Judgment of Solomon (3 Kgs. 3)

◄ Main Directory

One day there came two women who were harlots to Solomon. one said, "I beseech you, my lord, I and this woman live in one house, and I delivered a child in the chamber. On the third day she also delivered a child. No other person was with us in the house, only the two of us. Now, this woman's  child died in the night for in her sleep she laid over him. Then rising in the dead of the night, she took my child from my side while I was asleep, laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. When I rose in the morning to give my child suck, I found it was dead; but looking at him more closely and diligently when it was clear day, I found that it was not my child."

The other woman answere, "It is not as you say. Your child is dead and mine is alive. You lie for my child lives and your child is dead." In this manner they argued before the king.

Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." When the sword was brought in, he said, "Divide the living child in two, and give one half to one, and the other half to the other."

But the woman whose child was alive said to the king, "I beseech you my lord, give her the live child and do not kill it."

The other woman said, "Let it be neither mine nor yours; let us divide it."

The king fave his decision, "Givethe living child to his woman and let it not be killed, for she is its mother."

All Israel heard the judgment which the king made, and they honored him seeing that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.