2 Chronicles 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. The Reign of Solomon
Chapter 1
Solomon at Gibeon. 1 Solomon, son of David, strengthened his hold on the kingdom, for the Lord, his God, was with him, making him ever greater. 2 Solomon summoned all Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, the judges, the princes of all Israel, and the family heads; 3 (A)and, accompanied by the whole assembly, Solomon went to the high place at Gibeon, because the tent of meeting of God, made in the wilderness by Moses, the Lord’s servant, was there. 4 David had, however, brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to Jerusalem, where he had provided a place and pitched a tent for it; 5 the bronze altar made by Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, he put in front of the tabernacle of the Lord.[a] There Solomon and the assembly sought out the Lord,(B) 6 and Solomon offered sacrifice in the Lord’s presence on the bronze altar at the tent of meeting; he sacrificed a thousand burnt offerings upon it.
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him: Whatever you ask, I will give you. 8 Solomon answered God: “You have shown great favor to David my father, and you have made me king to succeed him. 9 Now, Lord God, may your word to David my father be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.(C) 10 Give me, therefore, wisdom and knowledge to govern this people, for otherwise who could rule this vast people of yours?” 11 God then replied to Solomon: Because this has been your wish—you did not ask for riches, treasures, and glory, or the life of those who hate you, or even for a long life for yourself, but you have asked for wisdom and knowledge in order to rule my people over whom I have made you king— 12 wisdom and knowledge are given you. I will also give you riches, treasures, and glory, such as kings before you never had, nor will those who come after you.
Solomon’s Wealth. 13 Solomon returned to Jerusalem from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, and became king over Israel. 14 Solomon amassed chariots and horses: he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses; these he allocated among the chariot cities and to the king’s service in Jerusalem.(D) 15 The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars as numerous as the sycamores of the Shephelah.(E) 16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Cilicia,[b] where the king’s agents purchased them at the prevailing price.(F) 17 A chariot imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, a horse one hundred and fifty shekels; so they were exported to all the Hittite and Aramean kings.(G)
Preparations for the Temple. 18 Solomon gave orders for the building of a house for the name of the Lord and also a king’s house for himself.
Footnotes
- 1:5 The bronze altar…the tabernacle of the Lord: by this notice, the Chronicler justifies Solomon’s worship at the high place of Gibeon. He pictures the tabernacle, i.e., the Mosaic meeting tent, and the bronze altar made at Moses’ command (Ex 31:1–9) as remaining at Gibeon after David had installed the ark of the covenant in another tent in Jerusalem (1 Chr 15:1, 25; 16:1). Bezalel’s altar was made of acacia wood plated with bronze (Ex 27:1–2). Later, Solomon made an all-bronze altar for the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chr 4:1).
- 1:16–17 Egypt and Cilicia: it seems likely that the horses came from Cilicia and the chariots from Egypt. Some scholars find a reference to Musur, a mountain district north of Cilicia, rather than to Egypt (Misrayim) in 1 Kgs 10:28–29, the Chronicler’s source for this notice. The Chronicler himself probably understood the source to be speaking of Egypt; cf. 2 Chr 9:28.
2 Chronicles 1
21st Century 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 xceedingly.
2 Then Solomon spoke unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every overnor 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 he 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 ent for it at Jerusalem.
5 Moreover the brazen altar that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the Lord; nd Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.
6 And Solomon went up thither to the brazen altar before the Lord, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and ffered 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 shown 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 ust 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 o great?”
11 And God said to Solomon, “Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of hine enemies, neither yet hast asked for long life, but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge My eople over whom I have made thee king,
12 wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have ad who 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 ongregation, and reigned over Israel.
14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, hom 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 abundant as the sycamore rees that are in the vale.
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 and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and ifty; 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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