所羅門求智慧
1所羅門娶了埃及法老的女兒，與法老結盟。他在自己的王宮、耶和華的殿和耶路撒冷的城牆完工之前，讓她一直住在大衛城。 2那時候，用來尊崇耶和華之名的殿還沒有建成，以色列人仍然在邱壇獻祭。 3所羅門愛耶和華，遵行他父親大衛的律例，只是仍然在邱壇獻祭燒香。
4有一次，所羅門王上基遍獻了一千頭祭牲作燔祭，因為那裡有最重要的邱壇。 5在基遍，耶和華晚上在夢中向所羅門顯現，對他說：「你想要什麼，只管向我求。」
6所羅門說：「你的僕人——我父大衛本著誠實、公義、正直的心在你面前行事，你就向他大施恩慈，並且一如既往地以厚恩待他，讓他兒子今天繼承他的王位。 7我的上帝耶和華啊，你讓僕人繼承我父親大衛的王位，但僕人還年幼無知，不懂得如何治理國家。 8僕人住在你所揀選的子民中，這些子民多得不可勝數。 9求你賜我智慧治理你的子民，並能辨別是非；不然，我又怎能治理你這眾多的子民呢？」 10主喜悅所羅門的祈求， 11對他說：「既然你不為自己求壽、求財富，也不求滅絕仇敵，只求有智慧治理我的子民， 12我必應允你，賜給你空前絕後的智慧和悟性。 13你沒有求富貴和尊榮，但我會一併賜給你，使你有生之年在列王中無人能比。 14你若像你父親大衛一樣遵行我的道，遵守我的律例和誡命，我必使你長壽。」
15所羅門醒來，發現是在做夢。他回到耶路撒冷，站在耶和華的約櫃前獻上燔祭和平安祭，又宴請群臣。
智斷死嬰案
16一天，兩個妓女到王面前告狀。 17其中一個說：「我主啊，我跟這女人同住，我生了一個男孩，當時她也在場。 18我生產後三天，她也生了一個男孩。我們住在一起，除了我們二人，屋裡沒有別人。 19一天晚上，她不小心壓死了自己的孩子。 20她半夜起來，趁我熟睡的時候抱走了我身邊的孩子，放在她懷中，把她的死孩子放在我懷中。 21天快亮的時候，我起來給孩子餵奶，發現孩子死了。天亮後，我仔細察看孩子，發現孩子不是我生的。」 22另一個女人說：「不對！活孩子是我的，死孩子是你的。」第一個女人說：「不對！死孩子是你的，活孩子是我的。」兩個女人在王面前爭吵起來。 23王見她們二人都說活孩子是自己的，死孩子是對方的， 24就命人拿刀來。侍從把刀拿來後， 25王下令將那活孩子劈成兩半，讓她們各得一半。 26活孩子的母親心疼自己的孩子，就說：「我主啊，把孩子給她吧，千萬不要殺他！」但另一個女人卻說：「孩子不歸我，也不歸你，把他劈開吧！」
27王說：「不可殺這孩子，把他交給剛才為孩子求情的女人吧！她是孩子的母親。」 28以色列人聽見王這樣斷案，都敬畏他，因為他們知道他有上帝所賜的智慧，可以秉公執法。
1And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, 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 the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. 2Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. 3And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4And 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.
5¶ In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, 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.3.6 mercy: or, bounty 7And now, O LORD my God, 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. 8And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?3.9 understanding: Heb. hearing 10And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11And God 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 judgment;3.11 long life: Heb. many days3.11 discern: Heb. hear 12Behold, I have done according to thy words: 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. 13And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.3.13 shall…: or, hath not been 14And 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. 15And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
16¶ Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. 17And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. 18And 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. 19And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. 20And she arose at midnight, 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. 21And when I rose in the morning to 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. 22And 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. 23Then 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. 24And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 25And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned 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.3.26 yearned: Heb. were hot 27Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 28And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.3.28 in him: Heb. in the midst of him
