1 Kings 3
Solomon’s Rule Consolidated
Then aSolomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter band brought her to the city of David cuntil he had finished building his own house and the house of the Lord and dthe wall around Jerusalem. 2 aThe people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.
3 Now aSolomon loved the Lord, bwalking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4 aThe king went to bGibeon to sacrifice there, cfor that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 aIn Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon bin a dream at night; and God said, “cAsk what you wish Me to give you.”
Solomon’s Prayer
6 Then Solomon said, “aYou have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, baccording as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and cYou have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 Now, O Lord my God, aYou have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet bI am but a little child; cI do not know how to go out or come in. 8 aYour servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, ba great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 So agive Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people bto discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
God’s Answer
10 It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have anot asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 12 behold, aI have done according to your words. Behold, bI have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 13 aI have also given you what you have not asked, both briches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 14 aIf you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will bprolong your days.”
15 Then aSolomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and made peace offerings, and bmade a feast for all his servants.
Solomon Wisely Judges
16 Then two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him. 17 The 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. 18 It happened on the third day after I gave birth, that this woman also gave birth to a child, and we were together. There was no stranger with us in the house, only the two of us in the house. 19 This woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on it. 20 So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from beside me while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead son in my bosom. 21 When I rose in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead; but when I looked at him carefully in the morning, behold, he was not my son, whom I had borne.” 22 Then the other woman said, “No! For the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” But the first woman said, “No! For the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” Thus they spoke before the king.
23 Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son who is living, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! For your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’” 24 The king said, “Get me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. 25 The king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.” 26 Then the woman whose child was the living one spoke to the king, for ashe was deeply stirred over her son and said, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours; divide him!” 27 Then the king said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.” 28 When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had handed down, they feared the king, for athey saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
2 Chronicles 1
Solomon Worships at Gibeon
Now aSolomon the son of David established himself securely over his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and bexalted him greatly.
2 Solomon spoke to all Israel, ato the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households. 3 Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to athe high place which was at Gibeon, bfor God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. 4 However, David had brought up athe ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to bthe place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 Now athe bronze altar, which Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. 6 Solomon went up there before the Lord to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and aoffered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
7 aIn that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.”
Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
8 Solomon said to God, “You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and ahave made me king in his place. 9 Now, O Lord God, aYour promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over ba people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 aGive me now wisdom and knowledge, bthat I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?” 11 aGod said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And aI will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you.” 13 aSo Solomon went from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.
Solomon’s Wealth
14 aSolomon amassed chariots and horsemen. bHe had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in cthe chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. 15 aThe king made bsilver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamores in the lowland. 16 Solomon’s ahorses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s traders procured them from Kue for a price. 17 They imported chariots from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver apiece and horses for 150 apiece, and by the same means they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.