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1 Kings 3:3-15
New English Translation

3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following[a] the practices[b] of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places.[c] Solomon would offer up[d] 1,000 burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared[e] to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell[f] me what I should give you.” 6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated[g] great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served[h] you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.[i] You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.[j] 7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.[k] 8 Your servant stands[l] among your chosen people;[m] they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning mind[n] so he can make judicial decisions for[o] your people and distinguish right from wrong.[p] Otherwise[q] no one is able[r] to make judicial decisions for[s] this great nation of yours.”[t] 10 The Lord[u] was pleased that Solomon made this request.[v] 11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies,[w] 12 I[x] grant your request[y] and give[z] you a wise and discerning mind[aa] superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.[ab] 13 Furthermore, I am giving[ac] you what you did not request—riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.[ad] 14 If you follow my instructions[ae] by obeying[af] my rules and regulations, just as your father David did,[ag] then I will grant you long life.”[ah] 15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream.[ai] He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings,[aj] and held a feast for all his servants.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 3:3 tn Heb “by walking in.”
  2. 1 Kings 3:3 tn Or “policies, rules.”
  3. 1 Kings 3:4 tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”
  4. 1 Kings 3:4 tn Or, “customarily offered up.” The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b.
  5. 1 Kings 3:5 tn Or “revealed himself.”
  6. 1 Kings 3:5 tn Heb “ask.”
  7. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “did.”
  8. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “walked before.”
  9. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
  10. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”
  11. 1 Kings 3:7 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
  12. 1 Kings 3:8 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
  13. 1 Kings 3:8 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
  14. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
  15. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to judge.”
  16. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
  17. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
  18. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
  19. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to judge.”
  20. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
  21. 1 Kings 3:10 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
  22. 1 Kings 3:10 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
  23. 1 Kings 3:11 tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
  24. 1 Kings 3:12 tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
  25. 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.
  26. 1 Kings 3:12 tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).
  27. 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
  28. 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
  29. 1 Kings 3:13 tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
  30. 1 Kings 3:13 tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
  31. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
  32. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Or “keeping.”
  33. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “walked.”
  34. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
  35. 1 Kings 3:15 tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
  36. 1 Kings 3:15 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
Close NLT

1 Kings 3:3-15
New Living Translation

3 Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. 4 The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. 5 That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

6 Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.

7 “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. 8 And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! 9 Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11 So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— 12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14 And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

15 Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet.

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New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.