7 1Ch 29:1; Jr 1:6–7
8Your servant is among your people you have chosen,3:8 Ex 19:5–6; Dt 7:6 a people too many to be numbered or counted.3:8 Gn 15:5; 22:17
9So give your servant a receptive heart to judge3:9 Dt 1:16–17 your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?” 3:9 2Ch 1:10
10Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this.
11So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life3:11 Lit for many days or riches for yourself,3:11 Jms 4:3 or the death3:11 Lit life of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice,3:11 1Ch 22:12
12I will therefore do what you have asked.3:12 1Jn 5:14–15 I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again.3:12 1Kg 4:29–31; 10:23–24
Solomon’s Wisdom
16Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.3:16 Dt 16:18–19; 2Sm 15:2–4
17One woman said, “Please, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was in the house.
18On the third day after I gave birth, she also had a baby and we were alone. No one else3:18 Lit No stranger was with us in the house; just the two of us were there.
19During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him.
20She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while your servant was asleep. She laid him in her arms, and she put her dead son in my arms.
21When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, I discovered he was dead. That morning, when I looked closely at him I realized that he was not the son I gave birth to.”
22“No,” the other woman said. “My son is the living one; your son is the dead one.”
The first woman said, “No, your son is the dead one; my son is the living one.” So they argued before the king.
23The king replied, “This woman says, ‘This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,’ but that woman says, ‘No, your son is dead, and my son is alive.’”
24The king continued, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought the sword to the king.
25And the king said, “Cut the living boy in two and give half to one and half to the other.”
But the other one said, “He will not be mine or yours. Cut him in two!”
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