After that, David often gave wrong judgment till Solomon, his son, was of age to advise him.
One day, when Solomon was aged thirteen, there came two men before the king. The first said, “I sold a house and cellar to this man, and on digging in the cellar he found a treasure hidden there by my forefathers. I sold him the house and cellar but not the treasure. Bid him restore to me what he has found.”
But the other said, “Not so. He sold me the house, the cellar, and all its contents.”
Then King David said, “Let the treasure be divided, and let half go to one, and half go to the other.”
But Solomon stood up and said to the plaintiff, “Hast thou not a son?” He said, “I have.”
Then said Solomon to the defendant, “Hast thou not a daughter?” He answered, “I have.”
“Then,” said Solomon, “give thy daughter to the son of this man who sold thee the house, and let the treasure go as a marriage gift to thy daughter and his son.” And all applauded this judgment.
On another occasion, a husbandman came before the judgment-seat to lay complaint against a herdsman, whose sheep had broken into his field, and had pastured on his young wheat.
Then King David said, “Let some of the sheep be given to the husbandman.”
But Solomon stood up, and said, “Not so; let the husbandman have the wool, and the milk of the flock, till the wheat is grown up again as it was before the sheep destroyed it.”