Study Desk

Benaiah answered, "We will do it, Your Majesty. I pray that the Lord your God will let it happen.

And listen to this! David's officials told him, "We pray that your God will help Solomon to be an even greater king!" David was in his bed at the time, but he bowed

and prayed, "I praise you, Lord God of Israel. You have made my son Solomon king and have let me live to see it."

Do what the Lord your God commands and follow his teachings. Obey everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you will be a success, no matter what you do or where you go.

I swear in the name of the Lord that Adonijah will die because he asked for this! If he doesn't, I pray that God will severely punish me.

One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, "Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you."

Lord God, I'm your servant, and you've made me king in my father's place. But I'm very young and know so little about being a leader.

God said: Solomon, I'm pleased that you asked for this. You could have asked to live a long time or to be rich. Or you could have asked for your enemies to be destroyed. Instead, you asked for wisdom to make right decisions.

Solomon woke up and realized that God had spoken to him in the dream. He went back to Jerusalem and stood in front of the sacred chest, where he offered sacrifices to please the Lord and sacrifices to ask his blessing. Then Solomon gave a feast for his officials.

Everyone in Israel was amazed when they heard how Solomon had made his decision. They realized that God had given him wisdom to judge fairly.

Solomon was brilliant. God had blessed him with insight and understanding.

Remember how my father David wanted to build a temple where the Lord his God could be worshiped? But enemies kept attacking my father's kingdom, and he never had the chance.

Now, thanks to the Lord God, there is peace in my kingdom and no trouble or threat of war anywhere.

The Lord God promised my father that when his son became king, he would build a temple for worshiping the Lord . So I've decided to do that.

and said: Praise the Lord God of Israel! Long ago he brought his people out of Egypt. He later kept his promise to make my father David the king of Israel. The Lord also said that he had not chosen the city where his temple would be built.

So when David wanted to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel,

The Lord has done what he promised. I am the king of Israel like my father, and I've built a temple for the Lord our God.

and prayed: Lord God of Israel, no other god in heaven or on earth is like you! You never forget the agreement you made with your people, and you are loyal to anyone who faithfully obeys your teachings.

Lord God of Israel, you promised my father that someone from his family would always be king of Israel, if they do their best to obey you, just as he did.

There's not enough room in all of heaven for you, Lord God. How could you possibly live on earth in this temple I have built?