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New Testament
1 Kings 3:1-15
The Beginning of Solomon's Reign
31Solomon had made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He married Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the City of David until he had finished building his own house, the Lord's house, and the wall around Jerusalem.
2The people were still offering sacrifices at the high places[] because a house for the Name of the Lord had not yet been built in those days. 3Solomon loved the Lord, so he followed the instructions of his father David, though he was still offering sacrifices and burning incense at the high places.
Solomon Asks for Wisdom
4So the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because it was the most important high place. Solomon offered one thousand whole burnt offerings on that altar. 5The Lord appeared to Solomon in Gibeon in a dream at night.
God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
6Solomon said, “You have shown great mercy and faithfulness[] to your servant, my father David, just as he walked before you in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward you. You have shown this great mercy and faithfulness to him and have given him a son who is seated on his throne to this very day. 7O Lord my God, now you have made your servant king in the place of my father David, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And I, your servant, am among your people whom you have chosen, a great people, who cannot be counted or numbered because they are so many. 9Now give to your servant a perceptive heart to judge your people, to distinguish between good and evil, for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”
10In the eyes of the Lord, Solomon's request was good. 11So God said to him, “Because you have asked for this, and you have not asked for a long life, nor have you asked for riches, nor have you asked for the lives of your enemies, but you have asked for discernment to reach just verdicts, 12therefore I will act according to your words. Yes, I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you before you, nor will anyone like you rise up after you. 13In addition, I will give you what you have not asked for: such riches and honor that there will not be anyone like you among the other kings throughout all your days. 14If you walk in my ways by keeping my statutes and commands just as your father David did, then I will give you a long life.”
Footnotes
- 3:2 A high place is a shrine smaller than a temple. High places were often open-air shrines, located near the city gate or on a nearby hill.
- 3:6 The Hebrew word chesed has connotations of both mercy and faithfulness, so the translation here includes both concepts. Chesed (mercy) is used in the Old Testament in much the same way that charis (grace) is used in the New Testament, as the most common word for God's saving love.
- 3:15 Variant Lord