1. Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He married Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her to the City of David until he finished building his palace, the house of the Lord, and the wall around Jerusalem.
2. The people were sacrificing at the high places, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.
3. Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, though he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.
4. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place, and he offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
5. While he was in Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night, and He said, “Ask what you want from Me.”
6. Solomon answered, “You have shown great mercy to your servant David my father, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward You. And You have shown him great kindness in giving him a son to sit on his throne this day.
7. “Now, O Lord, my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, and I am still a little child and do not know how to go out or come in.
8. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, so numerous that they cannot be numbered or counted.
9. Give Your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad, for who is able to judge among so great a people?”
10. It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.
11. God said to him, “Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself wisdom so that you may have discernment in judging,