Solomon Worships at Gibeon

1 Now ^(A)Solomon the son of David established himself securely over his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him and ^(B)exalted him greatly.

² 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 the Lord had made in the wilderness. ⁴ However, David had brought up ^(F)the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim ^[a]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, ^[b]was there before the tabernacle of the Lord, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. ⁶ Solomon went up there before the Lord to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and ^(I)offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

^7 (J)In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.”

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

⁸ Solomon said to God, “You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and ^(K)have made me king in his place. ⁹ Now, O Lord God, ^(L)Your ^[c]promise to my father David is fulfilled, 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 rule this great people of Yours?” ^11 (P)God said to Solomon, “Because ^[d]you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, 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 rule My people over whom I have made you king, ¹² wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And ^(Q)I will give you riches and wealth and honor, ^[e]such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will ^[f]come after you.” ^13 (R)So Solomon went ^[g]from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Wealth

^14 (S)Solomon amassed chariots and horsemen. ^(T)He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in ^(U)the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem. ^15 (V)The king made ^(W)silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamores in the ^[h]lowland. ¹⁶ Solomon’s ^(X)horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue; the king’s traders procured them from Kue for a price. ¹⁷ They ^[i]imported chariots from Egypt for 600 shekels of silver apiece and horses for 150 apiece, and ^[j]by the same means they ^[k]exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

^[a]Maskil of David, when he was ^[b]in the cave. A Prayer.

The Seventh Seal—the Trumpets

8 When the Lamb broke the ^(A)seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ² And I saw ^(B)the seven angels who stand before God, and seven ^(C)trumpets were given to them.

^3 (D)Another angel came and stood at the ^(E)altar, holding a ^(F)golden censer; and much ^(G)incense was given to him, so that he might ^[a]add it to the ^(H)prayers of all the ^[b]saints on the ^(I)golden altar which was before the throne. ⁴ And ^(J)the smoke of the incense, ^[c]with the prayers of the ^[d]saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. ⁵ Then the angel ^[e]took the censer and ^(K)filled it with the fire of the altar, and ^(L)threw it to the earth; and there followed ^(M)peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an ^(N)earthquake.

^6 (O)And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

⁷ The first sounded, and there came ^(P)hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and ^(Q)a third of the earth was burned up, and ^(R)a third of the ^(S)trees were burned up, and all the green ^(T)grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel sounded, and something like a great ^(U)mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and ^(V)a third of the ^(W)sea became blood, ⁹ and ^(X)a third of the creatures which were in the sea ^[f]and had life, died; and a third of the ^(Y)ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded, and a great star ^(Z)fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a ^(AA)third of the rivers and on the ^(AB)springs of waters. ¹¹ The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a ^(AC)third of the waters became ^(AD)wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded, and a ^(AE)third of the ^(AF)sun and a third of the ^(AG)moon and a ^(AH)third of the ^(AI)stars were struck, so that a ^(AJ)third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a ^(AK)third of it, and the night in the same way.

¹³ Then I looked, and I heard ^[g]an eagle flying in ^(AL)midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “^(AM)Woe, woe, woe to ^(AN)those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the ^(AO)three angels who are about to sound!”