6. Solomon answered, “You always showed great love for my father David, your servant, and he was good, loyal, and honest in his relations with you. And you have continued to show him your great and constant love by giving him a son who today rules in his place.
7. O Lord God, you have let me succeed my father as king, even though I am very young and don't know how to rule.
8. Here I am among the people you have chosen to be your own, a people who are so many that they cannot be counted.
9. So give me the wisdom I need to rule your people with justice and to know the difference between good and evil. Otherwise, how would I ever be able to rule this great people of yours?”
10. The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this,
11. and so 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,
12. I will do what you have asked. I will give you more wisdom and understanding than anyone has ever had before or will ever have again.
13. I will also give you what you have not asked for: all your life you will have wealth and honour, more than that of any other king.
14. And if you obey me and keep my laws and commands, as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”
15. Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. Then he went to Jerusalem and stood in front of the Lord's Covenant Box and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord. After that he gave a feast for all his officials.
16. One day two prostitutes came and presented themselves before King Solomon.
17. One of them said, “Your Majesty, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a baby boy at home while she was there.
18. 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 present.
19. Then one night she accidentally rolled over on her baby and smothered it.
20. She got up during the night, took my son from my side while I was asleep, and carried him to her bed; then she put the dead child in my bed.
21. The next morning, when I woke up and was going to feed my baby, I saw that it was dead. I looked at it more closely and saw that it was not my child.”
22. But the other woman said, “No! The living child is mine, and the dead one is yours!”The first woman answered, “No! The dead child is yours, and the living one is mine!”And so they argued before the king.
23. Then King Solomon said, “Each of you claims that the living child is hers and that the dead child belongs to the other one.”
24. He sent for a sword, and when it was brought,