⁷“Now, O Lord my God, ^aYou have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet ^bI am but a little child; ^cI do not know how to go out or come in.

⁸“^aYour servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, ^ba great people who are too many to be numbered or counted.

⁹“So ^agive Your servant ¹an understanding heart to judge Your people ^bto discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this ²great people of Yours?”

Read in Logos

1 Kings 3:9: Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?...

Footnotes

1Lit a hearing
2Lit heavy

Cross references

a 1 Chr 22:9–13
b 1 Chr 29:1; Jer 1:6, 7
c Num 27:17
a Ex 19:6; Deut 7:6
b Gen 15:5; 22:17
a 2 Chr 1:10; Ps 72:1, 2; Prov 2:3–9; James 1:5
b 2 Sam 14:17; Heb 5:14

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership. Your servant is among your people you have chosen, a people too many to be numbered or counted. So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

NLTNew Living Translation

“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

So 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. Your servant is in the middle of your people whom you have chosen; a great people who cannot be counted or numbered because of abundance. Give 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?”

KJV 1900King James Version

And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Public Domain