I used wisdom to test all these things. I said,“ I’ve made up my mind to be wise.” But it was more than I could accomplish.

我曾用智慧试验这一切事；我说，要得智慧，智慧却离我远。

我曾用智慧试验这一切事，我说：“要得智慧。”智慧却离我远。

我曾用智慧试验这一切事，我说：“要得智慧。”智慧却离我远。

我用智慧试验过这一切。我说：“我要做智者”，谁知智慧却离我甚远。

这一切我都用智慧试验过。我说：“我要得智慧”，智慧却远离我。

我曾以智慧试验过这一切；我说：“我要有智慧”，智慧却离我遥远。

我曾用智慧試驗這一切事；我說，要得智慧，智慧卻離我遠。

我曾用智慧試驗這一切事，我說：「要得智慧。」智慧卻離我遠。

我曾用智慧試驗這一切事，我說：「要得智慧。」智慧卻離我遠。

我用智慧試驗過這一切。我說：「我要做智者」，誰知智慧卻離我甚遠。

這一切我都用智慧試驗過。我說：“我要得智慧”，智慧卻遠離我。

這一切我都用智慧試驗過；我說：『我可有智慧了』；事實上還差得遠呢。

我曾以智慧試驗過這一切；我說：「我要有智慧」，智慧卻離我遙遠。

凡此諸事、我嘗以智驗之、自謂我將得智、惟智遠我、

我察萬事、欲求大道、而道離我甚遠。

我嘗以智慧察此諸事、意謂我欲得真見解、而離我甚遠、

All this I tested by wisdom and I said,“ I am determined to be wise”— but this was beyond me.

All this I have tested by wisdom. I said,“ I will be wise,” but it was far from me.

I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself,“ I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work.

I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved,“ I will be wise,” but it was beyond me.

I tested all this with wisdom, and I said,“ I will be wise,” but wisdom was far from me.

All this I have proved by wisdom. I said,“ I will be wise”; But it was far from me.

All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

I have tested all this by wisdom. I resolved,“ I will be wise,” but it was beyond me.

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it[ was] far from me.

I have examined all this by wisdom; I said,“ I am determined to comprehend this”– but it was beyond my grasp.

All this I have proved in wisdom. I said,“ I will be wise;” but it was far from me.

They claimed to be wise. But they made fools of themselves.

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where are the great thinkers of our time? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish?

So God said to him,“ You have not asked to live for a long time. You have not asked to be wealthy. You have not even asked to have your enemies killed. Instead, you have asked for wisdom. You want to do what is right and fair when you judge people. Because that is what you have asked for,I will give it to you. I will give you a wise and understanding heart. So here is what will be true of you. There has never been anyone like you. And there never will be.

“ God knows that when you eat fruit from that tree, you will know things you have never known before. Like God, you will be able to tell the difference between good and evil.”

King Solomon loved many women besides Pharaoh’s daughter. They were from other lands. They were Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.The Lord had warned Israel about women from other nations. He had said,“ You must not marry them. If you do, you can be sure they will turn your hearts toward their gods.” But Solomon continued to love them anyway. He wouldn’t give them up.He had 700 wives who came from royal families. And he had 300 concubines. His wives led him astray.As Solomon grew older, his wives turned his heart toward other gods. He didn’t follow the Lord his God with all his heart. So he wasn’t like his father David.Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth. Ashtoreth was the female god of the Sidonians. He also worshiped Molek. Molek was the god of the Ammonites. The Lord hated that god.Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He didn’t completely obey the Lord. He didn’t do what his father David had done.There is a hill east of Jerusalem. Solomon built a high place for worshiping Chemosh there. He built a high place for worshiping Molek there too. Chemosh was the god of Moab. Molek was the god of Ammon. The Lord hated both of those gods.Solomon also built high places so that all his wives from other nations could worship their gods. Those women burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.