SOLOMON’S JUDGMENT.
“And all Israel heard of the judgment, and they feared King Solomon, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him."—Kings iii: 28.
No King e’er reigned like Solomon,
So good was he and wise;
When distant nations heard his fame,
It filled them with surprise.
And all the people feared to do,
Unjust and wicked things;
They feared the secret he would learn
From God the King of kings.
For they all knew at Gibeon,
God made the heart rejoice,
When in the silence of the night,
He made that happy choice.[8]
And asked an understanding heart,—
The wisdom he should need
To guide the people, and that God
Would be his friend indeed.
They knew that God approv’d his choice,
And gave him such a name,
For wisdom and integrity,
That all would hear his fame.
One day a mother came to him,
To claim an only son,
An infant only nine days old,
And thus in tears begun:—
“My lord, O king, behold and see,
This woman by my side!
She had a son the age of mine,
But in the night he died.
“No one was with us in the house,
So she was not afraid
To place her dead child, while I slept,
Where my dear boy was laid.
“And when I woke, at early dawn,
To nurse my little son,
I thought my darling dead, but soon
I saw what she had done.”
“It is not so,” the woman cried,
“The dead boy let her bring,
That is her child, the living one
Belongs to me, O king!”
“Bring in a sword!” said Solomon,
“Now cut the child in two!
We’ll give the other woman half,
One half belongs to you.”
Joyful the wicked woman spoke,
“But half the babe is thine;
O righteous king divide the boy,
And let one half be mine.”
Her bowels yearning for her son,
The mother quick replied,
“No, take the living child for thine,
Give me the one that died.
“O king, in pity, spare my boy,
And let him not be slain!
Thy handmaid then will hasten home,
Nor trouble thee again.”
“In nowise slay or hurt the babe,”
King Solomon replied,
“The mother’s heart shall plead for her,
Give her the living child!”