⁷ “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child^(A) and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen,^(B) a great people, too numerous to count or number.^{(C) 9} So give your servant a discerning^(D) heart to govern your people and to distinguish^(E) between right and wrong. For who is able^(F) to govern this great people of yours?”

¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked^(G) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment^(H) in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked.^(I) I will give you a wise^(J) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

³⁰ Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East,^(A) and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.^{(B) 31} He was wiser^(C) than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite—wiser than Heman, Kalkol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread to all the surrounding nations.