Solomon Asks for Wisdom^(A)

1 Solomon, David’s son, ·became a powerful king [solidified/secured/established his kingdom/royal authority; ^Lstrengthened himself over his kingdom], because the Lord his God was with him and ·made him very great [exalted/magnified/empowered him].

² Solomon spoke to all the people of Israel—the ·commanders [officers] of thousands of men and of hundreds of men, the judges, every leader in all Israel, and the ·leaders [^Lheads] of the ·families [clans]. ³ Then Solomon and all the ·people [assembly] with him went to the ·place of worship [^Lhigh place] at the town of Gibeon. God’s ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the ·desert [wilderness], was there. ⁴ David had brought the Ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to Jerusalem, where he had ·made [prepared] a place for it and had set up a tent for it [1 Sam. 6:1–15]. ⁵ But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, who was the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the ·Holy Tent [Tabernacle]. So Solomon and the ·people [assembly] worshiped there. ⁶ Solomon went up to the bronze altar ·in the presence of [before] the Lord at the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle] and ·offered [sacrificed] a thousand burnt offerings on it.

⁷ That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

⁸ Solomon answered, “You have ·been very kind [shown/demonstrated loyalty/unfailing love] to my father David, and you have made me king in his place. ⁹ Now, Lord God, ·may your promise to my father David come true [or your promise to my father David has been fulfilled]. You have made me king of a ·people [nation] ·who are as many [as numerous] as the dust of the earth [Gen. 1:16]. ¹⁰ Now give me wisdom and knowledge so I can lead these people, ·because no one can rule them without your help [for who can rule/govern this great people/nation of yours?].”

¹¹ God said to Solomon, “You have not asked for wealth or riches or ·honor [fame], or for the ·death of your enemies [^Llife of those who hate you], or for a long life. ·But since [Because] you have asked for wisdom and knowledge to ·lead [rule; govern] my people, over whom I have made you king, ¹² I will give you wisdom and knowledge. I will also give you more wealth, riches, and ·honor [fame] than any king who has lived before you or any who will live after you.”

¹³ Then Solomon left the ·place of worship [^Lhigh place], the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], at Gibeon and went back to Jerusalem. There King Solomon ·ruled [reigned] over Israel.

Solomon’s Wealth^(B)

¹⁴ Solomon ·had [gathered; amassed; accumulated] fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. He kept some in ·special cities for the chariots [chariot cities], and others he kept with him in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ In Jerusalem Solomon made silver and gold as ·plentiful [common] as stones and cedar trees as ·plentiful [common] as the ·fig [sycamore-fig] trees on the ·western hills [^LShephelah]. ¹⁶ He imported horses from Egypt and ·Kue [Cilicia; ^Cpresent-day southern Turkey]; his traders bought them in ·Kue [Cilicia] for the ·prevailing [usual; standard] price. ¹⁷ They imported chariots from Egypt for ·about fifteen pounds [^Lsix hundred shekels] of silver apiece, and horses cost ·nearly four pounds of silver [^Lone hundred fifty] apiece. Then they ·sold [exported] the horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites and the Arameans.