⁵ At Gibeon the Lord appeared^(A) to Solomon during the night in a dream,^(B) and God said, “Ask^(C) for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁶ Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful^(D) to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son^(E) to sit on his throne this very day.

⁷ “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child^(F) and do not know how to carry out my duties. ⁸ Your servant is here among the people you have chosen,^(G) a great people, too numerous to count or number.^{(H) 9} So give your servant a discerning^(I) heart to govern your people and to distinguish^(J) between right and wrong. For who is able^(K) to govern this great people of yours?”

¹⁰ The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. ¹¹ So God said to him, “Since you have asked^(L) for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment^(M) in administering justice, ¹² I will do what you have asked.^(N) I will give you a wise^(O) and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. ¹³ Moreover, I will give you what you have not^(P) asked for—both wealth and honor^(Q)—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal^(R) among kings. ¹⁴ And if you walk^(S) in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”^(T)

¹¹ The word of the Lord came^(A) to Solomon:

¹² “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands^(A) and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise^(B) I gave to David your father.

The Lord Appears to Solomon^(A)

9 When Solomon had finished^(B) building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, ² the Lord appeared^(C) to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. ³ The Lord said to him:

⁹ The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared^(A) to him twice. ¹⁰ Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods,^(B) Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command.^{(C) 11} So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees,^(D) which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear^(E) the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.