1 Kings 3:5-15
5One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared ▼▼tn Or “revealed himself.”
to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell ▼▼tn Heb “ask.”
me what I should give you.” 6Solomon replied, “You demonstrated ▼▼tn Heb “did.”
great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served ▼▼tn Heb “walked before.”
you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. ▼▼tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. ▼▼tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”
7Now, 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. ▼▼tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
8Your servant stands ▼▼tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
among your chosen people; ▼▼tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9So give your servant a discerning mind ▼▼tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
so he can make judicial decisions for ▼▼tn Heb “to judge.”
your people and distinguish right from wrong. ▼▼tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
Otherwise ▼▼tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
no one is able ▼▼tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
to make judicial decisions for ▼▼tn Heb “to judge.”
this great nation of yours.” ▼▼tn Heb “your numerous people.”
10The Lord ▼ was pleased that Solomon made this request. ▼▼tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
11God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies, ▼▼tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
12I ▼▼tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
grant your request ▼▼tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.
and give ▼▼tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).
you a wise and discerning mind ▼▼tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you. ▼▼tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
13Furthermore, I am giving ▼▼tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
you what you did not request—riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation. ▼▼tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
14If you follow my instructions ▼▼tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
by obeying ▼▼tn Or “keeping.”
my rules and regulations, just as your father David did, ▼▼tn Heb “walked.”
then I will grant you long life.” ▼▼tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
15Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream. ▼▼tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings, ▼▼tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
and held a feast for all his servants.
Copyright information for
NET2full