1 KINGS 3:3-4:34
ACTS 6:1-15
PSALM 126:1-6
PROVERBS 16:26-27
1 KINGS 3:3-4:34
Solomon loved the LORD and followed all the instructions of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local altars. 4 The most important of these altars was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed one thousand burnt offerings. 5 That night the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, " What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" 6 Solomon replied, " You were wonderfully kind to my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued this great kindness to him today by giving him a son to succeed him. 7 O LORD my God, now you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn't know his way around. 8 And here I am among your own chosen people, a nation so great they are too numerous to count! 9 Give me an understanding mind so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great nation of yours?" 10 The Lord was pleased with Solomon's reply and was glad that he had asked for wisdom. 11 So God replied, " Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people and have not asked for a long life or riches for yourself or the death of your enemies--12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding mind such as no one else has ever had or ever will have! 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for--riches and honor! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14 And if you follow me and obey my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life." 15 Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord's covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet. 16 Some time later, two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. 17 " Please, my lord," one of them began, " this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. 18 Three days later, she also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house. 19 But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. 20 Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. 21 And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't my son at all." 22 Then the other woman interrupted, " It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine." " No," the first woman said, " the dead one is yours, and the living one is mine." And so they argued back and forth before the king. 23 Then the king said, " Let's get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead child belongs to the other. 24 All right, bring me a sword." So a sword was brought to the king. 25 Then he said, " Cut the living child in two and give half to each of these women!" 26 Then the woman who really was the mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, " Oh no, my lord! Give her the child--please do not kill him!" But the other woman said, " All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!" 27 Then the king said, " Do not kill him, but give the baby to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!" 28 Word of the king's decision spread quickly throughout all Israel, and the people were awed as they realized the great wisdom God had given him to render decisions with justice.4:1 SO Solomon was king over all Israel, 2 and these were his high officials: Azariah son of Zadok was the priest. 3 Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. 4 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the army. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests. 5 Azariah son of Nathan presided over the district governors. Zabud son of Nathan, a priest, was a trusted adviser to the king. 6 Ahishar was manager of palace affairs. Adoniram son of Abda was in charge of the labor force. 7 Solomon also had twelve district governors who were over all Israel. They were responsible for providing food from the people for the king's household. Each of them arranged provisions for one month of the year. 8 These are the names of the twelve governors:Ben-hur, in the hill country of Ephraim. 9 Ben-deker, in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth-shemesh, and Elon-bethhanan. 10 Ben-hesed, in Arubboth, including Socoh and all the land of Hepher. 11 Ben-abinadab, in Naphoth-dor. (He was married to Taphath, one of Solomon's daughters.) 12 Baana son of Ahilud, in Taanach and Megiddo, all of Beth-shan near Zarethan below Jezreel, and all the territory from Beth-shan to Abel-meholah and over to Jokmeam. 13 Ben-geber, in Ramoth-gilead, including the Towns of Jair (named for Jair son of Manasseh) in Gilead, and in the Argob region of Bashan, including sixty great fortified cities with gates barred with bronze. 14 Ahinadab son of Iddo, in Mahanaim. 15 Ahimaaz, in Naphtali. (He was married to Basemath, another of Solomon's daughters.) 16 Baana son of Hushai, in Asher and in Aloth. 17 Jehoshaphat son of Paruah, in Issachar. 18 Shimei son of Ela, in Benjamin. 19 Geber son of Uri, in the land of Gilead, including the territories of King Sihon of the Amorites and King Og of Bashan. And there was one governor over the land of Judah. 20 The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They were very contented, with plenty to eat and drink. 21 King Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far south as the border of Egypt. The conquered peoples of those lands sent tribute money to Solomon and continued to serve him throughout his lifetime. 22 The daily food requirements for Solomon's palace were 150 bushels of choice flour and 300 bushels of meal, 23 ten oxen from the fattening pens, twenty pasture-fed cattle, one hundred sheep or goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and choice fowl. 24 Solomon's dominion extended over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And there was peace throughout the entire land. 25 Throughout the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. And from Dan to Beersheba, each family had its own home and garden. 26 Solomon had four thousand stalls for his chariot horses and twelve thousand horses. 27 The district governors faithfully provided food for King Solomon and his court, each during his assigned month. 28 They also brought the necessary barley and straw for the royal horses in the stables.29 God gave Solomon great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge too vast to be measured. 30 In fact, his wisdom exceeded that of all the wise men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone else, including Ethan the Ezrahite and Heman, Calcol, and Darda--the sons of Mahol. His fame spread throughout all the surrounding nations. 32 He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. 33 He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, reptiles, and fish. 34 And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.
ACTS 6:1-15
But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. Those who spoke Greek complained against those who spoke Hebrew, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. " We apostles should spend our time preaching and teaching the word of God, not administering a food program," they said. 3 " Now look around among yourselves, brothers,> and select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business. 4 Then we can spend our time in prayer and preaching and teaching the word." 5 This idea pleased the whole group, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (a Gentile convert to the Jewish faith, who had now become a Christian). 6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them. 7 God's message was preached in ever-widening circles. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.8 Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9 But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10 None of them was able to stand against the wisdom and Spirit by which Stephen spoke. 11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, " We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God." 12 Naturally, this roused the crowds, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council. 13 The lying witnesses said, " This man is always speaking against the Temple and against the law of Moses. 14 We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us." 15 At this point everyone in the council stared at Stephen because his face became as bright as an angel's.
PSALM 126:1-6
A song for the ascent to Jerusalem.
1 When the LORD restored his exiles to Jerusalem,
it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
" What amazing things the LORD has done for them."
3 Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, LORD,
as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
PROVERBS 16:26-27
It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on. Scoundrels hunt for scandal; their words are a destructive blaze.
