1Kings:3

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* Solomon made an alliance with the king of Egypt by marrying his daughter . He brought her to live in David 's City until he finished building his palace , the Temple , and the wall around Jerusalem . * A Temple had not yet been built for Jehovah . The people were still offering sacrifices at many different altars . * Solomon loved Jehovah . He followed the instructions of his father David . He also slaughtered animals and offered them as sacrifices on different altars . * One time he went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices because that was where the most used altar was . He offered hundreds of burnt offerings there in the past . * That night Jehovah appeared to him in a dream and asked him : »What do you want me to give you ?« * Solomon answered : »You always showed great love for my father David , your servant . He was good , loyal , and honest in his relation with you . You have continued to show him your great and constant love by giving him a son who today rules in his place . * »O Jehovah God , you allowed me to succeed my father as king , even though I am very young and do not know how to rule . * »I am among the people you have chosen to be your own . They are a people who are so many that they cannot be counted . * ‘Give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice . Help me know the difference between good and evil . Otherwise , how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours ?« * Jehovah was pleased that Solomon asked for this . * He said to him : »Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly , instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies , * »I will do what you have asked . I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had . There has never been nor will ever be anyone like you . * »I will also give you what you did not ask for . All your life you will have wealth and honor , more than that of any other king . * »If you obey me and keep my laws and commands , as your father David did , I will give you a long life .« * Solomon woke up and was aware that God had spoken to him in the dream . Then he went to Jerusalem and stood in front of Jehovah ’s Ark of the Covenant . He offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to Jehovah . Then he gave a feast for all his officials . * One day two women who were prostitutes came to the king . * One of them said : »Your Majesty , this woman and I live in the same house . I gave birth to a baby boy at home while she was there . * »Two days after my child was born she also gave birth to a baby boy . Only the two of us were there in the house . No one else was there . * »One night she accidentally rolled over on her baby and smothered it . * »She got up during the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep . She took him to her bed and put the dead child in my bed . * »The next morning I woke up and was going to nurse my baby . It was dead . I looked at it more closely and saw that it was not my child .« * The other woman said : »The living child is mine , and the dead one is yours !« The first woman answered back : »The dead child is yours , and the living one is mine !« They argued before the king . * King Solomon said : »Each of you claims that the living child is hers and that the dead child belongs to the other one .« * He sent for a sword . When it arrived , * he said : »Cut the living child in two and give each woman half of it .« * With a heart full of love for her son the real mother said : »Please , Your Majesty , do not kill the child ! Give it to her !« But the other woman said : »Do not give it to either of us cut it in two .« * Then Solomon said : »Do not kill the child ! Give it to the first woman . She is the real mother .« * The people of Israel heard of Solomon 's decision and were all filled with deep respect for him . They knew then that God had given him the wisdom to settle disputes fairly .

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