Solomon’s Rule Consolidated

3 Now ^(A)Solomon ^[a]formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter ^(B)and brought her to the city of David ^(C)until he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord, and ^(D)the wall around Jerusalem. ^2 (E)The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.

³ Now ^(F)Solomon loved the Lord, ^(G)walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he was sacrificing and burning incense on the high places. ⁴ And ^(H)the king went to ^(I)Gibeon to sacrifice there, ^(J)because that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ^5 (K)In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon ^(L)in a dream at night; and God said, “^(M)Ask what you wish Me to give you.”

Solomon’s Prayer

⁶ Then Solomon said, “^(N)You have shown great faithfulness to Your servant David my father, ^(O)according as he walked before You in ^[b]truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward You; and ^(P)You have ^[c]reserved for him this great faithfulness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. ⁷ And now, Lord my God, ^(Q)You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet ^(R)I am like a little boy; ^(S)I do not know how to ^[d]go out or come in. ⁸ And ^(T)Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, ^(U)a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. ⁹ So ^(V)give Your servant ^[e]an understanding heart to judge Your people, ^(W)to discern between good and evil. For who is capable of judging this ^[f]great people of Yours?”

God’s Answer

¹⁰ Now ^[g]it was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹ And God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have ^(X)not asked for yourself ^[h]a long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, ¹² behold, ^(Y)I have done according to your words. Behold, ^(Z)I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. ^13 (AA)I have also given you what you have not asked, both ^(AB)riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. ¹⁴ And ^(AC)if you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will ^(AD)prolong your days.”

¹⁵ Then ^(AE)Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and ^(AF)held a feast for all his servants.