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。
Solomon Asks God for Wisdom
1Solomon and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, agreed to help each other. So Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David. She stayed there until he finished building his palace, the Lord’s temple, and the wall around Jerusalem. 2But the people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places where they worshiped. That’s because a temple hadn’t been built yet where the Lord would put his Name. 3Solomon showed his love for the Lord. He did it by obeying the laws his father David had taught him. But Solomon offered sacrifices at the high places. He also burned incense there.
4King Solomon went to the city of Gibeon to offer sacrifices. That’s where the most important high place was. There he offered 1,000 burnt offerings on the altar. 5The Lord appeared to Solomon at Gibeon. He spoke to him in a dream during the night. God said, “Ask for anything you want me to give you.”
6Solomon answered, “You have been very kind to my father David, your servant. That’s because he was faithful to you. He did what was right. His heart was honest. And you have continued to be very kind to him. You have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
7“Lord my God, you have now made me king. You have put me in the place of my father David. But I’m only a little child. I don’t know how to carry out my duties. 8I’m here among the people you have chosen. They are a great nation. They are more than anyone can count. 9So give me a heart that understands. Then I can rule over your people. I can tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Who can possibly rule over this great nation of yours?”
10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for that. 11So God said to him, “You have not asked to live for a long time. You have not asked to be wealthy. You have not even asked to have your enemies killed. Instead, you have asked for wisdom. You want to do what is right and fair when you judge people. Because that is what you have asked for, 12I will give it to you. I will give you a wise and understanding heart. So here is what will be true of you. There has never been anyone like you. And there never will be. 13And that is not all. I will give you what you have not asked for. I will give you wealth and honor. As long as you live, no other king will be as great as you are. 14Live the way I want you to. Obey my laws and commands, just as your father David did. Then I will let you live for a long time.” 15Solomon woke up. He realized he had been dreaming.
He returned to Jerusalem. He stood in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. He sacrificed burnt offerings and friendship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his officials.
A Wise Ruling
16Two prostitutes came to the king. They stood in front of him. 17One of them said, “Pardon me, my master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. 18Three days after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone. There wasn’t anyone in the house but the two of us.
19“During the night this woman’s baby died. It happened because she was lying on top of him. 20So she got up in the middle of the night. She took my son from my side while I was asleep. She put him by her breast. Then she put her dead son by my breast. 21The next morning, I got up to nurse my son. But he was dead! I looked at him closely in the morning light. And I saw that it wasn’t my baby.”
22The other woman said, “No! The living baby is my son. The dead one belongs to you.”
But the first woman said, “No! The dead baby is yours. The living one belongs to me.” So they argued in front of the king.
23The king said, “One of you says, ‘My son is alive. Your son is dead.’ The other one says, ‘No! Your son is dead. Mine is alive.’ ”
24He continued, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to him. 25Then he gave an order. He said, “Cut the living child in two. Give half to one woman and half to the other.”
26The woman whose son was alive was filled with deep love for her son. She said to the king, “My master, please give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”
But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him. Cut him in two!”
27Then the king made his decision. He said, “Give the living baby to the first woman. Don’t kill him. She’s his mother.”
28All the Israelites heard about the decision the king had given. That gave them great respect for him. They saw that God had given him wisdom. They knew that Solomon would do what was right and fair when he judged people.
