Solomon Requests Wisdom(A)

Now (B)Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and (C)the Lord his God was with him and (D)exalted him exceedingly.

And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to (E)the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses. Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to [a]the high place that was at (F)Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the Lord had (G)made in the wilderness. (H)But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. Now (I)the bronze altar that (J)Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, [b]he put before the tabernacle of the Lord; Solomon and the assembly sought Him there. And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and (K)offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

(L)On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great (M)mercy to David my father, and have made me (N)king in his place. Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, (O)for You have made me king over a people like the (P)dust of the earth in multitude. 10 (Q)Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may (R)go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

11 (S)Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as (T)none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

Solomon’s Military and Economic Power(U)

13 So Solomon came to Jerusalem from [c]the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tabernacle of meeting, and reigned over Israel. 14 (V)And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 (W)Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 16 (X)And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. 17 They also acquired and imported from Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty; thus, [d]through their agents, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:3 Place for worship
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:5 Some authorities it was there
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:13 Place for worship
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit. by their hands

Therefore Solomon, the son of David, was comforted in his realm (And so Solomon, the son of David, was strengthened, or confirmed, in his kingdom), and the Lord was with him, and magnified him on high.

And Solomon commanded to all Israel, to tribunes, and centurions, and to dukes, and to doomsmen of all Israel, and to the princes of families; (And Solomon commanded to all Israel, to the tribunes, and the centurions, and the leaders, and the judges of all Israel, and the leaders of the families;)

and Solomon went with all the multitude into the high place of Gibeon, where the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace of the Lord was, which tabernacle Moses, the servant of the Lord, made in wilderness. (and Solomon went with all the multitude to the hill shrine of Gibeon, where the Tabernacle of the Covenant of the Lord was, that is, the Tabernacle of the Witnessing, which Tabernacle Moses, the Lord’s servant, had made in the wilderness.)

Forsooth David had brought the ark of God from Kiriathjearim into the place which he had made ready to it, and where he had set a tabernacle to it, that is, in Jerusalem. (But David had brought the Ark of God from Kiriathjearim to the place which he had prepared for it, and where he had set up a Tent for it, that is, in Jerusalem.)

And the brazen altar, which Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord; which also Solomon and all the church sought. (And the bronze altar, which Bezaleel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there in front of the Tabernacle of the Lord; and Solomon and all the congregation sought the Lord at that altar.)

And Solomon went up to the brazen altar, before the tabernacle of the bond of peace of the Lord, and offered in it a thousand sacrifices. (And Solomon went up to the bronze altar, before the Tabernacle of the Covenant of the Lord, and offered on it a thousand sacrifices.)

Lo! forsooth in that night God appeared to him, and said, Ask that that thou wilt, that I give to thee (Ask what thou wilt, that I give it to thee).

And Solomon said to God, Thou hast done great mercy with David, my father, and hast ordained me king for him. (And Solomon said to God, Thou hast shown great love for my father David, and hast made me king in his place.)

Now therefore, Lord God, thy word be fulfilled, which thou promisedest to David, my father; for thou hast made me king upon thy great people, which is so unnumberable as the dust of [the] earth. (And so now, Lord God, let thy word be fulfilled, which thou hast promised to my father David; for thou hast made me king upon thy great people, who be as innumerable as the dust of the earth.)

10 Give thou to me wisdom and understanding, that I go in and go out before thy people; for who may deem worthily this thy people, which is so great? (Give thou to me wisdom and understanding, so that I can come in and go out before thy people; for who can worthily judge this thy people, who be so great in number?)

11 And God said to Solomon, For that this thing pleased more thine heart, and thou askedest not riches, and chattel, and glory, neither the lives of them that hate thee, but neither full many days of thy life; but thou hast asked (for) wisdom and knowing, that thou mayest deem my people, upon which I have ordained thee king, (And God said to Solomon, For that this thing more pleased thy heart, and thou hast asked not for riches, or possessions, or glory, or for the lives of those who hate thee, or for a great many days for thy own life; but thou hast asked for wisdom and knowledge, so that thou can judge my people, on whom I have ordained thee to be king,)

12 wisdom and knowing (shall) be given to thee; and over this, I shall give to thee riches, and chattel, and glory (and in addition to this, I shall give to thee riches, and possessions, and glory), so that none among kings, neither before thee, nor after thee, (shall) be like thee.

13 Then Solomon came from the high place of Gibeon into Jerusalem, (from) before the tabernacle of the bond of peace, and he reigned upon Israel. (Then Solomon came from the hill shrine at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the Tabernacle of the Covenant, and he reigned upon Israel.)

14 And Solomon gathered together to him chariots and knights, and a thousand and four hundred chariots were made to him, and twelve thousand knights; and he made them to be in the cities of carts, and with the king in Jerusalem. (And Solomon gathered to himself chariots and horsemen, and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; and he ordained some of them to be in the cities for the chariots, and some of them to be with the king in Jerusalem.)

15 And the king gave in Jerusalem gold and silver as stones in plenty, and he gave cedar trees as sycamores, that come forth in field places in great multitude. (And the king made gold and silver to be as plentiful as stones in Jerusalem, and cedar trees to be like the sycamores that come forth in the fields in great multitude.)

16 And horses were brought to him from Egypt, and from Coa, by the merchants of the king, which went, and bought by price (who went there, and bought them for money),

17 a chariot of horses for six hundred pieces of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty. In like manner buying was made of all the realms of cities, and of the kings of Syria (In like manner, purchases were made from all the kings of the Hittites, and from the kings of Syria).