1. Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem.
2. Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord.
3. Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following the practices 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. Solomon would offer up a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there.
5. One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell me what I should give you.”
6. Solomon replied, “You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.
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.
8. Your servant stands among your chosen people; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number.
9. So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”
10. The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request.