1 Kings 3

1 Kings Chapter 3 KJV

1Solomon marrieth Pharaoh's daughter. 2High places being in use, he sacrificeth at Gibeon. 5God appeareth to him in a dream there, and leaveth to his choice what to ask; he asketh wisdom, and obtaineth with it riches and honour. 16His judgment between the two harlots maketh his wisdom renowned.
1 And Solomon 1made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into 2the city of David, until he had made an end of 3building his own house, and 4the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Only 1the people sacrificed in high places, because there 2was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days.
3 And Solomon 1loved the Lord, walking in 2the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places.
4 And the king went to 1Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great 2high place: 3a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
5 ¶ In 1Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon 2in a dream by night: and God said, 3Ask what I shall give thee.
6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto 1thy servant David my father great amercy, 2according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
7 And now, O Lord my God, 1thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a 2little child: I know not how to 3go out or come in.
8 And thy servant is in the midst of 1thy people which thou hast chosen, a 2great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
9 Give 1therefore thy servant an aunderstanding heart to judge thy people, that I may 2discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked 1for thyself along life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to bdiscern judgment;
12 Behold, I have done according to thy 1words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.
13 And I have also 1given thee that which thou hast not asked, both 2riches, and honour: so that there ashall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
14 And 1if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
15 And Solomon 1awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood 2before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made 3a feast to all his servants.
16 ¶ Then 1came there two women, that were 2harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
17 And the one woman said, O 1my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20 And she arose at 1midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 And when I rose in the morning 1to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 And the king said, 1Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels ayearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is 1the mother thereof.
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they 1feared the king: for they saw that the 2wisdom of God was ain him, to do judgment.
1 Kings 3