5 jAt Gibeon kthe Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because lhe mwalked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although nI am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have ochosen, a great people, ptoo many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12 behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, qI give you a wise and discerning mind, so that rnone like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that sno other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14 And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
15 And Solomon tawoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
The Value of Wisdom
1 My son, if you mreceive my words
and ntreasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear oattentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you pcall out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you qseek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the rfear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For sthe Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a tshield to those who walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand urighteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come vinto your heart,
and knowledge will be wpleasant to your soul;
11 discretion will watch over you,
understanding will xguard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of yperverted speech,
13 who forsake the zpaths of uprightness
to awalk in the ways of darkness,
14 who brejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose paths are ccrooked,
and who are ddevious in their ways.
