2 Chronicles 1

1 Then Solomon, the son of David, was strengthened in his reign, and the Lord his God was with him, and he magnified him on high.

And Solomon, the son of David, made himself strong in his kingdom, and the Lord his God was with him, and made him very great.

2 And Solomon instructed the whole of Israel, the tribunes, and the centurions, and the rulers, and the judges over all of Israel, and the leaders of the families.

And Solomon sent word to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every chief in all Israel, heads of their families.

3 And he went away with the entire multitude to the high place of Gibeon, where the tabernacle of the covenant of the Lord was, which Moses, the servant of God, made in the wilderness.

Then Solomon, and all the men of Israel with him, went to the high place at Gibeon, because the Tent of meeting of God, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, had made in the waste land, was there.

4 For David had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim, to the place that he had prepared for it, and where he had pitched a tabernacle for it, that is, in Jerusalem.

But the ark of God had been moved by David from Kiriath-jearim to the place which he had made ready for it, for he had put up a tent for it at Jerusalem.

5 Also, the altar of brass, which Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had constructed, was there before the tabernacle of the Lord. And so Solomon sought it, with the entire assembly.

And the altar of brass which Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the Tent of the Lord; and Solomon and all the people went to give worship there.

6 And Solomon ascended to the bronze altar, before the tabernacle of the covenant of the Lord, and he offered upon it one thousand victims.

And Solomon went up there to the brass altar before the Lord at the Tent of meeting, offering on it a thousand burned offerings.

7 But behold, during that night God appeared to him, saying, “Request what you wish, so that I may give it to you.”

In that night God came to Solomon in a vision, and said to him, Say what I am to give you.

8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to my father David. And you have appointed me as king in his place.

And Solomon said to God, Great was your mercy to David my father, and you have made me king in his place.

9 Now therefore, O Lord God, let your word be fulfilled, which you promised to my father David. For you have made me king over your great people, who are as innumerable as the dust of the earth.

Now, O Lord God, let your word to David my father come true; for you have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in number.

10 Give to me wisdom and understanding, so that I may enter and depart before your people. For who is able worthily to judge this, your people, who are so great?”

Give me now wisdom and knowledge, so that I may go out and come in before this people: for who is able to be the judge of this great people of yours?

11 Then God said to Solomon: “Since this is the choice that pleased your heart, and you did not request wealth and substance and glory, nor the lives of those who hate you, nor even many days of life, since instead you requested wisdom and knowledge so that you may be able to judge my people, over whom I have appointed you as king:

And God said to Solomon, Because this was in your heart, and you did not make request for money, property, or honour, or for the destruction of your haters, or for long life; but you have made request for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, so that you may be the judge of my people over whom I have made you king:

12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. And I will give to you wealth and substance and glory, so that none of the kings either before you or after you will be similar to you.”

Wisdom and knowledge are given to you; and I will give you wealth and honour, such as no king has had before you or ever will have after you.

13 Then Solomon went from the high place of Gibeon to Jerusalem, before the tabernacle of the covenant, and he reigned over Israel.

So Solomon went back from the high place at Gibeon, from before the Tent of meeting, to Jerusalem; and he was king over Israel.

14 And he gathered to himself chariots and horsemen. And they brought to him one thousand four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. And he caused them to be in the cities of the chariots, and with the king in Jerusalem.

And Solomon got together war-carriages and horsemen; he had one thousand, four hundred carriages and twelve thousand horsemen, which he kept, some in the carriage-towns and some with the king at Jerusalem.

15 And the king offered silver and gold in Jerusalem as if they were stones, and cedar trees as if they were sycamores, which grow in the plains in a great multitude.

And the king made silver and gold as common as stones in Jerusalem, and cedar like the sycamore-trees of the lowland in number.

16 Then horses were brought to him from Egypt and from Kue, by the negotiators of the king, who went and bought for a price:

And Solomon's horses came out of Egypt; the king's traders got them from Kue at a price.

17 a four-horse chariot for six hundred pieces of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty. A similar offer to purchase was made known among all the kingdoms of the Hittites, and among the kings of Syria.

A war-carriage might be got from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty: they got them at the same rate for all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Aram.