Book 10 : NEVIIM - I KINGS - Chapter 003
03:001
And Solomon became allied to Pharaoh king of Egypt by
marriage, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David,
until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of HaShem, and
the wall of Jerusalem round about
03:002
Only the people sacrificed in the high places, because
there was no house built for the name of HaShem until those days
03:003
And Solomon loved HaShem, walking in the statutes of David
his father; only he sacrificed and offered in the high places
03:004
And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that
was the great high place; a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that
altar
03:005
In Gibeon HaShem appeared to Solomon in a dream by night;
and G-d said: 'Ask what I shall give thee.
03:006
And Solomon said: 'Thou hast shown unto Thy servant David
my father great kindness, according 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
03:007
And now, O HaShem my G-d, Thou hast made Thy servant king
instead of David my father; and I am but a little child; I know not how to go
out or come in
03:008
And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people which Thou
hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude
03:009
Give Thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge
Thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge
this Thy great people?
03:010
And the speech pleased HaShem, that Solomon had asked this
thing
03:011
And G-d said unto him: 'Because thou hast asked this
thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for
thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself
understanding to discern justice
03:012
behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have
given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like
thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee
03:013
And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked,
both riches and honour--so that there hath not been any among the kings like
unto thee--all thy days
03:014
And if 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.
03:015
And Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream; and he
came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of HaShem, and
offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and made a feast to all
his servants
03:016
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the
king, and stood before him
03:017
And the one woman said: 'Oh, my lord, I and this woman
dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house
03:018
And it came to pass the third day after 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
03:019
And this woman's child died in the night; because she
overlay it
03:020
And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me,
while thy handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in
my bosom
03:021
And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck,
behold, it was dead; but when I had looked well at it in the morning, behold, it
was not my son, whom I did bear.
03:022
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 spoke before the king
03:023
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.
03:024
And the king said: 'Fetch me a sword.' And they brought a
sword before the king
03:025
And the king said: 'Divide the living child in two, and
give half to the one, and half to the other.
03:026
Then spoke the woman whose the living child was unto the
king, for her heart yearned upon her son, and she said: 'Oh, my lord, give her
the living child, and in no wise slay it.' But the other said: 'It shall be
neither mine nor thine; divide it.
03:027
Then the king answered and said: 'Give her the living
child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
03:028
And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had
judged; and they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of G-d was in
him, to do justice
Book 10 : NEVIIM - I KINGS - Chapter 003
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