Solomon’s Wisdom Tested

Solomon’s Wisdom Tested

1 Kings 3:16-28

Bible Stories

 

1 Kings 3:16 Then two women harlots went to the king, and they stood before him.

1 Kings 3:17 And one of them said: “I beg you, my lord, I and this woman were living in one house, and I gave birth, with her in the room.

1 Kings 3:18 Then, on the third day after I gave birth, she also gave birth. And we were together, with no other person with us in the house, only the two of us.

1 Kings 3:19 Then this woman’s son died in the night. For while sleeping, she smothered him.

1 Kings 3:20 And rising up in the silent depths of the night, she took my son from my side, while I, your handmaid, was sleeping, and she set him in her bosom. Then she placed her dead son in my bosom.

1 Kings 3:21 And when I had arisen in the morning, so that I might give milk to my son, he appeared to be dead. But gazing upon him more diligently in the light of day, I realized that he was not mine, whom I had born.”

1 Kings 3:22 And the other woman responded: “It is not such as you say. Instead, your son is dead, but mine is alive.” To the contrary, she said: “You are lying. For my son lives, and your son is dead.” And in this manner, they were contending before the king.

1 Kings 3:23 Then said the king: “This one says, ‘My son is alive, and your son is dead.’ And the other responds, ‘No, instead your son is dead, but mine lives.’ ”

1 Kings 3:24 Therefore the king said, “Bring a sword to me.” And when they had brought a sword before the king,

1 Kings 3:25 he said, “Divide the living infant in two parts, and give a half part to the one and a half part to the other.”

1 Kings 3:26 But the woman, whose son was alive, said to the king, for her heart was moved concerning her son, “I beg you, my lord, give the living infant to her, and do not kill him.” To the contrary, the other said, “Let it be neither for me, nor for you, instead divide it.”

1 Kings 3:27 The king responded and said: “Give the living infant to this woman, and do not kill it. For she is his mother.”

1 Kings 3:28 Then all of Israel heard about the judgment that the king had judged, and they feared the king, seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to accomplish judgment.