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1 Kings / Solomon's Wise Judgment
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Adonijah Attempts to Seize the Throne Solomon Anointed King David's Charge to Solomon and Death Solomon Consolidates His Power Solomon's Request for Wisdom Solomon's Wise Judgment Solomon's Officials and Administrative Order The Wealth and Prosperity of Israel Solomon's Wisdom and Fame Alliances and Preparations for the Temple Solomon Builds the Temple Solomon's Palace and Structural Works Temple Furnishings and the Work of Hiram The Ark Brought into the Temple Solomon's Prayer of Dedication The Dedication Celebrated with Sacrifice God's Promise and Warning to Solomon Solomon's Building Projects and Trade The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon The Wealth and Splendor of Solomon's Reign Solomon's Foreign Wives and Apostasy Adversaries Raised Against Solomon Jeroboam's Call and the Promise of Division Summary of Solomon's Reign and Death Rehoboam's Folly and the Kingdom Divides Jeroboam Establishes Golden Calves Prophetic Rebuke at Bethel and Deception Ahijah's Prophecy Against Jeroboam Rehoboam's Unfaithfulness and Shishak's Invasion Abijam's Short Reign in Judah Asa's Reforms and Early Reign Nadab's Reign and Baasha's Conspiracy Baasha's Reign and Jehu's Prophecy Elah Assassinated and Zimri's Usurpation Zimri's Suicide and Omri's Rise to Power Omri Establishes Samaria as Capital Ahab and Jezebel Introduce Baal Worship Elijah Announces the Drought and Is Fed by Ravens Elijah in Zarephath: Provision and Resurrection Elijah Confronts Ahab and Prepares for Confrontation Elijah on Mount Carmel and the Fall of Baal's Prophets Elijah Flees to Horeb and Is Renewed God's Response to Elijah and New Commissions The Call of Elisha Ben‑hadad Besieges Samaria; Israel's Defiant Response Israel's Victories Over Aram and Ahab's Mercy A Prophet Enacts Judgment on the King Naboth's Vineyard: Ahab and Jezebel's Crime and Punishment Ahab and Jehoshaphat Seek Counsel; Micaiah's True Prophecy Ahab Dies at Ramoth‑Gilead Jehoshaphat's Reign in Judah Ahaziah Succeeds Ahab and Does Evil

Solomon's Wise Judgment

1 Kings 3:16-28

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Chapter 3
16 Then two women prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 And the woman said, "By me, my lord, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I bore with her in the house." 18 It was on the third day after I gave birth, and this woman gave birth. We were together. There was no stranger with us in the house; only these two of us were in the house. 19 And the son of this woman died during the night, when she lay upon him. 20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant was sleeping. She laid him in her bosom, and she laid her dead son in my bosom. 21 And I arose in the morning to nurse my son, and behold—he was dead! And I examined him in the morning, and behold—he was not my son whom I bore. 22 The other woman said, "No, for my son is the living one and your son is the dead one." And this one said, "No, for your son is the dead one and my son is the living one." And they spoke before the king. 23 And the king said, "This one said, 'This is my son, the living one, and your son, the dead one,' and this one said, 'No, for your son, the dead one, and my son, the living one.'" 24 And the king said, "Bring me a sword," and they brought the sword before the king. 25 And the king said, "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." 26 The woman whose son was the living one said to the king, for her compassions were stirred over her son. She said, "By me, my lord the king: give her the living newborn, and do not put the dead one to death." And this one said, "Neither to me nor to you—cut!" 27 And the king answered and said, "Give her the living child, and do not put it to death; she is its mother." 28 And all Israel heard the judgment that the king had given, and they feared the king because they saw that God's wisdom was in him to do justice.