Léctio libri primi Regum (3, 5. 7-12)
In diébus illis: Appáruit Dóminus Salomóni per sómnium nocte dicens: « Póstula quod vis, ut dem tibi ». Et ait Sálomon: Dómine Deus meus, tu regnáre fecísti servum tuum pro David patre meo. Ego autem sum puer parvus et ignórans egréssum et intróitum meum; et servus tuus in médio est pópuli, quem elegísti, pópuli infiníti, qui numerári et supputári non potest præ multitúdine. Da ergo servo tuo cor dócile, ut iudicáre possit pópulum tuum et discérnere inter bonum et malum. Quis enim potest iudicáre pópulum tuum hunc multum? ». Plácuit ergo sermo coram Dómino quod Sálomon rem huiuscémodi postulasset, et dixit Deus Salomóni: « Quia postulásti verbum hoc et non petísti tibi dies multos nec divítias aut ánimam inimicórum tuórum, sed postulásti tibi sapiéntiam ad discernéndum iudícium, ecce feci tibi secúndum sermónes tuos et dedi tibi cor sápiens et intéllegens, in tantum ut nullus ante te símilis tui fúerit nec post te surrectúrus sit.
In these days, our Lord appeared to Salomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I may give it thee. And Salomon said: Lord God, thou hast made thy servant to reign for David my father, but I am a little child, and ignorant of my going out and coming in. And thy servant is in the midst of the people, which thou hast chosen, a people infinite, which cannot be numbered and counted for the multitude. Thou shalt therefore give to thy servant a docible heart, that he may judge the people, and discern between good & evil. For who shall be able to judge this people, this thy people great in number? The word therefore was liked before our Lord, that Salomon had asked such a thing. And our Lord said to Salomon: Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not desired for thyself many days, nor riches, nor the lives of thine enemies, but hast desired wisdom for thyself to discern judgment: behold I have done unto thee according to thy words, and have given thee a wise heart and intelligent, in so much that none before thee hath been like thee, nor shall arise after thee.
