3:4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places. 5 Solomon would offer up 6 a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 3:5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared 7 to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell 8 me what I should give you.” 3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated 9 great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served 10 you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. 11 You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 12 3:7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. 13 3:8 Your servant stands 14 among your chosen people; 15 they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind 16 so he can make judicial decisions for 17 your people and distinguish right from wrong. 18 Otherwise 19 no one is able 20 to make judicial decisions for 21 this great nation of yours.” 22 3:10 The Lord 23 was pleased that Solomon made this request. 24 3:11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies, 25 3:12 I 26 grant your request, 27 and give 28 you a wise and discerning mind 29 superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. 30 3:13 Furthermore, I am giving 31 you what you did not request – riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. 32 3:14 If you follow my instructions 33 by obeying 34 my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, 35 then I will grant you long life.” 36 3:15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. 37 He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, 38 and held a feast for all his servants.
3:16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 3:17 One of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me in the house. 3:18 Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us. 39 3:19 This woman’s child suffocated 40 during the night when she rolled 41 on top of him. 3:20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. 3:21 I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there he was, 42 dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.” 43 3:22 The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king. 44
3:23 The king said, “One says, ‘My son is alive; your son is dead,’ while the other says, ‘No, your son is dead; my son is alive.’” 3:24 The king ordered, “Get me a sword!” So they placed a sword before the king. 3:25 The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” 3:26 The real mother 45 spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were aroused. 46 She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!” 47 But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him! Let them cut him in two!” 3:27 The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” 3:28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected 48 the king, for they realized 49 that he possessed supernatural wisdom 50 to make judicial decisions.