1 Kings 3:1-13 ▼

1 Solomon made affinitie with Pharao king of Egypt, & toke Pharaos daughter, and brought her into the citie of Dauid, vntil he had made an ende of buylding his owne house, and the house of the Lorde, and the wall of Hierusalem round about.

2 Onely the people sacrificed in hygh places, because there was no house built vnto the name of the Lorde vntill those dayes.

3 And Solomon loued the Lorde, walking in the ordinaunces of Dauid his father: saue onely that he sacrificed and offered incense vpon aulters in hygh places.

4 And the king went to Gibeon, to offer there, for that was the speciall hygh place: And a thousande burnt offringes dyd Solomon offer vpon that aulter.

5 And in Gibeon the Lorde appeared to Solomon in a dreame by night, and God sayd: Aske what thou wilt, that I may geue it thee.

6 And Solomon sayde: Thou hast shewed vnto thy seruaut Dauid my father great mercie, when he walked before thee in trueth, in righteousnesse, and in plainnesse of heart with thee, and thou hast kept for him this great mercy, that thou hast geuen him a sonne to sit on his seate, as it is come to passe this day.

7 And nowe O Lord my God, it is thou that hast made thy seruaunt king in steade of Dauid my father: And I am but young, & wote not howe to go out and in.

8 And thy seruaunt is in the middest of thy people which thou hast chosen: and veryly the people are so many, that they cannot be told nor nubred for multitude.

9 Geue therfore thy seruaunt an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good & bad: For who is able to iudge this thy so mightie a people?

10 And this pleased the Lorde well that Solomon had desired this thing,

11 And God sayde vnto him: Thou hast not asked for thy selfe long lyfe, neither hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the lyfe of thy enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding & discretion in iudgement:

12 Behold, I haue done according to thy wordes, lo I haue geuen thee a wyse & an vnderstanding heart, so that there was none lyke thee before thee, neither after thee shal any aryse lyke vnto thee.

13 And I haue also geuen thee that which thou hast not asked, euen rychesse and honour, so that ther shalbe no king lyke vnto thee all thy dayes.