Thomson(i)
16 Then there appeared before the king two women who were harlots, and when they stood in his presence
17 one of them said, Hear me, my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house, and we were delivered of children in the same house.
18 And it happened that the third day after my delivery this woman was delivered. We were together. There is no body with us; none but we two in the house.
19 And this woman's son died in the night, as she overlaid it.
20 And she arose in the middle of the night, and took my son out of my arms, and laid it in her bosom; and her own child which was dead, she laid in my bosom.
21 So when I arose in the morning to give my son suck, behold it was dead. But when I examined it attentively in the morning, behold it was not my son whom I bore.
22 And the other woman said, No: but the living is my son and the dead is thy son. And when both had spoken before the king,
23 he said to them, Thou sayst, This is my child which is alive, and that which is dead is that woman's child. And thou sayst, No: but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son.
24 Then the king said, Bring me a sword. And when they had laid the sword before the king,
25 he said, Divide the living child; the infant, in two; and give one half to this woman and the other half to that woman.
26 Upon this the woman whose son the living child really was, answered and said to the king; because her bowels yearned for her son, therefore she said, I beseech thee my lord, Give her the child. Do not kill it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor hers. Divide it.
27 Then the king answered and said, Give the child to her who said, Give the child to her and do not kill it; For she is the mother.
28 And when all Israel heard the judgment which the king had given, they feared the king, for they saw that there was in him the wisdom of God to execute judgment.