Solomon Asks for Wisdom^(A)

3 Solomon made an ·agreement [alliance] with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, by marrying his daughter and bringing her to the City of David [^CJerusalem]. At this time Solomon was still building his ·palace [^Lhouse] and the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord, as well as a wall around Jerusalem. ² The ·Temple [^Lhouse] for the ·worship [^Lname] of the Lord had not yet been finished, so people were still sacrificing at ·altars in many places of worship [^Lthe high places; ^Cworship sites that became associated with pagan worship or inappropriate worship of God]. ³ Solomon showed he loved the Lord by following the commands his father David had given him, except ·many other places of worship were still used to offer sacrifices and to burn incense [^Lhe sacrificed and burned incense at the high places; 3:2].

⁴ King Solomon went to Gibeon to offer a sacrifice, because it was the most important ·place of worship [high place; 3:2]. He offered a thousand burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] on that altar. ⁵ While he was at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him in a dream during the night. God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶ Solomon answered, “You ·were very kind [showed faithful love/great lovingkindness] to your servant, my father David. He ·obeyed you, and he was honest and lived right [walked before you in truth/faithfulness and righteousness and integrity of heart]. You showed ·great kindness [faithful love; lovingkindness] to him when you allowed his son to ·be king [^Lsit on his throne] after him. ⁷ Lord my God, now you have made me, your servant, king in place of my father David. But I am like a little child; I don’t know how to ·do what must be done [^Lgo out or come in]. ⁸ I, your servant, am here among your chosen people, and there are too many of them to count. ⁹ I ask that you give me a heart that ·understands [discerns; ^Llistens], so I can ·rule [govern] the people in the right way and will ·know the difference between right and wrong [discern between good and evil]. ·Otherwise, it is impossible to rule this great people of yours [^LFor who is capable of governing this great people?].”

¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “You did not ask for a long life, or riches for yourself, or the ·death [^Llife] of your enemies. Since you asked for ·wisdom to make the right decisions [understanding to discern what is right/just], ¹² I will do what you asked. I will give you ·wisdom and understanding [a wise and discerning/^Llistening heart] that ·is greater than anyone has had in the past or will have in [will make you unlike anyone in the past or in] the future. ¹³ I will also give you what you did not ask for: riches and ·honor [fame]. During your life no other king will be as great as you. ¹⁴ If you ·follow me [^Lwalk in my ways] and obey my ·laws [statutes; ordinances; requirements] and commands, as your father David did, I will also give you a long life.”

¹⁵ After Solomon woke up ·from the [and realized it had been a] dream, he went to Jerusalem. He stood before the Ark of the ·Agreement [Treaty; Covenant; Ex. 25:10] with the Lord, where he made burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17] and ·fellowship [or peace; well-being] offerings [Lev. 3:1]. After that, he gave a ·feast [banquet] for all his ·leaders and officers [^Lservants].

Solomon Asks for Wisdom^(A)

1 Solomon, David’s son, ·became a powerful king [solidified/secured/established his kingdom/royal authority; ^Lstrengthened himself over his kingdom], because the Lord his God was with him and ·made him very great [exalted/magnified/empowered him].

² Solomon spoke to all the people of Israel—the ·commanders [officers] of thousands of men and of hundreds of men, the judges, every leader in all Israel, and the ·leaders [^Lheads] of the ·families [clans]. ³ Then Solomon and all the ·people [assembly] with him went to the ·place of worship [^Lhigh place] at the town of Gibeon. God’s ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the ·desert [wilderness], was there. ⁴ David had brought the Ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem, where he had ·made [prepared] a place for it and had set up a tent for it [1 Sam. 6:1–15]. ⁵ But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, who was the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle]. So Solomon and the ·people [assembly] worshiped there. ⁶ Solomon went up to the bronze altar ·in the presence of [before] the Lord at the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle] and ·offered [sacrificed] a thousand burnt offerings on it.

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁸ Solomon answered, “You have ·been very kind [shown/demonstrated loyalty/unfailing love] to my father David, and you have made me king in his place. ⁹ Now, Lord God, ·may your promise to my father David come true [or your promise to my father David has been fulfilled]. You have made me king of a ·people [nation] ·who are as many [as numerous] as the dust of the earth [Gen. 1:16]. ¹⁰ Now give me wisdom and knowledge so I can lead these people, ·because no one can rule them without your help [for who can rule/govern this great people/nation of yours?].”

¹¹ God said to Solomon, “You have not asked for wealth or riches or ·honor [fame], or for the ·death of your enemies [^Llife of those who hate you], or for a long life. ·But since [Because] you have asked for wisdom and knowledge to ·lead [rule; govern] my people, over whom I have made you king, ¹² I will give you wisdom and knowledge. I will also give you more wealth, riches, and ·honor [fame] than any king who has lived before you or any who will live after you.”

¹³ Then Solomon left the ·place of worship [^Lhigh place], the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], at Gibeon and went back to Jerusalem. There King Solomon ·ruled [reigned] over Israel.

Solomon’s Wealth^(B)

¹⁴ Solomon ·had [gathered; amassed; accumulated] fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. He kept some in ·special cities for the chariots [chariot cities], and others he kept with him in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem Solomon made silver and gold as ·plentiful [common] as stones and cedar trees as ·plentiful [common] as the ·fig [sycamore-fig] trees on the ·western hills [^LShephelah]. ¹⁶ He imported horses from Egypt and ·Kue [Cilicia; ^Cpresent-day southern Turkey]; his traders bought them in ·Kue [Cilicia] for the ·prevailing [usual; standard] price. ¹⁷ They imported chariots from Egypt for ·about fifteen pounds [^Lsix hundred shekels] of silver apiece, and horses cost ·nearly four pounds of silver [^Lone hundred fifty] apiece. Then they ·sold [exported] the horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.