1 Kings 3:5–15

Solomon’s Request for Wisdom

⁵Yahweh appeared to Solomon at Gibeon in a dream at night, and God said, “Ask what I should give to you.” ⁶Then Solomon said, “You have shown great loyal love with your servant David my father, as he walked before you in faithfulness and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with you. You have shown for him this great loyal love, and you have given a son to him who is sitting on his throne as it is this day. ⁷So then, O Yahweh, you are my God. You have made your servant king in place of David my father though I am a young boy. I do not know going out or coming in. ⁸Your servant is in the middle of your people whom you have chosen; a great people who cannot be counted or numbered because of abundance. ⁹Give to your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad, because who is able to judge this, your difficult people?”

¹⁰The word was good in the eyes of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹And God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and you did not ask for yourself a long life^a and you did not ask riches for yourself and you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself the ability to make wise judgments;^{b 12}behold, I do hereby do according to your word. I hereby give you a wise and discerning heart; there was no one like you before you, nor afterwards will one like you arise. ¹³Too, what you have not asked I give to you: both riches and honor, so that no man among the kings will be like you all of your days. ¹⁴If you will walk in my ways by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David your father walked, then I will lengthen your days.” ¹⁵Then Solomon awoke, and look, it was a dream, and he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and he offered burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings, and he held a feast for all of his servants.