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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
New Living Translation

Solomon Asks for Wisdom

1 Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful.

2 Solomon called together all the leaders of Israel—the generals and captains of the army,[a] the judges, and all the political and clan leaders. 3 Then he led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God’s Tabernacle[b] was located there. (This was the Tabernacle that Moses, the Lord’s servant, had made in the wilderness.)

4 David had already moved the Ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the tent he had prepared for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri and grandson of Hur was there[c] at Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle of the Lord. So Solomon and the people gathered in front of it to consult the Lord.[d] 6 There in front of the Tabernacle, Solomon went up to the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings on it.

7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

8 Solomon replied to God, “You showed great and faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place. 9 O Lord God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth! 10 Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly,[e] for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people— 12 I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!”

13 Then Solomon returned to Jerusalem from the Tabernacle at the place of worship in Gibeon, and he reigned over Israel.

14 Solomon built up a huge force of chariots and horses.[f] He had 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses. He stationed some of them in the chariot cities and some near him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. And valuable cedar timber was as common as the sycamore-fig trees that grow in the foothills of Judah.[g] 16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt[h] and from Cilicia[i]; the king’s traders acquired them from Cilicia at the standard price. 17 At that time chariots from Egypt could be purchased for 600 pieces of silver,[j] and horses for 150 pieces of silver.[k] They were then exported to the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.

Footnotes

  1. 1:2 Hebrew the commanders of thousands and of hundreds.
  2. 1:3 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 1:6, 13.
  3. 1:5a As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate, and some Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text reads he placed.
  4. 1:5b Hebrew to consult him.
  5. 1:10 Hebrew to go out and come in before this people.
  6. 1:14 Or charioteers; also in 1:14b.
  7. 1:15 Hebrew the Shephelah.
  8. 1:16a Possibly Muzur, a district near Cilicia; also in 1:17.
  9. 1:16b Hebrew Kue, probably another name for Cilicia.
  10. 1:17a Hebrew 600 [shekels] of silver, about 15 pounds or 6.8 kilograms in weight.
  11. 1:17b Hebrew 150 [shekels], about 3.8 pounds or 1.7 kilograms in weight.
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