Solomon Asks for Wisdom^(A)

3 Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and married^(B) his daughter.^(C) He brought her to the City of David^(D) until he finished building his palace^(E) and the temple of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem. ² The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places,^(F) because a temple had not yet been built for the Name^(G) of the Lord. ³ Solomon showed his love^(H) for the Lord by walking^(I) according to the instructions^(J) given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.^(K)

⁴ The king went to Gibeon^(L) to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵ At Gibeon the Lord appeared^(M) to Solomon during the night in a dream,^(N) and God said, “Ask^(O) for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶ Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful^(P) to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son^(Q) to sit on his throne this very day.

⁷ “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child^(R) and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen,^(S) a great people, too numerous to count or number.^{(T) 9} So give your servant a discerning^(U) heart to govern your people and to distinguish^(V) between right and wrong. For who is able^(W) 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^(X) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment^(Y) in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked.^(Z) I will give you a wise^(AA) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³ Moreover, I will give you what you have not^(AB) asked for—both wealth and honor^(AC)—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal^(AD) among kings. ¹⁴ And if you walk^(AE) in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”^{(AF) 15} Then Solomon awoke^(AG)—and he realized it had been a dream.^(AH)

He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings^(AI) and fellowship offerings.^(AJ) Then he gave a feast^(AK) for all his court.

A Wise Ruling

¹⁶ Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. ¹⁷ One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. ¹⁸ The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

¹⁹ “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. ²⁰ So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. ²¹ The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

²² The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

²³ The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

²⁴ Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. ²⁵ He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

²⁶ The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved^(AL) out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

²⁷ Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

²⁸ When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom^(AM) from God to administer justice.

²⁰ Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children.^(A) In regard to evil be infants,^(B) but in your thinking be adults. ²¹ In the Law^(C) it is written:

²² Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy,^(E) however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. ²³ So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?^{(F) 24} But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, ²⁵ as the secrets^(G) of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”^(H)

Good Order in Worship

²⁶ What then shall we say, brothers and sisters?^(I) When you come together, each of you^(J) has a hymn,^(K) or a word of instruction,^(L) a revelation, a tongue^(M) or an interpretation.^(N) Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.^{(O) 27} If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. ²⁸ If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

²⁹ Two or three prophets^(P) should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.^{(Q) 30} And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. ³¹ For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. ³² The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.^{(R) 33} For God is not a God of disorder^(S) but of peace^(T)—as in all the congregations^(U) of the Lord’s people.^(V)

³⁴ Women^[b] should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak,^(W) but must be in submission,^(X) as the law^(Y) says. ³⁵ If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.^[c]

³⁶ Or did the word of God^(Z) originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? ³⁷ If anyone thinks they are a prophet^(AA) or otherwise gifted by the Spirit,^(AB) let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command.^{(AC) 38} But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.^[d]

³⁹ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager^(AD) to prophesy,^(AE) and do not forbid speaking in tongues. ⁴⁰ But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly^(AF) way.

²¹ And Solomon ruled^(A) over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River^(B) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.^(C) These countries brought tribute^(D) and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

²² Solomon’s daily provisions^(E) were thirty cors^[a] of the finest flour and sixty cors^[b] of meal, ²³ ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl.^{(F) 24} For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah^(G) to Gaza, and had peace^(H) on all sides. ²⁵ During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba,^(I) lived in safety,^(J) everyone under their own vine and under their own fig tree.^(K)

²⁶ Solomon had four^[c] thousand stalls for chariot horses,^(L) and twelve thousand horses.^[d]

²⁷ The district governors,^(M) each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. ²⁸ They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses.

Solomon’s Wisdom

²⁹ God gave Solomon wisdom^(N) and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand^(O) on the seashore. ³⁰ Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East,^(P) and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt.^{(Q) 31} He was wiser^(R) 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. ³² He spoke three thousand proverbs^(S) and his songs^(T) numbered a thousand and five. ³³ He spoke about plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop^(U) that grows out of walls. He also spoke about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. ³⁴ From all nations people came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings^(V) of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.^[e]

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.^{(A) 2} So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

³ “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— ⁴ I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

⁵ “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

⁶ “‘Nine hundred gallons^[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’

⁷ “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels^[b] of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

⁸ “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world^(B) are more shrewd^(C) in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.^{(D) 9} I tell you, use worldly wealth^(E) to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.^(F)

¹⁰ “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,^(G) and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth,^(H) who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”^(I)

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who loved money,^(J) heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.^{(K) 15} He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves^(L) in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.^(M) What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

Additional Teachings

¹⁶ “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John.^(N) Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached,^(O) and everyone is forcing their way into it. ¹⁷ It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.^(P)

¹⁸ “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.^(Q)

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.^{(R) 20} At his gate was laid a beggar^(S) named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.^(T) Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,^(U) have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’^(V)

²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,^(W) but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.^{(X) 26} And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them,^(Y) so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses^(Z) and the Prophets;^(AA) let them listen to them.’

³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’^(AB) he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”