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2 Chronicles 1
New English Translation

The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom

1 Solomon son of David solidified his royal authority,[a] for[b] the Lord his God was with him and magnified him greatly.

2 Solomon addressed all Israel, including those who commanded units of a thousand and a hundred, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel who were heads of families. 3 Solomon and the entire assembly went to the worship center[c] in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God[d] was located there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. 4 (Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, was in front of the Lord’s tabernacle.[e] Solomon and the entire assembly prayed to him[f] there.) 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up 1,000 burnt sacrifices.

7 That night God appeared[g] to Solomon and said to him, “Tell me[h] what I should give you.” 8 Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated[i] great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, may your promise[j] to my father David be realized,[k] for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Now give me wisdom and discernment so[l] I can effectively lead this nation.[m] Otherwise[n] no one is able[o] to make judicial decisions for[p] this great nation of yours.”[q]

11 God said to Solomon, “Because you desire this,[r] and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies,[s] and because you did not ask for long life,[t] but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, 12 you are granted wisdom and discernment.[u] Furthermore I am giving you riches, wealth, and honor surpassing that of any king before or after you.”[v]

13 Solomon left the meeting tent at the worship center in Gibeon and went to Jerusalem, where he reigned over Israel.[w]

Solomon’s Wealth

14 Solomon accumulated[x] chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses . He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem.[y] 15 The king made silver and gold as plentiful[z] in Jerusalem as stones; cedar was[aa] as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the foothills.[ab] 16 Solomon acquired his horses from Egypt[ac] and from Que; the king’s traders purchased them from Que. 17 They paid 600 silver pieces for each chariot from Egypt, and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Syria.[ad]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:1 tn Heb “and Solomon son of David strengthened himself over his kingdom.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:1 tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav [ו] + subject pattern) probably has a causal nuance here.
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:3 tn Or “high place.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:3 tn Heb “the tent of meeting of God.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 1:5 sn The tabernacle was located in Gibeon; see 1 Chr 21:29.
  6. 2 Chronicles 1:5 tn Heb “sought [or “inquired of”] him.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 1:7 tn Or “revealed himself.”
  8. 2 Chronicles 1:7 tn Heb “ask.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 1:8 tn Heb “did.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 1:9 tn Heb “your word.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 1:9 tn Or “be firm, established.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) following the imperative here indicates purpose/result.
  13. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “so I may go out before this nation and come in.” The expression “go out…and come in” here means “to lead” (see HALOT 425 s.v. יצא qal.4).
  14. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “for.” The word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
  15. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
  16. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “to judge.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “these numerous people of yours.”
  18. 2 Chronicles 1:11 tn Heb “because this was in your heart.”
  19. 2 Chronicles 1:11 tn Heb “the life of those who hate you.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 1:11 tn Heb “many days.”
  21. 2 Chronicles 1:12 tn Heb “wisdom and discernment are given to you.”
  22. 2 Chronicles 1:12 tn Heb “which was not so for the kings who were before you, and after you there will not be so.”
  23. 2 Chronicles 1:13 tn Heb “and Solomon came from the high place which was in Gibeon [to] Jerusalem, from before the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.”
  24. 2 Chronicles 1:14 tn Or “gathered.”
  25. 2 Chronicles 1:14 tn Heb “he placed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.”
  26. 2 Chronicles 1:15 tn The words “as plentiful” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  27. 2 Chronicles 1:15 tn Heb “he made.”
  28. 2 Chronicles 1:15 sn The foothills (שְׁפֵלָה, shephelah) are the region between the Judean hill country and the Mediterranean coastal plain.
  29. 2 Chronicles 1:16 sn Because Que is also mentioned, some prefer to see v. 16-17 as a reference to Mutsur. Que and Mutsur were located in Cilicia or Cappadocia (in modern southern Turkey). See HALOT 625 s.v. מִצְרַיִם.
  30. 2 Chronicles 1:17 tn Heb “and they brought up and brought out from Egypt a chariot for 600 silver (pieces), and a horse for 150, and in the same way to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram by their hand they brought out.”
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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

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:1 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:4 Lit where David had prepared for it
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:5 Lit he put
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:9 Lit word
  5. 2 Chronicles 1:9 Or be true
  6. 2 Chronicles 1:11 Lit this was in your heart
  7. 2 Chronicles 1:12 Lit which was not so to the kings who were before you
  8. 2 Chronicles 1:12 Lit be
  9. 2 Chronicles 1:13 Lit to
  10. 2 Chronicles 1:15 Or lowland
  11. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit brought up and brought out
  12. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Approx. 15 lb. or 6.6 kg
  13. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Approx. 3.7 lb. or 1.6 kg
  14. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit and in like manner by their hand
  15. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit brought out
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1 Chronicles 29
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