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          DASV: 1 Kings 3    

1 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and
married Pharaoh's daughter. He brought her into the City of
David, until he had finished building his own house, the house
of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem.
2 The people were still sacrificing at the high places,
because the temple had not yet been built for the name
of the LORD.
3 Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of
David his father, except he sacrificed and burnt incense
on the high places.
4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for there
was the great high place there. Solomon offered on that
altar a thousand burnt offerings.
5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night.
God said, "Ask for anything you want me to give you."
6 Solomon replied, "You have shown to your servant David my
father great loyal love, because he walked before you in
truth, righteousness and uprightness of heart. You have
continued this great loyal love for him by giving him a
son to sit on his throne to this very day.
7 Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king
instead of David my father, but I am only a little child
not knowing how to go out or come in.
8 Your servant is in the midst of your chosen people,
a great people so numerous they cannot be counted or
numbered.
9 Give your servant therefore a listening heart to judge
your people, that I may discern between good and evil;
for who is able to judge this your great people?"

10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked for this.
11 So God said to him, "Because you have asked this,
and have not asked for long life, or riches for yourself,
nor have you asked for the death of your enemies,
but have asked for understanding to discern justice,
12 I will do what you have requested. I will give you
a wise and an understanding heart so that there never has
been anyone like you before nor will there be after you.
13 Plus I will also give you what you have not asked for,
both riches and honor, so that no other king will compare
to you all the rest of your life.
14 If you will walk in my ways, keep my statutes and
commandments as your father David did, then I will
lengthen your life."
15 Solomon awoke and realized it was a dream. He returned
to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of
the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings and peace
offerings. He held a feast for all his servants.

16 Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king
and stood before him.
17 The one woman said, "Please my lord, this woman and I
live in the same house. I gave birth while she was in
the house.
18 Three days after I had given birth, this woman also
gave birth. We were together and there was no one else
with us in the house except for the two of us.
19 This woman's child died in the night because she laid
on top of him.
20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son
from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She laid
him at her breast, then laid her dead son at my breast.
21 When I got up in the morning to nurse my child, he
was dead. But when I had looked at him in the morning
light, I discovered it was not my son whom I had borne."
22 The other woman objected, "No. The living child is
my son, and the dead one is yours." But the first one
responded, "No. The dead one is your son, and the living
one is my son." This is how they each argued their
case before the king.

23 Then said the king, "The one says, 'This is my son that
is alive, and your son is the dead one,' while the other
says, 'No, but your son is the dead one, and my son
is the living one."
24 The king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a
sword to the king.
25 Then the king said, "Cut the living child in two,
and give half to the one mother, and half to the other."
26 Then the mother of the living child spoke up to the
king, for her heart had compassion on her son, so she
said, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, only
don't kill him." But the other woman blurted, "Neither
one of us should have him. Cut him in two."
27 Then the king ruled, "Give her the living child,
and do not kill him, for she is his mother."
28 When all Israel heard of the decision the king had
rendered, they stood in awe of the king, because they
saw that he had the wisdom of God to administer justice.

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