Solomon's Wisdom
When God offers Solomon anything he wants, the young king asks for wisdom to lead God's people. God is pleased and grants him wisdom—and riches and honor besides.
After David died, his son Solomon became king of Israel. Solomon loved the Lord and walked according to his father David's instructions. At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night.
'Ask for whatever you want me to give you,' God said.
Solomon answered, 'You have shown great kindness to your servant my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
'Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.
'So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?'
The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 'Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor for the death of your enemies, but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.
'Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.'
Then Solomon awoke—it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord's covenant, and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.
Solomon's wisdom soon became legendary. When two women came claiming the same baby, he proposed cutting the child in two—knowing the real mother would rather lose her son than see him killed. His wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, and people from all nations came to listen to him.