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Then, came there in two unchaste women, unto the king, - and stood before him.

And the one woman said - Pardon, my lord! I and this woman, dwell in one house, - and I gave birth to a child near her, in the house.

And it came to pass, the third day after I bare, that, this woman also, gave birth to a child, - we two, being together, there was no stranger with us in the house, none but we two in the house.

And this woman's son died in the night, - because she overlaid it.

Then arose she, in the middle of the night, and took my son from beside me, while thy handmaid was sleeping, and laid it in her own besom, - but, her dead son, laid she in, my, bosom.

And, when I arose in the morning, to give suck unto my child, lo! it was dead! but, when I looked at it narrowly in the morning, lo! it was not, my son that I had borne.

Then said the other woman - Nay! but, my son, is the, living, and, thy son, the, dead. But, this, one kept on saying - Nay, verily! but, thy son, is the, dead, and, my son, the, living. Thus spake they before the king.

Then said the king, The one woman, is saying, This, is, my son, the one that liveth, and, thy son, is, the one that is dead, - and, the other, is saying, Nay! but, thy son, is, the dead one, and, my son, the, living.

And the king said - Bring me a sword! So they brought a sword before the king.

Then said the king, Divide the living child, in twain, - and give half to the one, and half to the other.

Then spake the woman, whose was the living child, unto the king - for tender became her compassions over her son - so she said - Pardon, my lord! Give, her, the living child, and do not, kill, it. But the other kept on saying - Neither mine, nor thine, shall it be, divide it.

Then responded the king, and said - Give, her, the living child, ye shall not, kill, it, - she, is its mother.

And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had delivered, and they stood in awe before the king, - for they saw, that, the wisdom of God, was in him, to execute justice.