1Kings 3:1 - Prayer Tents

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

3Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem.H8010H2859H6547H4428H4714H3947H6547H1323H935H5892H1732H3615H1129H1004H1004H3068H2346H3389H5439

2The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.H5971H2076H1116H1004H1129H8034H3068H3117

3Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.H8010H157H3068H3212H2708H1732H1H2076H6999H1116

4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.H4428H3212H1391H2076H1931H1419H1116H505H5930H8010H5927H4196

5At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."H1391H3068H7200H8010H2472H3915H430H559H7592H5414

6And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because 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 have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.H8010H559H6213H5650H1732H1H1419H2617H1980H6440H571H6666H3483H3824H8104H1419H2617H5414H1121H3427H3678H3117

7And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.H3068H430H5650H4427H1732H1H6996H5288H3045H3318H935

8And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude.H5650H8432H5971H977H7227H5971H4487H5608H7230

9Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?"H5414H5650H8085H3820H8199H5971H995H2896H7451H3201H8199H3515H5971

10It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.H1697H3190H5869H136H8010H7592H1697

11And 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,H430H559H7592H1697H7592H7227H3117H7592H6239H7592H5315H341H7592H995H8085H4941

12behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, 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.H6213H1697H5414H2450H995H3820H6440H310H6965

13I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days.H5414H7592H6239H3519H376H4428H3117

14And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days."H3212H1870H8104H2706H4687H1H1732H1980H748H3117

15And Solomon 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.H8010H3364H2472H935H3389H5975H6440H727H1285H3068H5927H5930H6213H8002H6213H4960H5650

Solomon’s Wisdom

16Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.H935H8147H802H2181H4428H5975H6440

17The one woman said, "Oh, my lord, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child while she was in the house.H259H802H559H994H113H802H3427H259H1004H3205H1004

18Then on the third day after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. And we were alone. There was no one else with us in the house; only we two were in the house.H7992H3117H3205H802H3205H3162H2114H1004H2108H8147H1004

19And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him.H802H1121H4191H3915H7901

20And she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.H6965H8432H3915H3947H1121H681H519H3463H7901H2436H7901H4191H1121H2436

21When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold, he was dead. But when I looked at him closely in the morning, behold, he was not the child that I had borne."H6965H1242H1121H3243H4191H995H1242H1121H3205

22But the other woman said, "No, the living child is mine, and the dead child is yours." The first said, "No, the dead child is yours, and the living child is mine." Thus they spoke before the king.H312H802H559H2416H1121H4191H1121H559H4191H1121H2416H1121H1696H6440H4428

23Then the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead'; and the other says, 'No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.'"H559H4428H2063H559H1121H2416H1121H4191H2063H559H1121H4191H1121H2416

24And the king said, "Bring me a sword." So a sword was brought before the king.H4428H559H3947H2719H935H2719H6440H4428

25And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other."H4428H559H1504H2416H3206H8147H5414H2677H259H2677H259

26Then the woman whose son was alive said to the king, because her heart yearned for her son, "Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means put him to death." But the other said, "He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him."H559H802H2416H1121H4428H7356H3648H1121H559H994H113H5414H2416H3205H4191H4191H559H1504

27Then the king answered and said, "Give the living child to the first woman, and by no means put him to death; she is his mother."H4428H6030H559H5414H2416H3205H4191H4191H517

28And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.H3478H8085H4941H4428H8199H3372H6440H7200H2451H430H7130H6213H4941