Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom

3 ^(A)Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into ^(B)the city of David until he had finished ^(C)building his own house ^(D)and the house of the Lord ^(E)and the wall around Jerusalem. ^2 (F)The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.

³ Solomon ^(G)loved the Lord, ^(H)walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. ⁴ And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, ^(I)for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. ^5 (J)At Gibeon ^(K)the Lord appeared to Solomon ^(L)in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” ⁶ And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because ^(M)he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and ^(N)have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. ⁷ And now, O Lord my God, ^(O)you have made your servant king in place of David my father, ^(P)although I am but a little child. I do not know ^(Q)how to go out or come in. ^8 (R)And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, ^(S)too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. ^9 (T)Give your servant therefore an understanding mind ^(U)to govern your people, that I may ^(V)discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

¹⁰ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹ And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, ¹² behold, ^(W)I now do according to your word. Behold, ^(X)I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. ^13 (Y)I give you also what you have not asked, ^(Z)both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. ¹⁴ And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, ^(AA)as your father David walked, then ^(AB)I will lengthen your days.”

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

²⁴ Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And ^(A)the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. ²⁶ But the ^(B)Helper, the Holy Spirit, ^(C)whom the Father will send in my name, ^(D)he will teach you all things and ^(E)bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. ^27 (F)Peace I leave with you; ^(G)my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. ^(H)Let not your hearts be troubled, neither ^(I)let them be afraid. ^28 (J)You heard me say to you, ^(K)‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I ^(L)am going to the Father, for ^(M)the Father is greater than I. ²⁹ And ^(N)now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. ³⁰ I will no longer talk much with you, for ^(O)the ruler of this world is coming. ^(P)He has no claim on me, ³¹ but I do ^(Q)as the Father has commanded me, ^(R)so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.