ldren of the east
country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than
Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol:
and his fame was in all nations round about. And he spake three thousand
proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five. And he spake of trees,
from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that
springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of
creeping things, and of fishes. And there came of all people to hear the
wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his
wisdom.--2 Kings iv, 29-34.

THE JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON.

Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood
before him.

And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house;
and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass
the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered
also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house,
save we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night;
because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from
beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid
her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my
child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the
morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.

And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is
thy son.

And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and, the living is my son.

Thus they spake before the king.

Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy
son is the dead--and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and
my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword.

And they brought a sword before the king.

And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the
one, and half to the other.

Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her
bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living
child, and in no wise slay it.

But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no
wise slay it she is the mother thereof.

And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they
feared the king: for they saw that the wi