The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Kings 03
1 Solomon made a marriage alliance
with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took
Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into
David’s city until he had finished building
his own house, Yahweh’s house, and the
wall around Jerusalem.
2 However, the people sacrificed in the
high places, because there was not yet a
house built for Yahweh’s name.
3 Solomon loved Yahweh, walking in the
statutes of David his father, except that he
sacrificed and burned incense in the high
places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice
there, for that was the great high place.
Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
5 In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to
Solomon in a dream by night; and God
said, “Ask for what I should give you.”
6 Solomon said, “You have shown to your
servant David my father great loving kindness, because he walked before you in
truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness
of heart with you. You have kept for him
this great loving kindness, that you have
given him a son to sit on his throne, as it
is today.
7 Now, Yahweh my God, you have made
your servant king instead of David my father. I am just a little child. I don’t know
how to go out or come in.
8 Your servant is among your people
which you have chosen, a great people,
that can’t be numbered or counted for
multitude.
9 Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that
I may discern between good and evil; for
who is able to judge this great people of
yours?”
10 This request pleased the Lord, that
Solomon had asked this thing.
11 God said to him, “Because you have
asked this thing, and have not asked for
yourself long life, nor have you asked for
riches for yourself, nor have you asked for
the life of your enemies, but have asked for
yourself understanding to discern justice,
12 behold, I have done according to your
word. Behold, I have given you a wise
and understanding heart, so that there has
been no one like you before you, and after
you none will arise like you.
13 I have also given you that which you
have not asked, both riches and honor, so
that there will not be any among the kings
like you for all your days.
14 If you will walk in my ways,to keep my
statutes and my commandments, as your
father David walked, then I will lengthen
your days.”
15 Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a
dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and
stood before the ark of Yahweh’s covenant,
and offered up burnt offerings, offered
peace offerings, and made a feastfor all his
servants.
16 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the
king, and stood before him.
17 The one woman said, “Oh, my lord,
I and this woman dwell in one house. I
delivered a child with her in the house.
18 The third day after I delivered, this
woman delivered also. We were together.
There was no stranger with us in the
house, just us two in the house.
19 This woman’s child died in the night,
because she lay on it.
20 She arose at midnight, and took my
son from beside me while your servant
slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her
dead child in my bosom.
21 When I rose in the morning to nurse
my child, behold, he was dead; but when I
had looked at him in the morning, behold,
it was not my son whom I bore.”
22 The other woman said, “No! But the
living one is my son, and the dead one is
your son.” The first one said, “No! But the dead one
is your son, and the living one is my son.”
They argued like this before the king.
23 Then the king said, “One says, ‘This is
my son who lives, and your son is the dead
one;’ and the other says, ‘No! But 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 the living
child was spoke to the king, for her heart
yearned over her son, and she said, “Oh,
my lord, give her the living child, and in no
way kill him!” But the other said, “He shall be neither
mine nor yours. Divide him.”
27 Thenthe king answered, “Give thefirst
woman the living child, and definitely do
not kill him. She is his mother.”
28 AllIsrael heard ofthe judgment which
the king had judged; and they feared the
king, for they saw that the wisdom of God
was in him to do justice.