1 Kings 3:11

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

And God said unto him - Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself many days, nor asked for thyself riches, nor asked the lives of thine enemies, - but hast asked for thyself discernment, in hearing a cause,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to administer justice,

Hebrew Names Version
God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

King James Version
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

English Standard Version
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,

New Century Version
So God said to him, "You did not ask for a long life, or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies. Since you asked for wisdom to make the right decisions,

New English Translation
God 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,

Amplified Bible
God said to him, "Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself a long life nor for wealth, nor for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to recognize justice,

New American Standard Bible
And God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself a long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the lives of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And God sayde vnto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, neyther hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to heare iudgement,

Legacy Standard Bible
And God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to listen to justice,

Complete Jewish Bible
God said to him, "Because you have made this request instead of asking long life or riches for yourself, or your enemies' death, but rather asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

Darby Translation
And God said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself discernment to understand judgment;

Easy-to-Read Version
So God said to him, "You did not ask for long life and riches for yourself. You did not ask for the death of your enemies. You asked for the wisdom to listen and make the right decisions.

George Lamsa Translation
And the LORD said to Solomon, Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself riches, neither have you asked the lives of your enemies nor have you asked for yourself long life, but have asked for yourself wisdom to discern judgment;

Good News Translation
and so he said to him, "Because you have asked for the wisdom to rule justly, instead of long life for yourself or riches or the death of your enemies,

Lexham English Bible
And God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and you did not ask for yourself a long life and you did not ask riches for yourself and you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself the ability to make wise judgments;

Literal Translation
And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself many days, nor asked riches for yourself, nor asked the life of your enemies, and have asked for discernment for yourself, to understand judgment,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And God sayde vnto him: For so moch as thou axest this, and desyrest not longe lyfe, nether riches, nether ye soules of thine enemies, but vnderstodinge to heare iudgment,

American Standard Version
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice;

Bible in Basic English
And God said to him, Because your request is for this thing, and not for long life for yourself or for wealth or for the destruction of your haters, but for wisdom to be a judge of causes;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And God sayde vnto him: Thou hast not asked for thy selfe long lyfe, neither hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the lyfe of thy enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding & discretion in iudgement:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And God said unto him: 'Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice;

King James Version (1611)
And God said vnto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thy selfe long life, neither hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding to discerne iudgement;

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing of me, and hast not asked for thyself long life, and hast not asked wealth, nor hast asked the lives of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to hear judgement;

English Revised Version
And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

Berean Standard Bible
So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies-but you have asked for discernment to administer justice-

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the Lord seide to Salomon, For thou axidist this word, and axidist not to thee many daies, nether richessis, nether the lyues of thin enemyes, but thou axidist to thee wisdom to deme doom, lo!

Young's Literal Translation
and God saith unto him, `Because that thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thee many days, nor asked for thee riches, nor asked the life of thine enemies, and hast asked for thee discernment to understand judgment,

Update Bible Version
And God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and haven't asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

Webster's Bible Translation
And God said to him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thy enemies: but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;

World English Bible
God said to him, Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice;

New King James Version
Then God said to him: "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,

New Living Translation
So God replied, "Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—

New Life Bible
God said to him, "You have asked this, and have not asked for a long life for yourself. You have not asked for riches, or for the life of those who hate you. But you have asked for understanding to know what is right. Because you have asked this,

New Revised Standard
God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to Solomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life nor riches, nor the lives of thy enemies, but hast asked for thyself wisdom to discern judgment;

Revised Standard Version
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,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice,

Contextual Overview

⁵ In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared unto Solomon, in a dream by night, - and God said, Ask, what I shall give thee. ⁶ Then said Solomon - Thou, didst deal, with thy servant David my father, in great lovingkindness, according as he walked before thee, in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart, with thee, - and thou hast kept, for him, this great lovingkindness, that thou hast given unto him a son, to sit upon his throne, as it is this day. ⁷ Now, therefore, O Yahweh my God, thou, hast made thy servant king, instead of David my father, - and, I, am but a little child, I know not how to go out and come in. ⁸ And, thy servant, is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, - a numerous people, that cannot be numbered or summed up, for multitude. ⁹ Wilt thou, then, give unto thy servant, a heart that hearkeneth, to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad, - for who is able to judge this thine honoured people? ¹⁰ And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, - that Solomon had asked this thing; ¹¹ And God said unto him - Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself many days, nor asked for thyself riches, nor asked the lives of thine enemies, - but hast asked for thyself discernment, in hearing a cause, ¹² lo! I have done according to thy word, - lo! I have given unto thee a wise and discerning heart, so that, like thee, hath been none, before thee, and, after thee, shall rise up none, like thee. ¹³ Moreover also, what thou hast not asked, have I given unto thee, both riches and honour, - so that there hath been none, like thee, among the kings, all thy days. ¹⁴ And, if thou wilt walk in my ways, by keeping my statutes, and my commandments, as, David thy father, walked, then will I lengthen out thy days.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

hast not: Psalms 4:6, Proverbs 16:31, Matthew 20:21, Matthew 20:22, Romans 8:26, James 4:2, James 4:3

long life: Heb. many days

discern: Heb. hear, 1 Kings 3:9, *marg.

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 1:11 - this was Ezra 8:16 - men of understanding Psalms 119:173 - for Ecclesiastes 7:23 - I said Matthew 6:33 - seek Luke 12:31 - General 1 Timothy 2:8 - without Hebrews 5:14 - to discern James 1:5 - any

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
And he said, What hast thou done? With a voice, the shed-blood of thy brother is crying out to me from the ground,

Psalms 50:21
These things, hast thou done, and I have kept silence, Thou thoughtest that I should really be like thyself, I will convict thee, yea I will set thine offences in order before thine eyes.

Romans 3:20
Inasmuch as, by works of law, shall no flesh be declared righteous before him, - through law, in fact, is discovery of sin.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And God said unto him,.... Being yet in a dream:

because thou hast asked this thing; wisdom for government:

and hast not asked for thyself long life; which is naturally desired by men, and always reckoned a great temporal blessing, and especially to be wished for by a king living in great pomp and splendour:

neither hast asked riches for thyself; to support his grandeur; for though David his father had left him much, yet not for himself, but for the building of the temple:

nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; victory over them, and to have it in his power to take away their lives when he pleased; which kings, and especially tyrants, are desirous of, such as are ambitious, haughty, and revengeful:

but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; where the right of a cause lay, that so he might make a right judgment of it, and pass a righteous sentence, a sentence not to the injury of any.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thine enemies - e. g. Hadad the Edomite 1 Kings 11:14-22 and Rezon the son of Eliadah 1 Kings 11:23-25, whom Solomon might well have wished to remove.