2 Chronicles 1
EasyEnglish Bible
King Solomon speaks to his people
1 David's son Solomon made himself a strong ruler over his kingdom.[a] The Lord his God was with Solomon, so that he became a great king.[b]
2 Solomon called all the people of Israel to come together. They included the army officers who had authority over 1,000 men, and those who had authority over 100 men. They also included the judges, the leaders in Israel and the leaders of families. 3 Then Solomon went with all those people to Gibeon town to worship God. The special tent that the Lord's servant Moses had made in the desert was there. It was the tent where God met with his people. 4 Before that, King David had brought God's Covenant Box from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem. He had prepared a place for it in a tent there. 5 But the bronze altar that Bezalel had made was in Gibeon, in front of the Lord's tent. (Bezalel was the son of Uri, and the grandson of Hur.) So Solomon and the people went to meet the Lord there in Gibeon. 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar which was in front of the Lord's special tent. He offered 1,000 burnt offerings on the altar to the Lord.
God meets with Solomon
7 That night, God showed himself to Solomon. God said, ‘Ask me to give you whatever you want.’
8 Solomon answered God, ‘You always showed your faithful love to my father David. Now you have chosen me to be king after him. 9 Now, Lord God, please do as you promised to my father David. You have chosen me to rule as king over a great nation with as many people as the dust on the ground. 10 So please give me wisdom and knowledge, so that I can be a good leader of these people. I will only be able to rule this great nation of your people if you do that for me.’
11 God said to Solomon, ‘I am pleased that you have not asked to have riches or many valuable things. You have not asked me to give you great honour or for me to punish your enemies with death. You have not asked for a long life. Instead you asked me to give you wisdom and knowledge to rule over my people that I have chosen you to rule as king. 12 Because of that, I will give to you wisdom and knowledge, as you asked. But I will also give you riches, valuable things and honour. You will have more of those than any king who has lived before you and more than any king who will live after you.’
13 Solomon left the special tent in Gibeon where God met with his people. He returned to Jerusalem. There he ruled over Israel as king.
Solomon buys horses and chariots
14 Solomon brought together many chariots and horses for his soldiers to ride. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He kept some of them in Jerusalem where he lived as king. He kept the others in cities that he had chosen for this. 15 While Solomon ruled as king, there was as much silver and gold in Jerusalem as stones! There was as much wood from cedar trees as there were fig trees that grew in the low hills in the west. 16 Solomon brought his horses from Egypt and from Kue. He sent traders to Kue to buy them for him. 17 They paid 600 pieces of silver for each chariot that they bought in Egypt. They paid 150 pieces of silver for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.[c]
Footnotes
- 1:1 King David died about 970 BC. A short time before his death, he made Solomon king of all Israel.
- 1:1 When we write Lord like this, it is a special name for God. Sometimes people write it as ‘Yahweh’, or as ‘Jehovah’. It is his own name that he told Moses. See Exodus 3:14. It means ‘I am who I am’. This shows that God has always been there and he always will be there.
- 1:17 The horses from Egypt were very big and strong. They were the best horses to pull chariots.
2 Chronicles 1
Legacy Standard Bible
Solomon Goes Before Yahweh
1 Now (A)Solomon the son of David strengthened himself over his kingdom, and [a]Yahweh his God was with him and highly (B)exalted him.
2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, (C)to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households. 3 Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to (D)the high place which was at Gibeon, (E)for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of Yahweh had made in the wilderness. 4 However, David had brought up (F)the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim [b]to (G)the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 Now (H)the bronze altar, which Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, [c]was there before the tabernacle of Yahweh, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. 6 And Solomon went up there before Yahweh to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and (I)offered one thousand burnt offerings on it.
7 (J)In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I should give to you.”
God Gives Wisdom to Solomon
8 Then Solomon said to God, “You have shown great lovingkindness to my father David, and (K)have made me king in his place. 9 Now, O Yahweh God, (L)let Your [d]promise to my father David [e]endure, for You have made me king over (M)a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 (N)Give me now wisdom and knowledge, (O)that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can do justice for this great people of Yours?” 11 (P)And God said to Solomon, “Because [f]you had this in your heart, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or glory, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may do justice for My people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge have been given to you. And (Q)I will give you riches and wealth and glory, [g]such as none of the kings who were before you had nor those who will [h]come after you.” 13 (R)So Solomon went [i]from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.
Solomon’s Chariots and Horsemen
14 (S)And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. (T)And he had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in (U)the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 (V)The king also made (W)silver and gold as plentiful as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the [j]Shephelah. 16 Solomon’s import of (X)horses was from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s merchants procured them from Kue for a price. 17 And they [k]imported a chariot from Egypt for [l]600 shekels of silver and a horse for [m]150; and [n]by the same means they [o]exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 1:1 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- 2 Chronicles 1:4 Lit where David had prepared for it
- 2 Chronicles 1:5 Lit he put
- 2 Chronicles 1:9 Lit word
- 2 Chronicles 1:9 Or be true
- 2 Chronicles 1:11 Lit this was in your heart
- 2 Chronicles 1:12 Lit which was not so to the kings who were before you
- 2 Chronicles 1:12 Lit be
- 2 Chronicles 1:13 Lit to
- 2 Chronicles 1:15 Or lowland
- 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit brought up and brought out
- 2 Chronicles 1:17 Approx. 15 lb. or 6.6 kg
- 2 Chronicles 1:17 Approx. 3.7 lb. or 1.6 kg
- 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit and in like manner by their hand
- 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit brought out
2 Chronicles 1
King James Version
1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
2 Then Solomon spake unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every governor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.
3 So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of the congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness.
4 But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it: for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem.
5 Moreover the brasen altar, that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the Lord: and Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.
6 And Solomon went up thither to the brasen altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and offered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.
7 In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
8 And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewed great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.
9 Now, O Lord God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou hast made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude.
10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.
13 Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.
14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, which he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.
15 And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the vale for abundance.
16 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
17 And they fetched up, and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, by their means.
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