23. The king said, “What are we to do? This woman says, ‘The living son is mine and the dead one is yours,’ and this woman says, ‘No, the dead one’s yours and the living one’s mine.’”
24. After a moment the king said, “Bring me a sword.” They brought the sword to the king.
25. Then he said, “Cut the living baby in two—give half to one and half to the other.”
26. The real mother of the living baby was overcome with emotion for her son and said, “Oh no, master! Give her the whole baby alive; don’t kill him!”But the other one said, “If I can’t have him, you can’t have him—cut away!”