1 Kings 3:3-15

Evangelical Heritage Version

³ Solomon loved the Lord, so he followed the instructions of his father David, though he was still offering sacrifices and burning incense at the high places.

Solomon Asks for Wisdom

⁴ So the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because it was the most important high place. Solomon offered one thousand whole burnt offerings on that altar. ⁵ The Lord appeared to Solomon in Gibeon in a dream at night.

God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶ Solomon said, “You have shown great mercy and faithfulness^[a] to your servant, my father David, just as he walked before you in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward you. You have shown this great mercy and faithfulness to him and have given him a son who is seated on his throne to this very day. ⁷ O Lord my God, now you have made your servant king in the place of my father David, but I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸ And I, your servant, am among your people whom you have chosen, a great people, who cannot be counted or numbered because they are so many. ⁹ Now give to your servant a perceptive heart to judge your people, to distinguish between good and evil, for who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

¹⁰ In the eyes of the Lord, Solomon’s request was good. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Because you have asked for this, and you have not asked for a long life, nor have you asked for riches, nor have you asked for the lives of your enemies, but you have asked for discernment to reach just verdicts, ¹² therefore I will act according to your words. Yes, I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you before you, nor will anyone like you rise up after you. ¹³ In addition, I will give you what you have not asked for: such riches and honor that there will not be anyone like you among the other kings throughout all your days. ¹⁴ If you walk in my ways by keeping my statutes and commands just as your father David did, then I will give you a long life.”

¹⁵ Then Solomon woke up and realized it was a dream. So Solomon went to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord.^[b] He offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and he made a feast for all his officials.