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
- 1:2 Hebrew the commanders of thousands and of hundreds.
- 1:3 Hebrew Tent of Meeting; also in 1:6, 13.
- 1:5a As in Greek version and Latin Vulgate, and some Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text reads he placed.
- 1:5b Hebrew to consult him.
- 1:10 Hebrew to go out and come in before this people.
- 1:14 Or charioteers; also in 1:14b.
- 1:15 Hebrew the Shephelah.
- 1:16a Possibly Muzur, a district near Cilicia; also in 1:17.
- 1:16b Hebrew Kue, probably another name for Cilicia.
- 1:17a Hebrew 600 [shekels] of silver, about 15 pounds or 6.8 kilograms in weight.
- 1:17b Hebrew 150 [shekels], about 3.8 pounds or 1.7 kilograms in weight.
2 Chronicles 1
Common English Bible
Solomon first meets God
1 Solomon, David’s son, was securely established over his kingdom because the Lord his God was with him and made him very great. 2 Solomon summoned all Israel, including the officers of the army,[a] the judges, and every Israelite leader who was the head of a family. 3 Then Solomon, accompanied by the whole assembly, went to the shrine at Gibeon because that is where God’s meeting tent was, the tent that the Lord’s servant Moses had made in the wilderness. 4 Now David had already brought God’s chest from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it because he had pitched a tent for the chest in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar that Bezalel, Uri’s son and Hur’s grandson, had made was there in front of the Lord’s dwelling, so that is where Solomon and the assembly worshipped. 6 Solomon went there to the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence at the meeting tent and offered a thousand entirely burned offerings upon it.
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.”
8 “You showed so much kindness to my father David,” Solomon replied to God, “and you have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be fulfilled because you have made me king over a people as numerous as the earth’s dust. 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge so I can lead this people, because no one can govern this great people of yours without your help.”
11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is what you wish, and because you’ve asked for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I’ve made you king—rather than asking for wealth, riches, fame, victory over those who hate you, or even a long life— 12 your request for wisdom and knowledge is granted. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame beyond that of any king before you or after you.” 13 Then Solomon went from[b] the shrine in Gibeon, from the meeting tent to Jerusalem where he ruled over Israel.
Solomon’s wealth
14 Solomon acquired more and more chariots and horses until he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he stationed in chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 In Jerusalem, the king made silver and gold as common as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore trees that grow in the foothills. 16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and Kue, purchased from Kue by the king’s agents at the going price. 17 They would import a chariot from Egypt for six hundred pieces of silver and a horse for one hundred fifty, and then export them to all the Hittite and Aramean kings.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 1:2 Or officers over thousands and hundreds
- 2 Chronicles 1:13 LXX, Vulg; MT to
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