3 Kingdoms 3

1And Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the City of David until he finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all around Jerusalem.

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2Meanwhile the people burned incense on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.

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3But Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

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4Now the king arose and went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar at Gibeon.

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5The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to him, 'Make a particular request for yourself.'

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6Solomon said, 'You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, and with You in righteousness and uprightness of heart. You have continued this great kindness for him, and gave him a son to sit on his throne, as I do today.

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7Now, O Lord my God, You made Your servant king in place of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

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8Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You chose, a great people, who will not be numbered.

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9Therefore give Your servant a heart to hear and judge Your people in righteousness, and to discern between good and evil. For who can judge this great people of Yours?'

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10The Lord was pleased that Solomon asked this.

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11So the Lord said to him, 'Because you asked for this, and have not asked for long life for yourself; nor have you asked for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but asked understanding for yourself, to understand judgment

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12Behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you an understanding and wise heart, so there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall anyone like you arise after you.

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13I also gave you what you did not ask—both riches and honor—so there has been no man like you among kings.

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14If you walk in My ways, and keep My statutes and commandments, as your father David did, then I will multiply your days.'

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15Solomon awoke, and indeed it was a dream. He arose and came to Jerusalem and stood before the altar, before the ark of the covenant of the Lord in Zion. He offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for himself and all his servants.

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16Now two women who were prostitutes appeared before the king and stood before him.

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17One woman said, 'O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house, and we gave birth in the house.

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18On the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were together. No one was with us in the house except the two of us.

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19But this woman's son died that night, because she lay on him.

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20So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side; and she laid him in her bosom, and her dead child in my bosom.

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21When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, he was dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I bore.'

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22Then the other woman said, 'No, but the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.' Thus they spoke before the king.

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23Then the king said to them, '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.' '

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24So the king said, 'Bring me a sword.' They brought a sword before the king.

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25The king then said, 'Divide the living nursing child in two, and give half to this woman and half to the other.'

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26But the woman whose son was living spoke up to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son. She said, 'My lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.' But the other said, 'Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.'

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27So the king answered and said, 'Give the child to the one who said, 'By no means kill him.' She is his mother.'

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28Then all Israel heard this judgment the king rendered, and they feared the king; for they saw the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice

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