12 May the Lord give you discretion and understanding(A) when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God.

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12 Only the Lord give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the Lord thy God.

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10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead(A) this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

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10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?

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So give your servant a discerning(A) heart to govern your people and to distinguish(B) between right and wrong. For who is able(C) 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(D) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment(E) in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked.(F) I will give you a wise(G) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

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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?

10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

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Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

Endow the king with your justice,(A) O God,
    the royal son with your righteousness.

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72 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

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Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

We know(A) that we have come to know him(B) if we keep his commands.(C)

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And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

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If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,(A) who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.(B)

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If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

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15 For I will give you(A) words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

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15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

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The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,(A)
    but the folly of fools is deception.(B)

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The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

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For the Lord gives wisdom;(A)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(B)
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield(C) to those whose walk is blameless,(D)

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For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

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Solomon’s Wives

11 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women(A) besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites,(B) Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry(C) with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines,(D) and his wives led him astray.(E) As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods,(F) and his heart was not fully devoted(G) to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth(H) the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek(I) the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil(J) in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

On a hill east(K) of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh(L) the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek(M) the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared(N) to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods,(O) Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.(P)

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11 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:

Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.

And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.

Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.

And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.

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Observe(A) them carefully, for this will show your wisdom(B) and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”(C)

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Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

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