1 Kings 3:6-9

3:6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated¹ great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served² you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.³ You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.⁴ 3:7 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.⁵ 3:8 Your servant stands⁶ among your chosen people;⁷ they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 3:9 So give your servant a discerning mind⁸ so he can make judicial decisions for⁹ your people and distinguish right from wrong.¹⁰ Otherwise¹¹ no one is able¹² to make judicial decisions for¹³ this great nation of yours.”¹⁴

¹tn Heb “did.”

²tn Heb “walked before.”

³tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”

⁴tn 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.”

⁵tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”

⁶tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

⁷tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”

⁸tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)

⁹tn Heb “to judge.”

¹⁰tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”

¹¹tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.

¹²tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”

¹³tn Heb “to judge.”

¹⁴tn Heb “your numerous people.”