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Solomon the son of David was firmly established in his kingdom, and Yahweh[a] his God[b] was with him, and made him exceedingly great. Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every prince in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households. So Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for God’s Tent of Meeting was there, which Yahweh’s servant Moses had made in the wilderness. But David had brought God’s ark up from Kiriath Jearim to the place that David had prepared for it; for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. Moreover the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was there before Yahweh’s tabernacle; and Solomon and the assembly were seeking counsel there. Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before Yahweh, which was at the Tent of Meeting, and offered one thousand burnt offerings on it.

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

Solomon said to God, “You have shown great loving kindness to David my father, and have made me king in his place. Now, Yahweh God, let your promise to David my father be established; for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor yet have you asked for long life; but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge my people, over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge is granted to you. I will give you riches, wealth, and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you, and none after you will have.”

13 So Solomon came from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the Tent of Meeting, to Jerusalem; and he reigned over Israel.

14 Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen. He had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen that he placed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold to be as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars to be as common as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland. 16 The horses which Solomon had were brought out of Egypt and from Kue. The king’s merchants purchased them from Kue. 17 They brought up and brought out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty.[c] They also exported them to the Hittite kings and the Syrian[d] kings.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
  2. 1:1 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
  3. 1:17 The pieces of silver were probably shekels, so 600 pieces would be about 13.2 pounds or 6 kilograms of silver, and 150 would be about 3.3 pounds or 1.5 kilograms of silver.
  4. 1:17 or, Aramean

The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom

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

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. 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. (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. 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.) Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up 1,000 burnt sacrifices.

That night God appeared[g] to Solomon and said to him, “Tell me[h] what I should give you.” Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated[i] great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. 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.”